Tumwater to develop bicycle and pedestrian plan 

Tumwater is set to work on a bicycle and pedestrian plan as part of its transportation plan, a component of the city’s ongoing update to its comprehensive plan. 

The Tumwater Public Works Committee endorsed a contract amendment with a firm to work on the new section at a meeting on Thursday, March 6.

The company is with Fehr & Peers, which was hired on April 25, to work on the transportation plan for $304,925. 

The proposed amendment would expand the scope of the contract to include the work for the bicycle and pedestrian plan, and infuse an additional $50,000.

State grants primarily fund the development of the transportation plan, which comprises two-thirds of Fehr & Peers’ original contract amount. The city uses its own general fund for the remainder and would also use it for the additional $50,000. 

The bicycle and pedestrian plan will identify possible infrastructure improvements by evaluating how direct possible routes are, how complete the available network is, and the “level of traffic stress,” according to the contract. 

According to the Washington Department of Transportation, level of traffic stress measures how much stress a pedestrian or cyclist experiences on the road or while crossing segments.

Though how people experience stress is subjective, the level of traffic stress is determined by quantifiable measures based on the characteristics of the walking or cycling experience. 

In this case, Tumwater is looking to achieve a level of traffic stress of no higher than two, which is described as being “comfortable for most adults, including most adults experiencing disabilities” and having only “some separation” with vehicular traffic, according to the state transportation department. 

Planning Manager Brad Medrud told the committee that the bicycle and pedestrian plan had already been considered when they were scoping the original contract, but was not able to include it due to an oversight. 

With the committee's endorsement, the contract will now be forwarded to the city council for consideration at a later date. 

Once approved, work related to the project is expected to proceed through June 2025.  

A recording of the committee’s meeting is available at YouTube.