The Budd Rail Diesel Cars (RDC) pictured on this page were once part of the commuter fleet of New Jersey Transit. They are currently in excursion service on the Port of Tillamook Bay Railroad, after having sat unused on an obscure railroad siding in the northwest Portland industrial district for several years. Now they, or cars like them, could become part of an effective new transit link proposed by AORTA.

Metro, the Portland area's regional government organization, completed a South Willamette River Study in 1999 to find a suitable site in northern Clackamas County for a new bridge to accommodate increasing east-west traffic demand.

Metro released the study in July 1999. it recommended no new bridge because it failed to identify a suitable location. Currently, the nearest available highway routes in this area are the Sellwood Bridge into southeast Portland and the I-205 bridge between West Linn and Oregon City. Both routes are roundabout and indirect.

Seemingly forgotten in this study was the existing railroad bridge between Lake Oswego and Milwaukie, which is capable of carrying thousands of daily commuters without adverse impact. This bridge is on a former Southern Pacific Railroad branch line, now owned by the Union Pacific Railroad and leased to the Portland & Western Railroad, which operates it as part of a low-volume freight line.

If Tri-Met or another public body acquired the line, passenger service could use it. If freight trains were allowed continued access, Union Pacific would probably agree to give up this section of track. So far, neither Tri-Met or Metro has proposed or evaluated a Willamette River rail shuttle. We believe they should. This service would:

• Move people, rather than automobiles, across the river. One self-propelled passenger car operating between Lake Oswego and Milwaukie could provide service in each direction at 30-minute frequencies. Two cars could provide 15-minute service.
  
  
• Provide a missing link between Tri-Met bus routes serving the Milwaukie and Lake Oswego Transit Centers. The shuttle could provide fast and convenient connections among the 1,000 buses that serve these transit centers daily. Transit would move much faster and avoid traffic congestion on McLoughlin Boulevard, the Sellwood Bridge and Highway 43.
  
  
• Provide infrastructure for bicycle and pedestrian traffic between Lake Oswego and Milwaukie. The bridge could include modifications to safely accommodate bicycles and pedestrians. A similar project, the Portland Riverwalk, includes a multi-use path on the lower level of the Steel Bridge, and could serve as an example.
  
  
• Provide an initial step for circumferential rail service between East Clackamas County and Washington County, connecting regional centers. This line is part of a Portland-area rail network that can connect Beaverton, Hillsboro, and Tigard to cities east of the Willamette. For example, it runs directly behind the Transit Center in downtown Tigard and could easily connect with other bus routes there by way of a convenient platform addition. The Tigard-Beaverton portion of this line will carry Westside Express Service commuter rail trains beginning in September 2008.
  
  
• Serve as part of a future commuter rail line between Yamhill County and Portland. The line runs directly to Newberg and McMinnville (and, between 1915 and 1929, the segment west of Lake Oswego carried frequent electric interurban passenger trains) and could serve as a vital commuter link to relieve traffic congestion along busy Ore. 99W. It could become part of a regional commuter rail network serving the entire Portland metropolitan area.
  
  
• Reduce traffic congestion, lessen environmental impacts and minimize costs.
  • The rail link could help reduce automobile congestion on both the Sellwood and West Linn-Oregon City river crossings by providing a direct route for people traveling east and west. This is particularly important on the old and narrow Sellwood Bridge, which handles daily traffic far in excess of its projected capacity.
  • By operating in lieu of a potential new east-west road bridge, it would help avoid the property condemnation and associated environmental disruptions caused by new construction.
  • By using an existing bridge that local municipalities could improve at a lower cost, it could avoid the high cost of constructing a new bridge.
    
    
• Support the Regional Growth Concept and local plans/policies. A Willamette River rail shuttle would significantly contribute to existing and planned regional growth plans and help alleviate moving the increased numbers of residents projected for region over the next 20 years.

If you would like to see this cost-effective solution considered, please contact:

• TriMet General Manager, (503) 238-4831.
• Milwaukie Mayor's Office, (503) 786-7555.
• Lake Oswego Mayor's Office, (503) 635-0213.
• Clackamas County Commissioners, (503) 655-8581.