Title
Comprehensive Plan Policy Related to Safety of Newly Connected Streets
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Receive and discuss policy language related to the safety of newly connected streets. Provide guidance on next steps.
Report
Issue:
Whether or not to include policy language related to safety of newly connected streets in the Public Hearing Draft of the Comprehensive Plan Update. The City Council is expected to hold a public hearing on the draft plan in 2014.
Staff Contact:
Sophie Stimson, Senior Planner, Public Works Transportation, 360.753.8497
Mark Russell, P.E., Director of Transportation, Public Works, 360.753.8762
Presenter(s):
Sophie Stimson, Senior Planner, Public Works Transportation
The Olympia Planning Commission (OPC) was notified of the meeting.
Background and Analysis:
Street connectivity is a major policy area of the Comprehensive Plan and the Olympia Transportation Mobility Strategy. Street connectivity policies help to achieve safety and efficiency and increase travel mode choices in our transportation system. Street connections are important because they allow for short trips and direct route options for walking, biking, driving and to access transit. A connected street grid also provides better access for emergency and commercial vehicles.
Olympia has not achieved all street connections planned and documented in the Comprehensive Plan and required through code regulations. There is a cumulative impact on the transportation system when these connections are not made. The reasons street connections are not made include objections from adjacent neighborhoods, objections from the property developer, or a topographic or environmental constraint. One of the primary reasons a neighborhood objects to a street connection relates to the safety of the connected streets.
When a street connection is made, a mechanism is needed to ensure t...
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