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The Oregon Transportation Commission will wait until January to decide how to move forward on a plan to widen Interstate 5 and redevelop portions of the surrounding neighborhood near Portland’s Rose Quarter.

The commission, meeting in Lebanon on Tuesday, must choose whether to pursue an environmental impact statement, or stick with an existing, less stringent environmental assessment, for the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project.

The delay came a day after Gov. Kate Brown sent a letter requesting the commission 鈥渢able the decision on an environmental review path for a few months.鈥� Brown requested the commission wait until progress has been made on a leadership policy, decision-making structure and a study of development alternatives for the highway covers.

Commission Chairman Robert Van Brocklin said he would listen to critics.

鈥淲e’re not trying to railroad something through without listening, and we’re not going to,鈥� he said.

Van Brocklin said the commission would carefully consider the governor’s letter.

鈥淗er voice to me carries some additional weight because we serve at her pleasure,鈥� he said.

The delay was, at least in the short term, a victory for activists who have insisted the widening project is the wrong approach to take in an era of worsening global climate change.

The project would add auxiliary lanes and shoulders on I-5 between I-84 and I-405. It also would change surface streets and highway caps surrounding I-5.

The project, which is expected to cost more than $500 million, is backed by construction industry and labor organizations, and many local residents of the historically black Albina neighborhood.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the contrast was stark between the mostly white Portland State University students speaking on behalf of climate group Sunrise Movement PDX, and the older, African-American residents of Albina who have seen their neighborhood reshaped by waves of urban renewal projects and gentrification.

鈥淎 lot of people are now talking about the environmental impact such a project may have,鈥� said Larry Anderson, a 63-year-old retired Portland police officer and Northeast Portland resident. 鈥淲hen that freeway was first put in place, when it was predominantly an African-American community, I did not hear those same concerns about the environment.鈥�

Climate activists said the world has only a few years left to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

鈥淚’m here today because I’m scared,鈥� said Marilyn Fleener of Sunrise Movement PDX. 鈥淚 was born into a world that prioritizes capital over people.鈥�

Yet some local residents said they welcome the project.

鈥淭his $500 million project represents a significant investment in the Rose Quarter area,鈥� said Robert Hamilton, a representative of the Coalition of Black Men in Portland.

The Oregon Department of Transportation and other supporters have emphasized the benefits the project would bring to minority-owned, women-owned and emerging small business contractors. 鈥淯pward of $100 million鈥� in contracts is expected to go to disadvantaged firms, said Nate McCoy, executive director of the National Association of Minority Contractors’ Oregon chapter.

鈥淭his kind of economic empowerment is needed in our community now,鈥� said Jeff Moreland, president of Raimore Construction. 鈥淒o not 鈥� I repeat do not 鈥� delay this project any longer.鈥�

The project is at about 15 percent design, said Megan Channell, major projects manager for ODOT Region 1 in Portland. The project was identified as a priority and partially funded by House Bill 2017 in the 2017 legislative session.

鈥淲e are required to design and build the project,鈥� Van Brocklin said.

A 鈥渃ost to complete鈥� report is due to the Legislature by Feb. 1, 2020.

Commissioner Alando Simpson said ODOT has 鈥渂ecome that punching bag,鈥� caught between rapidly changing transportation needs and a long-established structure.

鈥淲e’re operating in a broken system,鈥� he said.

Commissioner Sharon Smith said ODOT is moving in the right direction 鈥� but not too fast.

鈥淥ur organization is doing some course-correcting to focus on reduction of carbon emissions,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 know it’s probably not as fast as many of you would like to see, but I don’t think we can put the brakes on this system that we have in a way that’s not thoughtful in the context of this community and the projects that we have in front of us.鈥�