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The Clackamas County board of commissioners will be the next group to select a locally preferred alternative for the Portland to Lake Oswego Oregon Route 43 corridor.

The city councils of Portland and Lake Oswego in mid-April both endorsed an up to $458 million streetcar extension as their preferred alternative for continued research, and Clackamas County is expected to do the same Thursday.

The county board will pick a locally preferred alternative from three options to address an expected increase in demand for transit along highway 43: the streetcar extension, an enhanced bus service or a no-build option. The streetcar option was recommended by the Lake Oswego to Portland Transit Project Steering Committee, a group of elected and appointed officials from each of the project jurisdictions.

Multnomah County and TriMet must discuss the project alternatives next, and then the recommendation will move to regional transportation committees and the Metro Council for final action. If the streetcar is selected as the locally preferred alternative for the region, engineering and work on a final environmental impact statement will begin possibly as early as this year.

The Clackamas County board of commissioners will discuss the transit project at its June 9, 10 a.m. meeting. Public testimony will be accepted.