Washington County Elections Office Certifies Tigard's (Extremely Narrow) Vote to Proceed With Light Rail

Fewer people than can fit on a MAX train decided the election.

By Nigel Jaquiss

Washington County elections officials made it official today—the proposed extension of light rail to Tigard—is still alive.

Voters approved continuing to move forward on what's called the Southwest Corridor Plan by a slender margin: just 149 votes of 25,217 votes cast.

A "no" vote could have stopped the project, but approval does not mean the line will get built.

That would take additional public input, years of planning and studies and $2.5 billion, at least half of it from federal sources, according to preliminary estimates.

The Republicans who now control both chambers of Congress and soon will also control the White House have not shown much interest in funding transit expansions and certainly have little incentive to channel federal dollars to a state that is one of just six where Democrats control the Legislature and the governor's office.

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