The composition, roles, and responsibilities of each group that plays a role in
this planning process are described below.
Public Involvement
Community Task Force (CTF)
Project Management Team (PMT)
Technical Staff Working Groups
Policy Advisory Group (PAG)
Senior Agency Staff (SAS)
Participating Agencies
Collaborative Environmental & Transportation Agreement for Streamlining (CETAS)
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
Consultant Team
Public Involvement
Planned outreach activities will provide the public with meaningful opportunities to affect project
outcomes throughout the project. A series of newsletters will provide updates on project progress. Public open houses and
workshops, an interactive project Web site, online surveys, and a speakers’ bureau will provide opportunities to exchange
information.
The public will be asked to provide input at the following decision points:
- Purpose and Need for the project (Decision Point 2) - October 2006 Open House
- Evaluation framework (Decision Point 3)
- Alternatives to be developed (Decision Point 4) - April 2007 Public Workshop
- Alternatives to be narrowed down and then forwarded for detailed analysis in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Decision Point 5) - July 25, 2007 Public Open House. (An Open House in November 2007 helped narrow down the bridge types that will be studied in the Draft EIS)
- Select preferred alternative (Decision Point 6)
The Community Task Force will actively consider public input before making recommendations at each decision point.
Community Task Force (CTF)
The Community Task Force (CTF) will provide a balanced representation of stakeholder
interests, affected communities, and geographic areas. It will also serve as a communications link with those interests and
communities. Members include leaders of neighborhoods on both sides of the bridge, as well as representatives of local
and regional business groups. Advocates for different bridge user groups are also included, commuters, freight and transit
users, pedestrians, and bicyclists. Members have been appointed by the Multnomah Board of County Commissioners.
Responsibilities of the CTF members include:
- Represent constituents’ perspectives during group deliberations
- Communicate project progress with constituents
- Work to develop consensus recommendations for the Project Advisory Group at each step in the decision process
Meeting materials from the CTF meetings are provided on the meeting materials page.
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Project Management Team (PMT)
The Project Management Team (PMT) includes Multnomah County and consultant project
managers, as well as key staff resources from Metro and the City of Portland. Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) staff will participate during preparation
of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS).
The PMT’s responsibilities include:
- Manage project scope, schedule, and budget
- Direct, produce, and assure quality of technical and public/agency involvement work
- Provide staff support to the Project Advisory Group, Senior Agency Staff, and Community Task Force
PMT members include:
- Ian Cannon/Multnomah County
- Michael Eaton/Multnomah County
- Ed Abramson/Multnomah County
- Mike Pullen/Multnomah County
- Mike Lynch/Multnomah County
- John Gillam/City of Portland
- Mauricio LeClerc/City of Portland
- Tim Collins/Metro
- Emily Moshofsky/Oregon Department of Transportation
- Elaine Cogan/Cogan Owens Cogan
- Marcy Schwartz/CH2M HILL
- Lwin Hwee/CH2M HILL
- Donna Kilber-Kennedy/CH2M HILL
Technical Staff Working Groups
Technical staff will be consulted by the Project Management Team for their technical
expertise throughout the project. Consultations will be targeted to develop particular products. Staff from Multnomah County,
Clackamas County, ODOT, Metro, City of Portland, TriMet, and other jurisdictions will serve on ad hoc working groups to
support development of these products.
For example:
- Roadway engineers will be asked to assist the project team with setting design standards and developing
project alternatives.
- Metro and City of Portland traffic modeling staff will assist the Project Management Team with establishing assumptions and
methodology for modeling activities.
- Resource specialists from ODOT and the City of Portland will assist project team specialists with determining environmental
analysis methodology, reviewing impact assessments, and selecting mitigation measures.
- Public involvement specialists will be asked to review the public involvement plan and monitor its implementation.
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Policy Advisory Group (PAG)
The Policy Advisory Group includes elected and appointed officials of local agencies
and jurisdictions with regulatory responsibility for, or who have a strong interest, in the project.
Responsibilities of the PAG include:
- Set the policy framework for the project
- Represent the interests of their agencies or jurisdictions in group deliberations
- Communicate project progress to fellow elected or appointed officials, as well as constituents
- Review recommendations from the Community Task Force and make final decisions at the six decision points
Members of the PAG will represent their organizations in making the first five decisions. For the sixth decision, the PAG will
recommend a preferred alternative to the Multnomah County Board, Portland City Council, and Metro for formal approval.
The group includes:
- Chair, Ted Wheeler/Multnomah County
- Commissioner Deborah Kafoury/Multnomah County
- Mayor Sam Adams/City of Portland
- Councilor Robert Liberty/Metro
- Chair Lynn Peterson/Clackamas County
- Greg Chaimov/City of Milwaukie
- Fred Hansen, General Manager/TriMet
- Representative Carolyn Tomei/Oregon State House
- Senator Diane Rosenbaum/Oregon Senate
- Jason Tell/Oregon Department of Transportation
- Phillip Ditzler/Federal Highway Administration
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Senior Agency Staff (SAS)
A senior staff person from each of these organizations was appointed by PAG members and will be kept
abreast of project activities and gather input from the staff of the organizations. This will ensure that decision makers have
direct access to timely and accurate project information, as well as the recommendations of their department leads.
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Participating Agencies
In accordance with requirements of the Federal legislation of 2005, Safe Accountable Flexible Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users
(SAFETEA-LU), letters were
sent to other local, state, and federal agencies that might be interested in participating in the project. This includes emergency service
providers, housing agencies, and other agencies suggested by FHWA. Agencies that express a desire to participate in the
project development process will be given the opportunity to comment at each of the decision points.
The Coordination Plan fulfills the requirements of Section 6002 of SAFETEA-LU and was reviewed by FHWA and the agencies listed in the plan.
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Collaborative Environmental and Transportation Agreement for Streamlining (CETAS)
CETAS was established to coordinate and streamline the regulatory reviews and permitting
functions of multiple agencies. Members include representatives from key national
and state agencies responsible for protecting the region’s air, water, wildlife,
and cultural resources. The project team met with the CETAS team for their concurrence on the purpose and need statement and range of
alternatives; the team will also invite their counsel at future decision points. More information
regarding CETAS can be found on Oregon Department of Transportation's Web site.
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
The FHWA is the lead agency for the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process. FHWA governs proposed actions requiring
federal funding, federal permits, or federal approvals. This agency will actually
sign the environmental impact statement (EIS) and the record of decision (after decision point 6). More information
about FHWA can be found on their official Web site.
Consultant Team
Multnomah County selected CH2M HILL as the prime contractor for the planning phase in the spring of 2006. CH2M HILL managed the development and evaluation of project alternatives and prepared the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS) for the project.
CH2M HILL provided expertise in the following areas:
- Project management
- Planning and technical support to the Project Management Team, Community Task Force, Senior Agency Staff, and Policy Advisory Group
- Roadway and bridge engineering
- Surveying
- Hydrology
- Environmental analysis for biological, social, visual, cultural, archaeological, water, and geotechnical resources
- Noise, air quality, and environmental justice impact analysis
Firms working with CH2M HILL as part of the project team include:
- Alta Planning and Design (bicycle and pedestrian facilities)
- ECO Northwest (economic and financial analysis)
- David Parisi Associates (travel demand modeling and operations analysis for automobiles, freight, and transit)
- Jeanne Lawson Associates (public involvement)
- National Constructors Inc. (cost estimation and construction analysis)
- PTV America (traffic modeling support)
- Real Property Consultants (Right of Way impact analysis)
- T.Y. Lin International (bridge design)
The County also awarded an independent contract to Cogan Owens Cogan to facilitate the Community Task Force (CTF).
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The Community Task Force will actively consider public input before making recommendations
at each decision point.
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