Metro's regional planning newsletter - May 2006

May 2006

Welcome to Metro's regional planning newsletter, e-mailed periodically to interested persons. Check the end of the newsletter for subscription information.

In this issue:

* Metro to host community design workshop for Lake Oswego to Portland Transit and Trail Alternatives Analysis

* Let's Talk Trash - updating the region's waste reduction plan

* Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program (MTIP) process begins

* Recommendation expected on Eastside Transit Alternatives Analysis

***********************************************************

Metro to host community design workshop for Lake Oswego to Portland Transit and Trail Alternatives Analysis

We need your ideas and input. What transit options should be considered on Highway 43 and the Willamette Shoreline right of way? Where can a pedestrian and bike trail be built between Lake Oswego and Portland?

The Lake Oswego to Portland Transit and Trail Alternatives Analysis will develop and evaluate transit and trail alternatives in the corridor and select a no-build alternative or one or two preferred alternatives to advance for further study. The process begins with scoping, the definition of a range of transit and trail alternatives to be considered in the study. Once scoping is completed, staff will analyze options and provide the public and decision-makers with information to help narrow the wide range of alternatives to a few that best address needs in the corridor.

Community design workshop

5:30 to 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, May 30

Riverdale Grade School

11733 SW Breyman Ave., Portland

Draft locations for a bus line, rail line, trail and river transit that were developed by the 20-member, citizen Project Advisory Committee will be presented and discussed along with information about the no-build alternative, the project timeline and future public involvement opportunities.

To learn more, visit www.metro-region.org/transportation and select transportation projects. To be added to the project mailing list, send email to trans@metro.dst.or.us or call (503) 797-1756.

***********************************************************

Let's Talk Trash - updating the region's waste reduction plan

Are we doing enough to conserve resources for future generations? Can we do more to protect the environment? Tell Metro what you think.

Metro is revising the region's Waste Reduction Plan with strategies that will help the Portland metropolitan region address waste reduction issues and more. It is a component of the larger Regional Solid Waste Management Plan, which serves as a blueprint for coordinating solid waste and recycling programs.

This spring (through June 5), the Metro Council is asking residents to comment on the draft plan. Later this summer, the Council will consider the Plan for adoption.

Complete a survey to share your ideas about how the region should manage trash and protect the quality of our air and water - now and in the future. Go to www.metro-region.org/letstalktrash, or call (503) 234-3000 for a printed survey.

The Metro Council is committed to using your ideas and addressing concerns you raise to meet our region's needs. Thank you for participating.

***********************************************************

Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program (MTIP) process begins

Metro has begun the process of distributing $64 million in federal money to regional government transportation agencies for projects to be included in the MTIP 2008-11. Solicitation packets were sent out to government transportation agencies in early April, with completed applications due to Metro by June 30. Contact information for the staff person organizing the application process within each transportation agency is available on the Metro website (see below).

Funding will be allocated to projects involving planning, engineering, repairing or building roads, bridges, freight access, transit systems, bicycle and pedestrian facilities. To be eligible, projects must already be in the current Regional Transportation Plan (RTP).

The final list of projects will be selected through an extensive prioritization process that evaluates safety, land-use goals, cost-effectiveness, potential to support economic development, and other criteria.

A first-cut list containing 150 percent of potentially fundable projects will be released for public comment in October and November. A draft final list will be presented for public testimony in February 2007, and the Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation (JPACT) and the Metro Council should adopt a final list in March. The final list must also align with the State Transportation Improvement Program and conform to federal and state air quality requirements.

For more information about the MTIP process, visit the Metro website at www.metro-region.org, or call Pat Emmerson, Senior Public Affairs Specialist, at 503-797-1551.

***********************************************************

Recommendation expected on Eastside Transit Alternatives Analysis

Following an open house and public hearing held in May, a recommendation for a locally preferred alternative is expected in early June. Next, project partners City of Portland, Tri-Met, Portland Streetcar Inc., Multnomah County and Metro will be asked to pass resolutions adopting a locally preferred alternative as recommended by the Eastside Project Advisory Committee. The Metro Council will consider all public comment and resolutions from local governments before adopting a preferred alternative. Check Metro's web calendar for meeting schedules and agendas.

Should the streetcar line be extended to the eastside, or would bus service be a better alternative? A public comment period on eastside transit improvements runs from Wednesday, May 3 to Friday, June 30. To provide comments, you may:

• Visit www.metro-region.org/transportation and select transportation projects to learn more
• Send comments via e-mail to trans@metro.dst.or.us
• Send written comments to Eastside Transit Alternatives Analysis, 600 NE Grand Ave., Portland, OR 97232
• Record a comment on Metro's transportation hotline at (503) 797-1900, option 2
• Check city and county calendars for local jurisdiction adoption meeting schedules and plan to attend.

***********************************************************

Planning e-news subscription information

If you have updates to the e-mail list or wish to be taken off the list, respond to this email or call (503) 797-1756. The hearing impaired can call TDD at (503) 797-1804. Share this information with others you think would like to receive this e-newsletter.

***********************************************************

Metro

People places * open spaces  

Clean air and water do not stop at city limits or county lines. Neither does the need for jobs, a thriving economy and good transportation choices for people and business in our region. Voters have asked Metro to help with the challenges that cross those lines and affect the 25 cities and three counties in the Portland metropolitan area.

A regional approach simply makes sense when it comes to protecting open space, caring for parks, planning for the best use of land, managing garbage disposal and increasing recycling. Metro oversees world-class facilities such as the Oregon Zoo, which contributes to conservation and education, and the Oregon Convention Center, which benefits the region's economy.

Your Metro representatives

Metro Council President David Bragdon

Metro Council Rod Park, District 1; Brian Newman, District 2; Carl Hosticka, deputy council president, District 3; Susan McLain, District 4; Rex Burkholder, District 5; Robert Liberty, District 6.

Auditor Alexis Dow, CPA

Metro's web site: www.metro-region.org