State Transportation Commission
Releases
Draft Washington
Transportation Plan;
45-Day
Public Comment Period Begins
Posted 7.19.06
Transportation Commission Office - PO Box 47308 - Olympia, WA 98504-7308
(360) 705-7070
Date: July
19, 2006
| Contacts: |
Reema Griffith, Transportation Commission
Executive Director,
360-705-7070
Judy Lorenzo, WTP Plan Manager
(360) 705-7274 |
OLYMPIA – Over the
past year Washington’s
business owners, elected
officials, tribes, transportation
planners and others have
participated in helping
to update the state’s
20-year transportation
plan. Now the Washington
State Transportation Commission
wants to hear from the
people who use the system.
The Commission today released
the Draft Washington Transportation
Plan (WTP) Update and begins
a 45-day comment period
to gather feedback on the
plan. The Transportation
Commission, along with
the Washington State Department
of Transportation (WSDOT),
Regional Transportation
Planning Organizations
and Scenic Byway leaders
will host a series of outreach
meetings around the state.
Eleven open houses will
be held to present information
about the WTP and gather
comments from participants.
A list of dates, times
and locations, is posted
on WSDOT’s Web site
at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/planning/wtp/.
The comment period ends
on September 1, 2006.
“We looked at more
than 85 capital and operational
transportation programs
that were identified as
potential areas for targeted
investments,” said
Commission Chair Dick Ford. “Transportation
issues touch each of us
every day and help support
the quality of life in
our communities – everything
from preserving pavement
to promoting safe behavior
to enhancing freight movement.
We encourage people to
review the draft plan and
let us know whether they
agree with our recommendations
and priorities or have
other ideas about how the
state should invest in
Washington’s transportation
future.”
The WTP guides transportation
policy and investment decisions
at all levels throughout
the state and meets federal
and state planning requirements.
The Draft WTP update is
the result of a two year
process that involved reviewing
data and meeting with transportation
interest groups statewide
to identify the state’s
top investment priorities.
It continues to be a collaborative
effort that involves transportation
interests from across the
state to address Washington’s
transportation challenges
by making targeted, prioritized
investments to achieve
the greatest benefit with
limited funding. The Commission
developed five investment
guidelines that set overall
priorities and form the
basis of the plan:
- Preservation – take
care of past investments.
- Safety – reduce
the societal costs
due to collisions.
- Economic vitality – support
our states growing
economy.
- Mobility – improve
travel time reliability
and improve the movement
of people and goods.
- Environmental quality – support
investments that lead
to healthier communities.
Those who are
not able to attend the
statewide open houses can
go to WSDOT’s Web
site to view the plan:
www.wsdot.wa.gov/planning/wtp.
If you wish to comment
on the draft plan or obtain
a copy of the plan, please
call 1-800-606-3868 (includes
information in Spanish,
Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean,
and Russian), email WTPUpdate@wsdot.wa.gov or
write to:
WSDOT HQ Planning
Office
Attn: WTP Update
PO Box
47370
Olympia, WA 98504-7370.
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