What is the Highway 99 BRT project?
C-TRAN is in the early planning stages of designing its third bus rapid transit system, which will serve Vancouver’s Highway 99 and Main Street corridors. Bus rapid transit, or BRT, uses various features to move passengers more efficiently and reliably. Those features include larger buses, transit signal priority, seamless fare payments, and level boarding platforms.
Is this the same thing operating on Fourth Plain and under construction on Mill Plain?
The Highway 99 BRT system will be another branch of The Vine, launched on the Fourth Plain corridor in 2017, but it will not be the same. Highway 99 and Main Street are different corridors with unique characteristics. We’re working closely with residents, businesses, and others to ensure the project reflects the needs and the identity of the area it serves.
Why Highway 99?
C-TRAN is leading the Highway 99 BRT Project with input from the City of Vancouver (WA), the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Council (RTC), Port of Vancouver, and Clark County. The project evolved from the Clark County High Capacity Transit (HCT) System Study that RTC, C-TRAN, and partner agencies completed in December 2008. Following an extensive public involvement process, the HCT System Study recommended including HCT elements in four corridors, including Highway 99, I-205, Fourth Plain, and Mill Plain Boulevards. In July 2017, as part of the 2030 Plan Update, C-TRAN staff evaluated the Mill Plain and Highway 99 corridors.
Where will it go?
The Highway 99 BRT project will serve the city of Vancouver and unincorporated Clark County through nearly 10 miles and 21 neighborhoods on Highway 99 and Main Street. The project study area stretches from the Vancouver Waterfront north through Hazel Dell and Salmon Creek.
Will it cost more for me to ride?
Nope. Passengers riding BRT on Highway 99 will pay a regular Local fare, just like on The Vine on Fourth Plain and Mill Plain.
How will the project be funded?
To date, the Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Council (RTC) has awarded $5,850,000 in federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) funds to be applied to the total project costs.