Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation Tip topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parks Commission backs 2026'2031 Transportation Improvement Program recommendation, highlighting bike and pedestrian projects
Summary
The commission voted to recommend City Council adopt the city's 2026'2031 Transportation Improvement Program; the Public Works director outlined active-transportation elements including SR 240 crossings, sidewalk gaps and potential Safe Routes to School funding.
The Parks and Recreation Commission on May 8 voted to recommend Richland City Council adopt the proposed 2026'2031 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) as it relates to non-motorized (bike and pedestrian) elements. The motion was made by Vice Chair Gutierrez and seconded as announced by the chair; the commission recorded the motion as carried.
Public Works Director Carlo D'Alessandro briefed commissioners that the TIP documents the city's planned transportation projects over the next six years and serves as the basis for project funding requests and the transportation capital budget. He said the commission's recommendation will be forwarded to the planning commission and, barring major changes, to council with a public hearing and resolution on June 3; the city must submit the TIP to the Ben Franklin Council of Governments before June 30 for inclusion in the regional and state programs.
Key active-transportation elements described in the presentation included:
- A connection across SR 240 from Aaron Drive to the Chamna Trail and a separate SR 240 pedestrian crossing between Steptoe and Columbia Center Boulevard to address the barrier posed by SR 240. - An Airport Way pedestrian crossing to connect to the Shelter Belt Trail; the city included this on the program to support funding opportunities even though it is a state route. - A Central Richland transportation study (planning phase) for the area south of Lee Boulevard and north of the Yakima River. - A TIB-funded project to fill a missing sidewalk segment on George Washington Way. - Several unfunded priorities that staff listed as candidates for future funding, including systemic pedestrian crossing safety improvements phase 2 (enhanced crossings and rapid flashing beacons) and a Safe Routes to School package that staff said appears likely to secure approximately $3,000,000 for improvements around Richmond-area elementary schools.
Why it matters: The TIP guides capital investments that affect pedestrian and bicycle access across the city and is the vehicle used to program projects into the city and regional funding cycles.
Next steps: Staff will present the TIP to the planning commission, then to council with a public hearing on June 3. The commission's recommendation will be included in that record for council consideration.
Ending: The commission voted to recommend the TIP as presented and recorded the motion as carried; staff and commissioners discussed school-area projects, underpass safety on Columbia Park Trail and the development of a future project-prioritization rubric through the transportation system plan process.
