The idea of expanding the transit network in Battle Ground is in its early stages, with C-Tran developing new long-range plans for up to 2045.
C-Tran staff is currently gathering public comment in a series of town halls throughout the county asking residents how the transit service can improve.
At a town hall in Battle Ground last week, community members expressed their desire for more routes serving residential areas of the city.
Residents indicated they are unhappy that main thoroughfares, such as Eaton Boulevard, Onsdorff Boulevard and the eastern leg of Scotton Way, don’t receive any service. Stops on these roads would provide connections closer to Battle Ground neighborhoods, residents told C-Tran officials.
Taylor Eidt, deputy director of capital projects and planning for C-Tran, said projects for the transit service’s plans through 2030, adopted in 2010, have been completed for the most part. Because C-Tran is ahead of its project schedule, the service has the opportunity to look toward the future.
“And we want to know now where have we seen growth within Clark County … What do members of the community feel we need to do to improve service in terms of how it operates, where it operates and what other projects do we need to look at in order to better serve the community,” Eidt said.
One community member wrote feedback, stating many areas in Battle Ground are currently underserved and they were concerned future growth will also be ignored.
Eidt imagines C-Tran will be expanding operations in Battle Ground as part of the C-Tran 2045 plans.
“Battle Ground, compared to most of the communities in Clark County, has really boomed even though all of Clark County has experienced some really rapid growth,” Eidt said. “Battle Ground has kind of led the way, and it gives us a really great opportunity to evaluate the type of service that Battle Ground has that exists here today.”
Route Seven has been serving Battle Ground for quite some time and has received minor adjustments, particularly when Walmart and the housing development around Scotton Way was built. Eidt added that C-tran has never really indulged in a deep dive of what transit service looks like in Battle Ground.
Eidt questioned what types of trips people are taking here; if residents typically need to go somewhere outside of Battle Ground when they ride, or do they take most trips inside of Battle Ground; do Battle Ground residents who live here also shop and work here; and where do residents need to go in and outside of the city.
Route Seven only takes riders from Battle Ground as far as the Van Mall Transit Center, where they need to switch buses to continue their trips.
Eidt said C-Tran could explore adding new routes that could possibly connect Battle Ground to Ridgefield and other surrounding areas.
“We want people to know that we want to hear from them,” Eidt said. “North Clark County has been booming in population, and the way people travel in this area is changing significantly from what it was in the past. And everything that we hear from the community now helps inform what the future of service and the future of the C-Tran network will look like.”
C-Tran’s series of town halls are slated to continue in Ridgefield on March 21 and La Center on April 3.
Currently, normal-size bus routes in Ridgefield and Battle Ground are very limited, with La Center only receiving service to the ilani Casino and Resort.
