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Residents urge pedestrian safety, better transit and caution on public parking investments in comp plan comments
Summary
Public commenters asked the commission to prioritize pedestrian safety, elderly transit access and reduced vehicle miles traveled, and one speaker urged removing policy support for public parking investment; staff noted transportation policies will be part of development regulations work.
Multiple speakers at the Aug. 27 hearing asked the planning commission to strengthen transportation and pedestrian-safety policies in the comprehensive plan and upcoming regulations.
Michelle Shaw, a resident who lives near Washington Park, said the route from the park into town is unsafe for pedestrians and asked the city to prioritize crosswalks and traffic-calming near tourist destinations. “Getting into town is very unsafe,” she said, asking public works for a marked crosswalk near her neighborhood.
The nut graf: commenters urged the plan to explicitly reduce vehicle miles traveled, provide better transit access for older residents and prioritize pedestrian connections as the city plans for new housing and infill. One commenter argued the plan’s stated willingness to invest in public parking is a policy misstep.
Commenters identified specific policy references. Heather MacPhail supported policies H-4.6 on emergency shelter for youth and transportation policies T-2.32 and T-2.33 aimed at better service for elderly residents who may no longer drive. Another commenter (Tonohana) warned that clustering higher-density housing on high-speed, high-volume corridors places residents near more dangerous and polluted roadways and urged greater dispersion of medium-density housing across the city. That commenter also recommended adding a standard to transportation analyses to require a minimum level of service assessment and to pursue policies that reduce vehicle miles traveled, noting that damage to a road’s surface “increases at the fourth power to the weight of the axle of the vehicles on there.”
Staff said transportation policies and capital facilities (sewer, stormwater, streets) are part of the comprehensive plan and will be considered as development regulations and capital planning progress in Phase 2 of the update process.
Ending: speakers asked the city to bring forward concrete pedestrian and transit measures in the development regulation drafts; staff will include transportation-related revisions in the fall materials for public review.
