Sherwood councilors begin scoping update to 20-year Transportation System Plan, prioritize school safety and connectivity

The Sherwood City Council spent its Jan. 18 work session reviewing scoping questions for an update to the city’s Transportation System Plan (TSP), with consultants and councilors emphasizing school-zone safety, filling sidewalk and trail gaps, and planning Sherwood West in parallel with the TSP update.

Joy Chang, a transportation consultant who returned from retirement to help lead the update, told the council “we are in the process of doing the scoping work for the transportation system plan update.” Phil, a presenter from Kittelson and Associates, said the consultant team expects roughly an 18–21 month effort and noted the group would return multiple times for council guidance.

The council and participants prioritized immediate safety work around elementary schools and other pedestrian-heavy locations as a top evaluation criterion for projects. Members repeatedly raised the need to map and close short sidewalk gaps and to use GIS to identify “low-hanging fruit” projects that would let more students walk safely to school. Staff confirmed sidewalk data and ADA inventories will be shared with the consultant.

Councilors and…