Lacey planners review transportation goals: safety, multimodal network, and public outreach

The Lacey Planning Commission on May 14 reviewed a draft transportation element that condenses existing goals into six broad priorities and expands policies to emphasize walking, biking, transit and safety for vulnerable users.

Steven Goodsell, the consultant presenting the draft, said the update adapts existing policies and adds items required by recent checklists and state guidance, including the Growth Management Act, the Department of Commerce checklist and TRPC requirements. “We had, 20 goals and over a 20 policies in the current set of goals and policies from the 2030 transportation plan,” Goodsell said. “What we're presenting right now is 6 goals and about 35 policies.”

Why it matters: The transportation element guides street, trail and transit investments, influences development review through traffic standards and impacts how the city tracks safety concerns and maintenance requests.

Key proposals and community feedback: The draft’s six goals are (1) build a multimodal network, (2) prioritize safety and quality of life for vulnerable users, (3) support affordable housing with appropriate transportation infrastructure, (4) prioritize sustainability and environmental conservation, (5) maintain Lacey’s identity and promote recreation, and (6) invest wisely to support economic growth.

Under Goal 1, the draft recommends an interconnected grid that meets multimodal standards, a target active-transportation network with Level of Traffic Stress (LTS) 2 or better for bicycling, and coordination with transit providers. Goodsell also described maintaining vehicle level-of-service standards for vehicle traffic as part of the policy mix.

On safety, commissioners pressed how the plan coordinates with local law enforcement. Ryan (city staff) and other presenters said the city is developing a comprehensive safety action plan; the police assistant chief serves on that stakeholder body. “Goal 2… implement develop and implement the comprehensive safety action plan,” Goodsell said, noting coordination with law enforcement is anticipated.

Several commissioners raised maintenance and visibility concerns — for example, overgrown foliage that obstructs sightlines — and asked whether the plan encourages a clear mechanism for resident reports. Staff said the city has a new “queue alert” (reporting) system on the website for residents to report problems and that the planning commission could consider a high-level policy encouraging better publicizing of that tool.

Other items discussed included: road diets and strategy corridors to preserve community scale; access management to reduce driveway conflicts; traffic calming and ADA transition-plan compliance; and environmental considerations tied to fish and water quality (speakers referenced 6PPD and other vehicle‑derived contaminants as issues addressed by environmental review and state agencies). Goodsell noted the transportation policies also align with regional plans (the regional transportation plan and the 2018 bike/pedestrian plan) and aim to meet Department of Commerce checklist items.

Public process and timing: Staff said the draft transportation element will be posted on the city’s website for public review around July 1 and will be presented to the City Council at the end of a regular meeting on the next Tuesday. Commissioners were invited to forward additional written comments to Ryan.

Discussion vs. decision: The meeting was a review and request for feedback; the commission did not vote on adopting any policy at this session. Staff requested input and will incorporate comments into the public draft before the formal public-review period.

Ending: The transportation element is advancing toward a public release and subsequent hearings; commissioners and staff emphasized safety, clearer maintenance reporting and cross‑department coordination as priorities to refine before the public-review draft.