Portland's elected leaders unanimously threw their support Thursday behind a proposed 12-mile light-rail extension from downtown to Bridgeport Village.

The estimated $2.6 billion to $2.9 billion project would give passengers a 30-minute ride between downtown and the suburban shopping center by 2027.

Portland leaders haven't figured out how much money the city is willing to chip in for the long-awaited project, which is expected to be the centerpiece of a 2020 regional transportation bond. But the City Council's support for the preferred rail route is the latest indication the so-called Southwest Corridor plan is one step closer to reality.

"We have an opportunity to deliver high-capacity transit service and safety improvements to one of the most congested parts of our region," said Commissioner Chloe Eudaly, who oversees the Transportation Bureau. She and other leaders called the project "transformative."

Planners said the project goes far beyond bringing 13 transit stations and seven park and rides to Barbur Boulevard and the shopping district in the Tigard and Tualatin area. Designs include miles of sidewalks and pedestrian crossings, bike lanes and a dramatic overhaul for how motorists get to and from the Ross Island Bridge. It will also include better connection between Barbur and Oregon Health & Science University and the medical campus on Marquam Hill.

Two aging bridges - the Vermont and Newbury Street Viaducts - will be replaced to give more space to walkers and cyclists.

Portland, TriMet and Metro are trying to approach the project differently than they did previous light rail lines in North Portland, Milwaukie and elsewhere.

If Portland-area voters approve a $652.8 million housing bond next week, the public agencies say they will use some of the proceeds to build affordable housing complexes along the route before the light-rail project drives up land prices.

This week TriMet and the city revealed another strategy geared toward preventing homes and businesses from being priced out of the neighborhood. The transit agency often has surplus land from MAX projects because it purchases large parcels as a placeholder for construction equipment or other properties are deemed larger than necessary.

The route passes through a part of Portland that boasts about 11,400 homes within reach for low- and moderate-income renters, according to a Portland State University study.

Metro Councilor Bob Stacey said the regional partners are committed to preserving and expanding on that supply "as development occurs."

Doug Kelsey, TriMet's general manager, said the region of Southwest Portland, Tigard, Tualatin and Sherwood expects to add 70,000 people and 65,000 jobs by 2035.

"This is one of the largest infrastructure projects in this region's history," Kelsey said, "and yes, it's a complex one." Kelsey cautioned that the engineering design for the undulating terrain is just at 5 percent, adding there was an "immense amount" of work to do.

The Portland area will need to compete with other cities and regions for federal funding. "We will complete for these dollars like never before," Kelsey said.

The project comes as public transit agencies nationwide have seen ridership declines. Eudaly said that doesn't concern her.



"I don't believe increasing ridership on mass transit is a lost cause," she said. "Because we have failed to mitigate displacement and because we haven't developed affordable housing strategies alongside these transit projects, we've seen decreased ridership. It's my goal we don't continue to do that."

The council heard testimony from more than a dozen community members and business owners, largely in support of the project.

Tony Jordan, an outspoken Portlander interested in parking policy, cautioned the seven park and ride locations and thousands of spaces is not the right step for the region, given the environmental implications. "If we're still building 4,000 parking stalls in 2027," he said, "we've gone down the wrong path."

The Metro Council, the regional government's elected tri-county representatives, will cast the ultimate vote on the preferred route at its meeting Nov. 15, adding the project to a list of the region's most important transportation projects.

The Southwest Corridor would be the first light rail line since the Orange Line to Milwaukie opened in 2015. Metro expects the first trains to roll out on the new line by 2027 if federal and local funding is secured.

Metro estimates 43,000 people would ride the line every day by 2035. The hope, planners say, is the transit line will provide a new option to car commuters stuck in traffic on adjacent Interstate 5. Ultimately, the estimates say 20 percent of southbound commuters in the evening hours may take the train instead of driving.

Elliot Njus contributed to this report

-- Andrew Theen

atheen@oregonian.com

503-294-4026

@andrewtheen