Duvall’s draft 2024 transportation plan forecasts growth, flags future Main Street bottlenecks and moves to boost walking and biking

Duvall’s 2024 draft transportation plan projects the city will add roughly 890 new homes and nearly 1,000 jobs by 2044 and flags three intersections along Main Street that the plan projects could operate at failing levels by 2044.

The plan also documents significant freight use of local roads — including trucks coming from British Columbia that use Main Street to bypass congestion around Seattle — and recommends active-transportation investments such as expanded sidewalks and new bike facilities to reduce car dependence and address future congestion.

The draft plan places the growth and traffic projections in a local context: 29 major intersections were operating at an acceptable level of service (LOS) in 2023, with the report noting that LOS measures how smoothly traffic moves (A = good, F = gridlocked). Table 4-3 in the draft shows that, under projected 2044 conditions, three intersections on Main Street would be rated F. The report characterizes the potential consequences as not only congestion but also increased noise and air-quality impacts and changes to the town’s character.

Freight routing is a separate concern. Figure 3-8 highlights through-truck traffic originating as far away as British Columbia that uses Duvall roads to bypass traffic around Seattle. The draft links Duvall’s performance in the state Freight and Goods Transportation System (FGTS) ranking to possible eligibility or priority for state funding, saying higher FGTS rankings can influence how state dollars are allocated for improvements.

On active transportation, figures 4-1 and 4-2 show contrasting conditions: sidewalks and crosswalks are generally in good condition downtown, while the bike network has gaps outside the core. The plan calls for filling those gaps with new bike lanes and paths to make cycling safer and more attractive for trips that now rely on cars. The discussion in the draft frames active-transportation investments as serving multiple goals: safety, reduced vehicle trips (which could ease intersection load), improved air quality and public health, and a more vibrant downtown.

The draft includes some locally specific notes — for example, the report mentions equestrian uses in the active-transportation section — but does not set an adoption date or list specific funding commitments in the excerpts discussed here. The draft repeatedly references internal exhibits (Table 4-3, Figure 3-8, Figures 4-1 and 4-2) for the underlying data and projections.

Next steps and the schedule for city review or adoption are not specified in the portions reviewed. The draft suggests that improving Duvall’s FGTS ranking and completing the proposed bike and pedestrian projects could affect the city’s ability to secure state funding for targeted roadway and intersection improvements.