Preliminary community responses show speeding and dangerous intersections top safety concerns, county staff report

Washington County staff presented preliminary results from community engagement on a Transportation Safety Action Plan and said speeding, drivers not obeying traffic rules and dangerous intersections were the most frequently selected top concerns.

Staff said the first round of engagement ran through late June and included both online and paper surveys and in‑person tabling. They reported a total of 242 responses: 70 online and 172 paper surveys, six of which were in Spanish. The most commonly selected top‑three concerns were drivers driving too fast, drivers not obeying traffic rules, and dangerous intersections; 89% of respondents selected at least one of those three concerns.

The county segmented responses by travel mode and reported consistent concern about unsafe driver behavior across people who walk, bike and drive alone. Staff said many comments emphasized that bicycling felt unsafe and that infrastructure improvements were needed in some locations.

Staff said the engagement will inform the plan’s next phase, which will focus on solutions that combine driver behavior interventions and prioritized infrastructure changes. The project team plans targeted emphasis areas for further technical analysis and will continue outreach and focus groups as they move into solution development.

The Planning Commission did not take formal action; staff said the engagement results will be used to refine priorities for the safety plan and to align future funding and project recommendations.