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Thurston Regional Planning Council outlines regional projects affecting Lacey, from Martin Way crossings to comp plan updates
Summary
Mark Daley, executive director of the Thurston Regional Planning Council, briefed the Lacey City Council on TRPC’s regional work including Martin Way corridor pedestrian crossing designs, high‑capacity transportation planning, comprehensive plan consistency checks, commute trip reduction updates and a regional safety action plan.
The Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC) updated the Lacey City Council Jan. 7 on a suite of regional planning efforts that will affect Lacey in the coming years, including pedestrian and transit improvements on Martin Way, a long‑range look at high‑capacity transportation, a required review role for comprehensive plan consistency, and regional safety and stormwater prioritization work.
“Very quickly…TRPC is an independent organization, voluntary, 23 members,” said Mark Daley, executive director. He described TRPC’s role programming federal transportation funds and serving as a clearinghouse for regional data. Daley said TRPC had programmed more than $20 million in the most recent call for projects and highlighted a $1.6 million allocation for College Way improvements.
On the Martin Way corridor, Daley said TRPC’s draft final report recommends improved pedestrian access and conceptual designs for up to 10 new crossings to address long stretches without safe crossing points; TRPC’s public survey remained open through Jan. 10. On high‑capacity transportation, Daley summarized a regional visioning process and a finding that the region is unlikely to reach rail‑supporting densities within 25 years; TRPC will work with chairs to write to WSDOT to emphasize consideration of HOV lanes and transit priority as WSDOT proceeds with NEPA review of I‑5 through the Nisqually Delta.
Daley also described new or strengthened statutory expectations for TRPC as a regional transportation planning organization (RTPO) to review comp plan amendments for consistency; staff and jurisdictional planners have developed a 14‑criteria checklist for that review. He said updated countywide planning policies will be scoped after jurisdiction comp plan updates finish in 2025.
Other TRPC activities Daley described included a regional safety action plan (linked to Safe Streets for All federal grants), an EPA‑funded stormwater facility prioritization tool to guide retrofits for water quality and salmon habitat, emergency detour route reviews, a regional trails plan with implementation funding starting in 2028, and continued work on commute trip reduction plans (due June 30, 2025) that the jurisdictions must adopt to retain program funding.
Council members pressed TRPC on aligning housing allocation data with regional climate mitigation goals and discussed opportunities to brief the city youth council. Daley said TRPC will continue close coordination with Lacey staff and council as the work proceeds.
