As Columbia River Crossing staffers prepare to issue a draft environmental impact statement and a draft locally preferred alternative for public comment, several west-side businesses have put their feelings about the potential light rail on display.
Bold black letters reading “Keep the Crime Train (MAX) Off Main” are hard to miss hanging in two windows of Harry’s Lawn and Power Equipment, 1912 Main St.
The store paid to print the signs, which were seen at several Main Street businesses, but have since come down because of customer feedback.
Smaller, artful signs showing support are up at Java House, 210 W. Evergreen Blvd., and Video Connections, 6400 N.E. Highway 99. Owners of both businesses said the subtle, colorful signs were made by a customer, whom they could not recall.
John Wallum, manager of Harry’s Lawn and Power, said at the time the opposition signs were made, the potential for crime was a major concern because of reports of gang crimes, drug crimes and fights taking place near MAX tracks in Gresham.
Wallum’s not anti-light rail and his fears of increased crime have since been somewhat dissuaded. The real issue, he and others say, is that a MAX line doesn’t belong on Main Street.
“I believe light rail would probably be good for this area, but if it’s brought up Main, it’s going to hinder – if not destroy – what this area has become in the last seven years,” said Cliff McMillen, owner of Vancouver Pizza Co., 2219 Main St.
The restaurant displayed one of the anti-light rail signs, but took it down after receiving an e-mail from an upset customer.
The incendiary language on the signs is just for that purpose – a way to catch attention and spur people into action, Wallum said. Columbia River Crossing meetings have been sparsely attended by downtown business people, whose businesses are going to be impacted the most, he said.
He is concerned construction of a light rail line through Uptown could take several months, having major impacts on revenue.
McMillen estimated that if business were down 30 percent to 40 percent for four months, the restaurant would be at a loss of about $100,000.
“There is no small business owner in this area that I’m aware of that can sustain a hit like that,” he said.
If light rail is routed downtown, assistance to small businesses ought to be a cost of the project, McMillen added.
Wallum is concerned about a loss of parking and said as is, there is not enough room on Main Street for a light rail line, autos, pedestrians and bicyclists.
“Light rail is supposed to solve the problem of traffic on I-5, and it’s only going to create congestion downtown,” he said.
Columbia River Crossing project staff found that the downtown alignment would likely reduce auto capacity on Main Street north of Fourth Plain Boulevard – the only north-south arterial west of I-5 in Vancouver – which is likely to cause more congestion on Main Street.
McMillen is also concerned about the loss of street parking for Uptown businesses. And then there’s the potential for crime.
Columbia River Crossing staffers are well-versed in the crime issue.
“We’ve done some studies and basically, we’ve learned that if crime is already in your area, you have crime,” said Lynn Rust, assistant deputy project director. “Light rail doesn’t bring crime – it’s already there or not.”
If and when light rail is built, it will come with security plans in place, she added.
Both Wallum and McMillen said they are enthusiastic about an I-5 alignment for light rail because there will be easier access to the line, fewer impacts on the area and folks already use park and rides.
“Don’t run it on a major street – run it near major streets,” Wallum said.
The extra cost is a drop in the bucket, McMillen added.
Java House owner Cora Chandler said she’s been waiting for light rail for the last 16 years.
It will be expensive, she said, but traffic across the bridge is horrendous and light rail is environmentally friendly.
“Look what’s happened in North Portland,” Chandler said. “In areas around the MAX line, there are new restaurants, new grocery stores. People have fixed up their neighborhoods… Look at Main Street – there is nothing going on and there are a lot of for-lease signs up.”
McMillen said Portland’s Interstate Avenue had no place to go but up.
As for the dissenters, Chandler shook her head.
“Maybe these people don’t want more people in their stores,” she said. “People don’t want change.”
Gene Morley, owner of Video Connections, said he is all for an improved connection to Portland from Vancouver. But he, too, is concerned about light rail being routed through downtown to 39th Street, which is already a mess, he said.
“We’re not subway New York and we’re not Portland, and we don’t want to be,” McMillen said. “We’ve got our own identity that we’ve striven for. The train (on Main Street) would help destroy that and throw a lot of people under the bus.”
The next CRC meeting is scheduled from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Jan. 22 at the Hilton Vancouver.
MAPPING IT OUT
One of the Columbia River Crossing Task Force’s big jobs will be to decide whether to recommend that high-capacity transit be aligned through downtown Vancouver or on the east side along I-5.
Each option has distinct advantages and disadvantages, CRC project staff found through preliminary research.
The I-5 alignment would impact less property, have fewer traffic impacts and require less property acquisition, but it could cost 25 percent more and take eight months longer to build. It also could cost 25 percent more to maintain and operate and be less integrated with the surrounding neighborhoods and commercial areas.
View Columbia River Crossing map.
Megan Patrick can be reached at mpatrick@vbjusa.com.
