Video: TriMet GM Neil McFarlane Says CRC Backers Had Better Hurry

NEIL MCFARLANE
By AARON MESH

Lawmakers in Washington and Oregon continue to escalate a standoff over whether the Project Formerly Known as the Columbia River Crossing should include light rail.

You'll never guess whose side TriMet General Manager Neil McFarlane is on. He says U.S. Department of Transportation officials are more likely to back the CRC if it's differentiated from "very big auto bridges" they usually see.

But in this video, taken during McFarlane's visit to WW offices last Thursday, he also says the Oregon Legislature is running out of time to get federal dollars. And he says a federal commitment of 50 percent of capital costs is the new normal for infrastructure projects.

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