Oregon DOT to poll public on preliminary alternative routes for intercity passenger rail

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) will host open houses next month to solicit public comments on preliminary alternatives for an intercity passenger-rail service between Portland, Vancouver, Wash., and the Eugene-Springfield urban area, ODOT officials announced in their fall newsletter.

ODOT has been studying potential rail routes and evaluating options for train frequency, trip time and improving on-time performance, the newsletter states. In spring, ODOT used public input to develop five preliminary rail route alternatives.

After the open houses — which will be held Nov. 5-7, Nov. 12 and 14 — ODOT will establish the range of alternatives to be further studied prior to publishing a Draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement, according to the newsletter.

Full descriptions of the preliminary alternatives are available at www.OregonPassengerRail.org.