Title
Comprehensive Plan Draft Transportation Chapter Review
Recommended Action
Discuss and suggest changes to the draft transportation chapter of the Comprehensive Plan.
Report
Issue:
Discussion on the staff working draft of the transportation chapter of the Comprehensive Plan.
Staff Contact:
Michelle Swanson, AICP, Senior Planner, Public Works Transportation, 360.753.8575
Presenter(s):
Michelle Swanson
Background and Analysis:
The Comprehensive Plan and this update
The Comprehensive Plan is the City’s overarching policy document that guides how Olympia will prepare for expected population and employment growth over the next 20 years. It was last updated in 2014. We are required by state law to update it every ten years.
This update is called a “periodic update,” meaning it is not a wholesale rewrite of the Plan. It is an opportunity to check in with the community and make minor changes to ensure we are still on track toward achieving the Plan’s vision.
The Plan has several chapters which are being updated on their own timelines. Our goal is to finish the update to the transportation chapter by the end of 2024 to meet legal deadlines.
Key policies to update
Transportation’s focus is to update the Comprehensive Plan to reflect the Transportation Master Plan. When the Comprehensive Plan was last adopted in 2014, the City did not have a Transportation Master Plan.
Additionally, the state recently started requiring that Comprehensive Plans include chapters on climate change and equity. While the Plan will have full chapters on those topics, we are also weaving them into the other chapter updates as appropriate.
Public involvement to date
In summer 2023, we posted a survey on Engage Olympia about the values and vision section of the Comprehensive Plan. Staff also briefed the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee about the values and vision that inform the transportation chapter. We have redrafted those to reflect the feedback we got from both the BPAC and the public.
The BPAC has also shared feedback on different sections of the draft update at its March and May meetings. This will be the first time the Planning Commission reviews a draft of the transportation chapter.
Staff working draft
The version of the chapter we are sharing is a staff working draft, and it does not yet include the appendices. We are sharing two versions of the draft as attachments: one that shows tracked changes, and one that shows just the new language.
We are not including the appendices because they contain several maps that staff are currently updating.
Next steps
We expect to post the draft chapter, including the appendices with the updated maps, on the project’s Engage Olympia page on June 10th. We will also include a survey for people to share their feedback on the draft, which we expect will close on June 28th. In July, the BPAC will continue its review, and the Social Justice & Equity Commission will share its feedback.
Over the summer, staff expect to integrate the feedback we have heard. We plan to take a second draft to the BPAC in September and the Planning Commission in October. At that time, we will request that the Planning Commission conduct a hearing on the chapter.
We are sharing this with the Planning Commission at both major touchpoints in the update, as we know the Commission has a lot of interest in transportation.
Additional resources
We have attached two fact sheets that transportation staff have prepared to offer more context for this update. The fact sheets are also posted to the City’s Engage Olympia page, to which we have also included a link.
One fact sheet explains why making street connections is so important for achieving the City’s goals to reduce both vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas emissions. The other provides more information about vehicle traffic patterns in recent decades.
Options:
None - information and discussion only.
Financial Impact:
There is no financial impact from this item.
Attachments:
Significant changes
Staff working draft_clean
Staff working draft_tracked changes
Street connections fact sheet
Traffic volumes fact sheet
Link to Engage Olympia page