Thurston Regional Planning Council briefs Tumwater on regional projects, funding and capacity work

Mark Daley, executive director of the Thurston Regional Planning Council, updated Tumwater council members Jan. 14 on a range of regional planning programs and technical work that affect the city, including transportation funding, growth-capacity analyses, stormwater retrofit planning, and regional safety and trail efforts.

Daley told the council that TRPC programs are voluntary among member jurisdictions and that the organization serves as the regional Transportation Planning Organization (RTPO) under Washingtonstate law. He said TRPC programmed nearly $20 million in federal transportation funding in the most recent call for projects and that Tumwater received the largest single award in that callabout $2.6 million for the next phase of the Deschutes Valley Trail construction.

On land-use and comprehensive planning, Daley said TRPC has worked with member jurisdictions on housing-need methodology and capacity analysis required by the Growth Management Act. He said Tumwater has adequate capacity to accommodate projected housing need over the next 20 years but that capacity is "close." TRPC staff will use Tumwaterprovided assumptions related to the Bush Prairie habitat conservation plan when conducting a buildable lands analysis and three land-use scenario modeling.

Daley outlined an EPA-funded regional stormwater retrofit strategy that TRPC is coordinating with the Department of Ecology and local jurisdictions; the work will inventory retrofit priorities, estimate costs and identify roles and responsibilities across the region. He said a contractor is on board and the Somerset Hill Drive project in Tumwater is the kind of retrofit being considered.

Daley summarized other regional work: evaluations of high-capacity transit and express-bus improvements (finding that regional density does not yet support commuter rail or light rail), emergency detour-route modeling using TRPC's transportation model, a federally funded regional safety action plan (Safe Streets for All), an update of the regional transportation plan (scheduled for completion in July 2025), and implementation work from a recently completed regional trails plan and the Martin Way corridor study.

Council members asked questions about pavement-condition data and local pavement ratings used in TRPC analyses; Daley and city staff described how jurisdictions supply data and how TRPC uses it to assess funding needs and consistency with the regional transportation plan. Daley offered to return with more detail on any specific project the council requests.

Tumwater council members who serve on TRPC panels were identified during the discussion; Daley encouraged members to reach out with follow-up questions and staff offered to provide more detailed materials.