Thurston Regional Planning Council pursuing freight mobility strategy

The Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC) is launching the development of a freight mobility strategy in order to better understand freight movement throughout the region.

Senior Planner Aidan Dixon is scheduled to brief the Transportation Policy Board (TPB) on the project at a meeting on Wednesday, July 8. Staff will also seek feedback on draft goals and objectives.

The draft will guide subsequent phases of the mobility strategy, which also seeks to identify opportunities to improve the safety, reliability, resilience and efficiency of the regional freight system.  

The strategy centers on five goals: 

• Understand current and future freight demand: Develop a shared understanding of freight flows, key industries, major freight generators, and the economic activity they support through data collection and analysis. The strategy will also assess needs, such as truck parking and fueling or charging infrastructure, and establish a framework for ongoing monitoring and forecasting.  

• Ensure reliable and resilient regional freight movement: Identify key corridors and bottlenecks, while evaluating system performance during disruptions, including I-5 closures and detours. The effort will also examine first and last mile connections to ports, industrial areas, warehouses and major commercial centers, and assess future performance under projected growth scenarios.  

• Promote a safe freight system for all users: Improve safety for freight operators and all roadway users by analyzing conflict points involving vulnerable road users, incorporating community and environmental justice considerations, and balancing safety with mobility, reliability and resilience when establishing priorities.  

• Create a connected and coordinated regional freight network: Define a shared regional freight network that reflects local priorities while using the Washington State Freight and Goods Transportation System as a foundation. The strategy seeks to highlight locally significant connectors that may not be fully recognized in statewide designations and strengthen cross-jurisdictional connections between key activity centers.  

• Advance strategic and implementable freight investments: Identify and prioritize practical, fundable projects and strategies that deliver measurable benefits. The strategy aims to help position the region for competitive state and federal funding opportunities, integrate freight needs with economic development and land-use planning, and explore emerging technologies and innovative practices.  

TRPC will use feedback from TPB to refine draft goals and guide technical analysis, stakeholder engagement and project identification.