Planning commissioners review Transportation Master Plan chapters, staff targets Q1 2026 adoption

City of Redmond transportation staff briefed the Planning Commission on the draft Transportation Master Plan (TMP) on June 11, 2025, reviewing the streets, transit, bicycle and pedestrian chapters and describing a schedule that would bring the TMP to a public hearing in December and to City Council for adoption in the first quarter of 2026.

The presentation, led by Michael Hintz, transportation planning manager, and Francesca Liberti, senior transportation planner, positioned the TMP as a single document to house Growth Management Act (GMA)–required transportation elements now in the comprehensive plan and to make future updates easier and more consistent. Hintz said the commission would see the transportation demand management chapter and appendices in September and the Transportation Facilities Plan in November, with a planned public hearing on Dec. 3, 2025.

Commissioners and staff framed the TMP around multimodal goals and implementation priorities. The streets plan chapter uses a ‘‘layered complete streets’’ approach and identifies modal corridors and investments to optimize right-of-way for different priorities. The transit chapter sets a local vision intended to support advocacy with King County Metro and Sound Transit and describes flexible-transit pilots and mobility hubs — neighborhood hubs outside urban centers and regional hubs at light-rail stations — as levers for connecting residents to jobs and services. The bicycle chapter advances a spine-and-neighborhood network intended to achieve low-stress bicycle facilities and calls out e-bikes and e-scooters as part of the strategy; staff described pilot programs, rebates and secure parking as potential measures to support adoption. The pedestrian chapter highlights improving low-stress crossings, neighborhood connections, sidewalk alternatives and consistent wayfinding.

Commissioners urged staff to sharpen several policy details. Multiple commissioners asked staff to document and coordinate with school-district routing and school-bus operations, citing the high proportion of school-aged residents and the traffic and safety effects of school trips. Commissioner Coleman asked that the plan quantify school-bus and employer-run commuter programs (for example, employer connector services) as part of the city’s overall transit picture. Commissioners also pressed for clearer definitions and safety approaches for micro-mobility and e-powered vehicles, including differences in vehicle performance, acceleration and how those modes should be treated at intersections and crosswalks. Commissioner Varna recommended visual design differences (surface color or markings) to make bike and micro‑mobility corridors feel distinct from vehicle lanes and noted helmet use and interaction with signalized intersections as safety concerns. Several commissioners asked staff to include marketing and outreach strategies to accompany infrastructure investments; Van Niven emphasized partnerships with schools and large employers to increase usage of new facilities. Staff said these topics would be captured in the issues matrix and returned for subsequent review.

Staff identified other program-level actions included in the draft: a short-trip analysis showing that over half of vehicle trips inside Redmond are three miles or less, targets for mode share increases (staff described a goal of boosting bicycle/micro-mobility mode share in urban centers) and alignment with the city’s climate and VMT reduction targets. The bicycle chapter proposes a spine network largely derived from the 2013 plan, upgraded toward Level of Traffic Stress (LTS) 1 or 2, more secure bicycle parking at destinations, and measures to integrate e-bikes into the system.

Staff also described an outreach program that builds on Redmond 2050 engagement, targeted focus groups with community-based organizations and a planned September open house for CBOs. The staff presentation referenced the Safer Streets Action Plan and the city’s environmental sustainability targets as context for mode-shift goals.

No formal decision or recommendation was taken; the session was a study session and staff said they would return to the Planning Commission with the transportation demand management chapter and appendices in September and the transportation facilities plan in November ahead of the planned December hearing.

The Planning Commission requested that staff clarify and tighten definitions (for example, what constitutes a ‘‘separated bike lane’’ and the prioritization maps so high-priority corridors connect end-to-end), provide more explicit coordination with Lake Washington School District and employers on shared transit/bus services, refine language around micro-mobility device classes and include an ADA/accessible design transition plan schedule. Staff said the ADA transition plan work is budgeted and expected to begin later in 2025 or early 2026.

The TMP schedule and the issues raised by commissioners will be reflected in an issues matrix staff will update and bring back for the September study session, with the next public hearing anticipated in December.