The Equity Advisory Group held three meetings in the second quarter of 2024. In April, the group was presented with a summary of the findings from one-on-one meetings the program held with individual members. These interactions highlighted the importance of several efforts, including engaging equity priority communities and identifying potential economic opportunities, advocacy for forward-thinking and inclusive long-term planning for the bridge to become a focal point for community unity, and concerns around the effectiveness of virtual meetings. The group also participated in discussions with the program’s urban design team on how equity is guiding their work and the preliminary design and features of transit stations at Hayden Island and the Vancouver waterfront. EAG members also had the opportunity to hear about the process for setting toll rates and policies, how the results of traffic and revenue studies are utilized, and the roles and responsibilities for the implementation of tolls on the Interstate Bridge. The program also engaged EAG members with live polling during its June meeting to receive instant feedback on questions regarding toll policy considerations. Responses showed minimizing the impact of tolls on equity priority communities is of great importance to EAG members, along with safe and efficient mobility. 

Community Benefits Advisory Group Highlights

The Community Benefits Advisory Group met three times in the second quarter of 2024. These meetings continued the group’s work in identifying potential community benefits in the “community benefits” category, such as utilizing visual aids to promote education of program design, development of affordable housing in the program area, opportunities for community centers and repurposing existing retail areas for community development. They also discussed community benefits in the “avoid further harm” category which included improving communication with the public during construction, use of AI and technical tools to provide real-time support for community members concerns or questions and defining a good neighbor agreement for construction. The group received a presentation on Tribal Government consultation and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. They learned how the program will initiate Section 106 proceedings and identify historic properties to assess impacts.