Vancouver, WA: On Wednesday, November 16 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., and Saturday, November 19 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the community is invited to participate in a design workshop to help craft transit solutions for the Fourth Plain corridor.
The Wednesday workshop takes place at Clark College’s Gaiser Hall Student Center on Fort Vancouver Way, between Fourth Plain and McLoughlin boulevards in Vancouver; and the Saturday workshop will be held at the C-TRAN's Administrative Office, located at 2425 NE 65th Avenue, Vancouver, WA 98661.
Breakout sessions will allow participants to choose which part of Fort Vancouver Way and Fourth Plain they would like to help design, while real-time design visuals will be displayed for participants to have an immediate vision of their transit solutions. The workshop also provides participants with a brief overview as to why transit improvements are needed along Fourth Plain Boulevard and a basic understanding of how Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) operates.
At their November meeting, the C-TRAN Board of Directors approved lane concepts for BRT and design parameters for Fourth Plain Boulevard. As a result, the project is now moving towards the development of both BRT and non-BRT solutions for further evaluation. The transit solutions that result from this workshop will be presented to the project’s Corridor Advisory Committee and Project Management Team in early December.
Parking for the November 16 workshop is available in lots near Clark College. Gaiser Hall is also served directly by C-TRAN routes 25, 39 and 44, and is within 1/3 mile walking distance from routes 3, 4 and 30. Parking for the November 19 workshop will be available in lots in front of C-TRAN’s Administrative Office, as well as on the surrounding streets. C-TRAN’s Administrative Office is also within 1/3 mile walking distance from Routes 4 and 30. Participants who need specialized transportation to or from either workshop should call (360) 624-3719 at least three days prior to the event.
About the Fourth Plain Transit Improvement Project
One out of every three C-TRAN riders uses the Fourth Plain Boulevard transit corridor. With over 6,000 trips provided each day it is the highest ridership corridor within C-TRAN’s system. In recent years, transit travel within the corridor has suffered with longer and more unpredictable travel times caused by traffic congestion, bus overcrowding and difficulty getting to and from bus stops. C-TRAN is attempting to solve these problems through the Fourth Plain Transit Improvement Project whose planning effort is funded by a Federal Transit Administration grant. The top two or three options that surface during this planning phase will be evaluated over the next six to eight months, with a final decision on the preferred alternative expected by the C-TRAN Board of Directors in the summer of 2012. C-TRAN will then begin seeking federal funding to design and eventually build the selected transit project. Local funding for construction, operation and maintenance costs for the transit line will be included in a potential ballot measure in the fall of 2012.
About C-TRAN
C-TRAN is the regional public transportation provider for portions of Clark County. It offers Local bus service within its Clark County service area, Limited bus service to the nearest MAX light rail station, and Express commuter service to downtown Portland. It also provides C-VAN paratransit service for those who are medically qualified, Connector service within the city limits of Camas, La Center, and Ridgefield, and vanpool.
Contact: Scott Patterson, Director, Development and Public Affairs • (360) 906-7306 Office • (360) 904-9638 Cell