TriMet is no longer considering removing a travel lane in each direction on Barbur Boulevard or having a train run adjacent to Interstate 5 instead of down the middle of the Southwest Portland thoroughfare as a way to cut costs on the more than $2.5 billion Southwest Corridor light-rail project to connect Portland to Tualatin.

Those were some of the key recommendations released by the agency before a steering committee, comprised of local and regional politicians and transportation officials, meets Monday to discuss the latest budget situation.

Spokeswoman Roberta Altstadt said TriMet had projected potential cost savings of $200 million by making those changes along Barbur, but they “did not prove to be feasible as the impacts were not acceptable to project leadership.”

The travel lane recommendation, in particular, marks a big victory for suburban communities like Tigard, which had protested that reducing the number of lanes for cars and trucks on the key corridor was untenable.

Jason Snider, Tigard’s mayor, said Tuesday that TriMet “encountered significant resistance” about the proposal. “It’s a positive step toward building a project that will be effective,” he said, “and meet the community’s needs.”

The budget changes also appear to put end to speculation that TriMet would consider phasing in the line and not build all the way to Bridgeport Village immediately. That notion was anathema to Washington County, which said it would not fund its $75 million share of the project if the train didn’t reach the suburban shopping center from the date trains are expected to roll in 2027.

As recently as July, the project faced a $462 million gap between the amount of money planners estimate they could raise from local, state and federal sources and the estimated cost of the project. Since then, TriMet planners shaved millions off the total price tag by saying it would displace fewer homes and businesses along the route, reduce the number of track crossovers that allow trains to move from one set of tracks to another and other changes.

The transit agency said Tuesday it had trimmed the budget on the proposed 12-mile light-rail line and reduced the gap to $100 million. The project is more than a light-rail extension; it also calls for miles of continuous sidewalks, pedestrian crossings and bike lanes through the hilly corridor.

Altstadt, TriMet’s spokeswoman, said the lack of cost savings and traffic impacts on reducing travel lanes on a five-mile stretch of Barbur meant it wasn’t a viable choice.

“A gap of less than $100 million remains and project partners expect to close that remaining gap through refinements to design, particularly by prioritizing reduced impacts to existing businesses and residents,” she said in an email. “Also, conversations continue with partners to establish additional sources of revenue.”

The biggest share of the budget shortfall is expected to be made up by contributions from regional residents, in the form of next year’s transportation package. The precise funding source for the $3.1 billion measure has not been determined.

As The Oregonians/OregonLive reported last week, TriMet plans to ask for an additional $125 million for the Southwest Corridor light-rail project in Metro’s transportation bond. Metro staff signed off on that proposal, which will not be finalized until the regional government’s council votes on a project list later this year.

The project also secured an additional $65 million from the state’s transportation department to pay for its share of safety improvements to Barbur, which is a state highway. That contribution is separate from additional money expected from the state ($150 million) and city of Portland ($75 million).

TriMet also believes it could increase its request for federal funding by $50 million. The agency had previously said more federal funding was unlikely.

The steering committee meets from 6-8 p.m. Monday at the Tigard Public Library. A final steering committee decision on the light-rail budget is expected Nov. 18.

Altstadt noted that the project still has many years of design work ahead of it. Early next year, the agency will release a preliminary design report.

-- Andrew Theen

atheen@oregonian.com

503-294-4026

@andrewtheen

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