The Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Council updated the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) for Clark County during 2018, and is now available as a draft for public comment. This is a regular update that occurs approximately every 4-5 years, to comply with federal requirements and to ensure continued consistency between federal, state, regional and local plans.

The RTP update focuses on the following themes:

• Existing transportation system performance and forecast future performance to horizon year 2040
• Changing demographics and lifestyles
• System preservation and maintenance
• Safety and security
• Freight mobility
• Transportation and economic development
• Access to essential services
• Transportation system management and operations
• Transportation demand management
• Transportation system design; designing for complete streets where applicable.
• Active transportation (pedestrian, bicycle, safe routes to school, access to transit)

Transportation is essential to our livelihoods, and it impacts our communities – by providing options to get around, or isolating people in their homes; by allowing opportunities for exercise and fresh air on the way to the store, park, work, or school, or by concentrating harmful emissions along corridors where people live and work; by ensuring everyone in the region has a way to safely get where they’re going, or by creating unsafe neighborhoods from cut-through vehicle traffic. 

This 2018 RTP Update describes the current transportation system and clearly outlines the expected growth in the region over the coming decades. Our hope is that the RTP update will emerge stronger in several key areas: 

• Access to essential services & transportation system design  - focusing investments on projects that improve travel options and health-related outcomes by reducing climate emissions, improving air quality, and providing opportunities for building physical activity into people's daily lives. 
• Transportation demand management - a large number of trips begin and end in Clark County, but are currently taken by private vehicle instead of bus, walking, or bicycling.
• Safety and security - traffic crashes resulting in fatalities or severe injuries are high in Clark County; additionally, the percentage and number older adults and people unable to access a private vehicle in the population is projected to increase, and more safe travel options must be made available for their needs. 
• Active transportation - RTC intends to create an Active Transportation Plan in 2019 and it will be essential that this is swiftly amended into the RTP to ensure funding can be allocated to pedestrian, bicycle, safe routes to school, and transit access projects. 

Comment now through February 25

Review the draft RTP and comment online or in person. Link