Martin Way Corridor Study: Online Open House available now through July 7

The Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC) identified safety as top priorities for its Martin Way Corridor Study during a public hearing on Wed., June 23.

In the discussion, TRPC Associate Planner Aidan Dixon said that safety remains a top priority for corridor residents. Dixon claimed that overall, they wanted to accomplish three things:

• Improve safety for all users
• Improve accessibility for people with disabilities
• Increase places where pedestrians can safely cross the street.

Dixon noted that between 2015-2019, there were 23 reports of severe and fatal crashes along the Martin Way corridor. Seven of these incidents include pedestrians and bicyclists.

Dixon added that they would classify these types of collisions as “entering at an angle.” Usually these collisions happen when someone is either entering a driveway or making a turn and they are running perpendicular to an incoming vehicle.

“It is a pressing issue that we are experiencing and seeing along all stretches of the road,” the associate planner said. He also noted that these types of collisions usually happened in certain major clusters.

Dixon identified that 12 percent of these collisions happened around the Thompson Tanglewood area followed by, 11 percent of crashes happen around Sleater Kinney intersection. He explained that the high number of driveways in these areas might be a significant factor in these accidents.

In addition, the team also discussed the importance of sidewalks. Dixon reported that there are still certain patches of the road where there are no sidewalks. He added that these inconsistencies might impose a lot of challenges for differently-abled individuals.

The county planner also warned that while traffic along the Martin Way Corridor is still manageable, the traffic congestion is predicted to drastically increase by 2045. Their concern is that the traffic congestion would also affect the response time for emergency services.

 Commercial Improvements

Aside from discussing safety, a resident also asked whether the County plans to establish an improvement district. In response, City of Olympia Principal Planner Joyce Phillips claimed that there are no plans yet to establish one since it is difficult to get approval.

Lacey Planning Manager Ryan Andrews also agreed. He suggested that the best way is to allow the private sector to initiate the development. However, Andrews explained that the only downside is that it might take at least 30 years to complete such developments.

The county explained that they are still in the analysis stage of the study and that they might provide an action plan by 2022. Generally, the Martin Way Corridor Study is a partnership between the cities of Lacey and Olympia headed by the TRPC. In addition, they have also partnered with Intercity Transit to provide analysis for public transport.

The County is also encouraging residents to visit the online open house to learn and gain insight on how the Corridor will look 25 years from now. The open house is available until July 7 or residents may also visit their website.