Press Release

Vancouver, Washington -- There has been much discussion over the past few years about the transportation problems in the I-205 corridor from the Glenn Jackson Bridge north to 83rd Street. Congestion on both I-205 and local streets, long traffic lines at interchanges, accidents, and access for local business are some of the problems that have been increasing in recent years.

In response to these issues, the Regional Transportation Council and Washington Department of Transportation are working together with the City of Vancouver, Clark County, and C-TRAN, to initiate the I-205 Corridor Study, which will run through the summer of 2000.

Lynda David, Project Manager from RTC, explained "this study will answer many of the questions on our mind about the corridor, such as, are improvements to I-205 at Mill Plain feasible? Is a new interchange between Mill Plain and SR-500 the most viable transportation solution for the corridor? And how do we improve traffic flow on the freeway?"

There will be many opportunities for the public to be involved in this process, beginning with the first Community Open House scheduled for October 7, 1999 from 5:30pm - 7:00pm at Truman Elementary School, 4505 NE 42nd Avenue, Vancouver. The community is invited to come to the Open House anytime between 5:30pm and 7:00pm. Display stations will include information about existing and future conditions in the corridor and preliminary information about the problems to be addressed. Staff from the agencies listed above will be on hand to answer questions and hear ideas and concerns about issues to be addressed.

The Open House will be immediately followed by the first meeting of the Citizens Committee, from 7:00pm to 9:00pm. The Citizens Committee is a 15-member committee of local residents, businesses, public service providers and neighborhood representatives who will be reviewing, discussing and providing recommendations to the study team.

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