Title
Transportation Chapter of the Comprehensive Plan - Public Hearing
Recommended Action
Hold a public hearing and move to approve the draft Transportation Chapter of the Comprehensive Plan update to the City Council
Report
Issue:
Hold a public hearing and decide whether to recommend approval of the draft Transportation Chapter of the Comprehensive Plan to the City Council.
Staff Contact:
Michelle Swanson, AICP, Senior Planner, Public Works Transportation, 360.753.8575
Presenter(s):
Michelle Swanson
Background and Analysis:
Since the Comprehensive Plan’s last update in 2014, Olympia adopted its first-ever Transportation Master Plan in 2021. The focus of this periodic update to the Transportation Chapter of the Comprehensive Plan has been to reflect the policy changes developed in the master plan.
The process so far
Starting in 2023, staff invited the public to take a survey about the values and vision of the plan, including the transportation values and vision. We also briefed the Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) and requested its feedback. We made changes to the transportation values and vision in response to what we heard, and we posted a response to the City’s Engage Olympia webpage, where we have been holding the online public engagement for this project. We have included links to both the Engage Olympia Values & Vision page and Transportation page if any Commissioners would like to review the materials there.
Throughout 2024, staff briefed the BPAC four times, and we returned in January 2025 to share the changes made in this most recent draft. We also briefed the Social Justice and Equity Commission in July 2024, and we briefed this Commission three times, including during a work session in October.
We held two rounds of public outreach online in 2024, summaries of which are posted on Engage Olympia. Staff also attended an in-person open house during the summer in 2024, and we answered questions from members of the public who attended.
The public hearing draft
The draft the Commission is considering tonight reflects the feedback we heard during all of these discussions. The changes shown in the tracked changes version only reflect changes from the previous, or second, draft.
Climate Analysis:
The transportation sector is the second-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Thurston County. The policies in the Transportation Chapter are designed to result in more walking or rolling, biking, and transit use and less driving, which will help us decrease greenhouse gas emissions.
Equity Analysis:
The transportation system we have inherited makes it difficult for people to get their needs met without having to own a vehicle. Also, because many of the costs of owning a vehicle are fixed, lower-income people pay a much higher percentage of their incomes to own and maintain one.
For the people in Olympia with disabilities that prevent them from driving, investing in sidewalks, crosswalks, curb ramps, and bike infrastructure is vital to helping them get to transit or their destinations.
Additionally, the focus in the plan on rebalancing the transportation system to make it easier for people to walk, roll, bike, and ride transit relative to driving will make the transportation system more equitable than it currently is.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
Members of the community have consistently said in a variety of public outreach methods over several years that they want to live in a city in which it is easier to walk or roll, bike, or take transit.
Options:
1. Hold a public hearing and move to approve the Transportation Chapter Update for the Comprehensive Plan, as proposed.
2. Hold a public hearing and move to approve the Transportation Chapter Update for the Comprehensive Plan, with modifications.
3. Hold a public hearing but conduct deliberations and make a recommendation at a later date.
Financial Impact:
The Comprehensive Plan Periodic Update is being funded, in part, by a $175,000 grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce.
Attachments:
Draft chapter - tracked changes
Draft chapter - no tracked changes
List of major changes
Link to Engage Olympia - Transportation
Link to Engage Olympia - Values & Vision