Olympia's transportation plan cleared by Thurston Regional Planning Council

The City of Olympia’s transportation plan was endorsed by the Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC), confirming it is consistent with the regional transportation plan.  

At a Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 21, Olympia Senior Planner Michelle Swanson said the city received certification “without provision,” meaning TRPC required no changes to the plan.  

Under state law, TRPC reviews local comprehensive plans to ensure that transportation policies align with regional goals and are consistent with land-use planning. Swanson credited Olympia’s success to strong multimodal transportation policies, coordinated land use planning, and thorough public and tribal outreach during the plan update.  

At a TPRC meeting on Friday, Jan. 9, Associated Planner Michael Mills provided a status update on the countywide review. Six of Thurston County’s eight jurisdictions have submitted comprehensive plans, with five reviews completed.  

Of those reviewed, Olympia was the only jurisdiction found fully consistent with the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). Lacey, Tumwater, Yelm and Thurston County were deemed conditionally consistent, while Tenino remains under review. Bucoda and Rainier have not yet submitted plans.  

Mills said “conditionally consistent” means a plan generally meets TRPC standards but includes some elements, often related to transportation project lists, that will need updates in the future to fully align with the regional plan. The updates typically occur during the next RTP cycle.  

TRPC used a checklist of seven topic areas and 15 standards to guide the review, including safety, multimodal option, environmental sensitivity, fiscal responsibility and collaboration. Jurisdictions were encouraged to use the checklist while drafting plans and to submit documents at least 60 days before adoption for review.  

According to Mills, the review found strong overall alignment between local and regional planning efforts, though jurisdictions are still adapting to newer requirements, such as multimodal level-of-service standards.  

Mills said the new certification process has been valuable, giving TRPC clearer insight into local planning decisions and a structured way to identify improvements for regional consistency.  

For future cycles, he recommended clearer timelines and definitions, along with better coordination of local and regional project lists before plans are finalized.