Thursday, October 1, 2026
To address rising traffic fatalities across the region, the Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC) has issued a request for proposals to develop a Regional Safety Action Plan under the federal Safe Streets for All program.
The TRPC has allocated $135,000 for the project, which would create a unified framework for roadway safety strategies across all jurisdictions. The plan would help local governments identify high-risk areas, prioritize safety improvements and align their work with federal safety standards.
Despite adopting a goal in 2020 to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries on county roadways by 2030, the region continues to experience an increase in serious crashes. The Regional Action Plan is intended to reverse the trend through consistent, data-driven planning and collaboration.
The selected firm would work in close coordination with TRPC and local partners, including Thurston County, the cities of Lacey, Olympia, Rainier, Tenino, Tumwater and Yelm, as well as the town of Bucoda. Other stakeholders include Intercity Transit, local school districts and Nisqually Indian Tribe.
Currently, jurisdictions in the region are at different stages of safety planning.
Lacey and Thurston County already have federally compliant plans. Olympia and Yelm have local street safety plans that need alignment with federal standards. Tumwater, Rainier and Tenino have no safety plans in place.
The project also aims to help rural communities, like Bucoda, Rainier and Tenino, define future projects and access grant funding for safety improvements.
The selected consultant would conduct a safety analysis, lead community engagement with emphasis on underrepresented and vulnerable populations, and develop the comprehensive safety plan. The project would also create an Americans with Disabilities Act transition plan for Bucoda, Rainier and Tenino.
Proposals are due by Nov. 10 and must be submitted electronically to TRPC Finance Manager Jennifer T. McCall at mccallj@trpc.org.
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HappyOlympian
Folks eating at the trough, some consultant needs to get rich, TRPC here to help with that.
Monday, October 13, 2025 Report this
OlyBlues
The state has paid millions of dollars to the Thurston County Prosecutor's Office for years to run their failed Target Zero program with the specific goal of reducing traffic fatalities. Apparently this was a really bad investment. Where are the results? It appears from the data, traffic fatalities actually have increased.
After over a decade of siphoning this money from the state, where is the data showing the Prosecutor's Office spent it properly? It is past time for a state audit and to shut this wasteful spending down.
Tuesday, October 14, 2025 Report this
KarenM
Rather than shut down a program that is aimed at reducing traffic deaths - I would rather see the County work at doing things that will actually move towards that goal.
For example, someone was injured recently, and their dog was killed, at a crosswalk with flashing beacons. That crosswalk treatment is obviously not doing enough to prevent people from being hit. Something different needs to be done there at that location and others like it. Traffic enforcement for speeding and not yielding to pedestrians when they are in a crosswalk could potentially help. Prevention of drunk and distracted driving could help.
We should not normalize traffic deaths. Having programs that aim to prevent them is a good thing. Let's look at what needs to change instead of stopping any work towards that goal.
Wednesday, October 15, 2025 Report this
coordinator
Well, let's fix the most crash prone single intersection in the whole state then, in Lacey! The Marvin Road intersection at Willamette Drive and Britton Pkwy! Stop just talking about the problems! Fix them! The city of Lacey refuses to acknowledge they need to take action! The engineers defend that roundabout when they shouldn't be! They use only one 'yardstick', which is fatalities and serious injuries! So, they're willing to tolerate as many as 55 accidents per year, when there used to be less than one/year before converting it to a roundabout! The yardstick they're using means they don't care about total accidents, which raises insurance rates dramatically! We all pay! $20, $30, even $50 more per month for lots of auto repairs. Total accidents and insurance rates should be the 'yardstick'! The average driver wouldn't adventure out if they thought they would die or be in a serious wreck! Dah! No brainer! So, what's the use of having a Regional Safety Action Plan when you don't take action! Get a realistic yardstick! Total crashes! Convert Marvin/Willamette/Britton back to a stop lighted intersection! Now! Stop ignoring an obvious, dangerous intersection!
Saturday, October 18, 2025 Report this