I-205 Corridor Study

Citizens' Committee Meeting #7

August 24, 2000
Meeting Summary

Citizens' Committee Members Present

Becky Archibald, Fircrest Neighborhood		Tim Schauer, Clark County Home Builders
Gary Thomson, Evergreen Schools		Rick Sant'Angelo, Friends of Clark County
Joe Gianotti, Marrion Neighborhood		Art Stubbs, Green Meadows Neighborhood Association
Alex Veliko, ENAG

Staff Present

Dean Lookingbill, RTC		Matt Ransom, City of Vancouver
Brian McMullen, WSDOT

Consultants

Cathy Higley, HDR		James Gregory, HDR
Jamie Damon, JLA

Others Present

Sumer Johnson, Burton Ridge
Kimberly Lane, Burton Ridge

Agenda, 7:00pm - 9:00pm

1. Welcome and Introductions
2. Regional Transportation Status Report and Feedback from Early August I-205 Study Outreach Activities
3. Evaluation Criteria
4. Future Transportation Alternatives
5. Next Steps
6. Public Comment / Close

I. Welcome and Introductions

 

II. Regional Transportation Status Report and Feedback from Early August I-205 Study Outreach Activities

Staff presentations:

Matt Ransom presented an update on Vancouver's Transportation System Plan development: Website anticipated to be operating by 9/15; Public meetings beginning around the end of October; CAC recruiting through fall - intensive commitments - beginning first of 2001.

JD/LD update I-205 study/public involvement process: Need to check newsletter mailing list -- Joe, Alex and Rick did not receive it.

III. Evaluation Criteria

The Committee discussed the "levels" or "tiers" of criteria and concerns with perception of prioritization of certain criteria over others. Some prioritization is needed.

IV. Future Transportation Alternatives

Cathy presented results of preliminary technical analysis of the alternatives. Travel demand model results for each of the alternatives were reviewed. The Committee then reviewed each of the alternatives and noted the pros and cons of each alternative, as well as questions and further information needs for each alternative. The results of the Committee's review are presented below.

Alternatives Pros/Cons & Further Information Needs

Alternative A - Local Arterial Improvements
Pros	Cons
Cheap	Problem with signal at 92nd and Burton - justifying need Doesn't really solve the problems

 

Alternative B - Split Diamond Interchange at 18th and 28th/Burton
Pros	Cons
Reduces cut through traffic in Marrion neighborhood Improves all Mill Plain ramps Distributes traffic more evenly Enhances local access to I-205	Looks like from analysis doesn't address a lot of the problems Expensive - question cost/benefit Frontage road wold not be necessary if S2 is added to this alternative
More Information Needed/Questions
Need to know impacts on 86th, 87th, 96th, 98th. Take another look at mainline numbers. Doesn't seem logical that C performs better than B. Seems like something is missing in the analysis. Why does the analysis show this resolves so little? Will we be getting more traffic to businesses/industry?

 

Alternative C - Diamond Interchange at 18th
Pros	Cons
Less impacts on neighborhoods than B. Positive mainline benefits. Good for developing industry. Pulls traffic off Mill Plain interchange area.	Seems more expensive because of the engineering. Bad for local homes.
More Information Needed/Questions
Impacts to 86th, 87th, 92nd, 96th, 98th. Question impacts on 18th ("green"). How is it that this performs better than B? Where is the frontage road that is shown in B? Continue the frontage road - make a hybrid of B & C.

 

Alternative D - Mill Plain Local Access Improvements
Pros	Cons
	Business community made into an island. "Token Approach" -- not cost effective. 117th has a very high accident rate. Doesn't help freeway much. Won't solve a lot of the problems. Heavy impact in the neighborhoods.

 

Alternative E-1 (N1+S1)
Description
N1 - Add direct ramp connection to NE 112th Avenue north of Mill Plain Road and add a collector-distributor road east of I-205 between SR 14 and SE 9th Street. S1 - Add a direct ramp connection from I-205 northbound to SE Chkalov Drive north of SE McGillivray Boulevard.
Pros	Cons
	Does little for traffic north of Mill Plain. Does not alleviate eastbound Mill Plain. "I don't like it." Expensive.
More Information Needed/Questions
Distribution of traffic from Mill Plain off-ramp.

 

Alternative E-2 (N2+S1)
Description
N2 - Add direct ramp connections (half-diamond interchange) to and from the south at NE 18th Street to accommodate northbound off and southbound on traffic on I-205. S1 - Add a direct ramp connection from I-205 northbound to SE Chkalov Drive north of SE McGillivray Boulevard.
Pros	Cons
More "bang for the buck." Solves more problems.	Weave SR 14 - 205. Weave 205 - Mill Plain. Geometric problems with Chkalov connection. Expensive.
More Information Needed/Questions
Bring frontage road through. Combine S1 and S2.

 

Alternative E-3 (N1+S2)
Description
N1 - Add direct ramp connection to NE 112th Avenue north of Mill Plain Road and add a collector-distributor road east of I-205 between SR 14 and SE 9th Street. S2 - Add a direct ramp connection from I-205 northbound to SE Chkalov Drive south of the existing Fred Meyer access intersection. The ramp would also connect to an east-west collector road along SE 5th Street alignment (providing direct connection to Mill Plain Road via SE 5th Street/SE 131st Avenue).
Pros	Cons
We like this pairing. Seems to solve more problems.	Expensive.
More Information Needed/Questions
If only S2 can occur it can work with an interchange in the future. Compare S2 with one of the two interchanges - add it and model it.

 

Alternative E-4 (N2+S2)
Description
N2 - Add direct ramp connections (half-diamond interchange) to and from the south at NE 18th Street to accommodate northbound off and southbound on traffic on I-205. S2 - Add a direct ramp connection from I-205 northbound to SE Chkalov Drive south of the existing Fred Meyer access intersection. The ramp would also connect to an east-west collector road along SE 5th Street alignment (providing direct connection to Mill Plain Road via SE 5th Street/SE 131st Avenue).
Pros	Cons
	Expensive.

 

V.Next Steps

Open house at Westfield Shopping Town (Vancouver Mall) on 8/26; will feature Community Criteria. Community Workshop on 9/13 to present alternatives to the broader public and solicit their feedback. Continued technical review - next TAC meeting not yet scheduled.

VI.Public Comment

Two study area residents who live adjacent to I-205 attended and expressed the following concerns:

• Alternatives B & C are biggest concerns (direct impacts to residents).
• Combining alternatives to include elements of B & C would impact them.
• When will this happen?
• The alternatives with a frontage road included appear to be a problem.

Matt indicated that all alternatives were conceptual and very preliminary, and site-specific impacts based on the implementation of any one of the alternatives presented would be difficult to predict at this level of study.

The next CAC meeting is September 21, 2000 from 7:00pm - 9:00pm in the Rose F. Besserman Community Room at the C-TRAN Fisher's Landing Transit Center, 3510 SE 164th Avenue, Vancouver.