Thurston Regional Planning Council to integrate equity and climate change in the 2025 Regional Transportation Plan update process

The Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC) has begun work on updating the region's long-range transportation plan, which guides transportation investments and policies for the next 20-25 years.

At the council's Transportation Policy Board (TPB) meeting on Wednesday, October 11, TRPC Executive Director Marc Daily presented the process for the 2025 update of the Regional Transportation Plan, which is updated every five years to incorporate changing conditions, new projects, and updated goals and policies.

Daily said TRPC plans to work on the update over the next year and a half.  "Some of the big [updates] are really ensuring that diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and environmental justice are underpinned kind of throughout the plan," he said.

Daily noted these areas have gained more emphasis since the last update. TRPC will be looking through the entire plan to help address how they can better include considerations around diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging into the planning process.

When the plan was last updated in 2020, Daily said work on climate adaptation and mitigation was already underway. He cited that they have completed the climate mitigation plan and begun its implementation. "The current plan already has a fair amount about climate change, but we will bolster that more."

According to Daily, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed many assumptions around transportation over the past three years. He noted that the pandemic put the region on a different trajectory than planned. He said TRPC will ensure that the updated plan accurately reflects the changes in travel behaviors and patterns during the crisis.

In 2021, Daily added, TRPC conducted a comprehensive survey on regional transportation priorities that influenced their work since then. He said the feedback received from the survey has been extensively incorporated into TRPC's planning and project efforts and has been discussed with the TPB on multiple occasions. The survey results will be reflected in the process.

TRPC will also focus on the regional trails plan over the next planning period.

Population growth draws federal attention

According to Daily, the Thurston region was designated as a Transportation Management Area through reaching over 300,000 people in the 2020 census. He said this change in status has several implications for the Regional Transportation Plan update process.

He said the TMA designation triggers additional analysis, documentation, and planning requirements from the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration. The updated plan will require certification that it meets all TMA planning standards when adopted in 2025.

Daily noted satisfying these new TMA planning expectations is another significant focus of the update work over the next year and a half to ensure that the process and plan meet all regulatory standards.

TRPC is aiming to complete the full update by July 2025.

Transportation concerns

TPB community representative Michelle Murray asked about improving safety for pedestrians, especially those with disabilities. She cited close calls she had experienced and almost being hit going down the sidewalk.

"You don't see disabled people out because it is not safe for us," Murray said, recounting a conversation with her driving instructor.

Daily agreed with Murray, saying safety needs to be an emphasis, especially for active transportation. He said safety data shows an alarming increase in accidents involving pedestrians, people using mobility devices, and cyclists.

TPB chair Andy Ryder wanted to see TRPC's strategy on bridging and creating safe pedestrian access with sidewalks.

The Lacey mayor advocates for a more equitable and safer pedestrian infrastructure in communities. He said the current system where the responsibility for maintaining and expanding sidewalks falls with the private sector, leading to an uneven and inadequate sidewalk network.

Ryder emphasized the need for continuous and well-maintained sidewalks, especially in high pedestrian areas, to ensure the safety and accessibility of all individuals, including those with mobility needs.