Join John Ley as he delves into the controversial $7.5 billion I-5 Interstate Bridge replacement project. In this video, Ley highlights the problematic aspects of the proposed MAX light rail station at Vancouver’s waterfront, including the planned demolition of the relatively new Hurley Development building. He questions the decision to allocate substantial taxpayer dollars for this project and criticizes the imposition of tolls on drivers to fund infrastructure that primarily benefits pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit riders. Ley advocates for more sensible and cost-effective transportation spending, pointing out that a similar bridge project in Hood River is being completed for a fraction of the cost. Learn more about John Ley’s fight for fiscal responsibility and his vision for a better Washington state.
Video transcript
Hello, folks. John Ley here. I’m next to the I-5 Interstate bridge and the freeway. But more importantly, I’m at ground zero for what Vancouver officials are demanding is a waterfront MAX light rail station. You can see the Hurley Development building behind me. That’s the only five years old yet the IBR and Vancouver officials want to demolish that. They want to spend your taxpayer dollars to reimburse the owners that built that and put a MAX light rail station there.
The light rail platform would be over the top of that building at the top height. They want that to be 75 to 80ft in the air. Who’s going to climb steps to get 85ft in the air in order to ride Max light rail? It’s ridiculous on so many levels. Like so many facets of this I-5 Interstate Bridge replacement program.
The $7.5 billion project wants to charge drivers tolls. Yet we recently learned that over half of the surface area of the bridge will be dedicated to pedestrians, bicyclists, and mass transit. So they want to charge drivers tolls in order to pay for surface area that bicyclists, transit riders and pedestrians will take advantage of. That’s ridiculous. We could build a bridge for much, much less than $7.5 billion.
In fact, they’re building a bridge 60 miles east of here in Hood River for $520 million. Go to ElectJohnLey.com to learn more about my battle for common sense spending of your transportation dollars, and to do good things for Washington residents. Let’s go Washington and let’s make Washington State great again.
