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Council members raise alarm after Transportation Policy Board recommends removing "equity" language from regional plan
Summary
Councilmember Madrone told Olympia's City Council that the Transportation Policy Board recommended removing the word "equity" and other federally targeted language from the Thurston Regional Transportation Plan draft, a move he and other councilmembers warned could endanger regional projects and federal funding.
Councilmember Madrone reported to the Olympia City Council on April 29 that the Thurston Regional Transportation Policy Board voted to release the regional transportation plan (RTP) for public comment while also recommending that staff begin removing language flagged as federally targetednotably the word "equity" and related terms.
Madrone said the motion to release the RTP was combined with a recommendation to direct staff to remove language tied to federal executive orders and cited concern that removing equity and other terms such as "environmental justice," "diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility," and climate-related language could affect the region's ability to pursue federal transportation funding and would alter long-standing local planning commitments.
"If TRPC does direct staff to remove equity from the RTP, then there is a project in our regional transportation plan on environmental justice and social equity study that would likely be impacted," Madrone said, adding that he planned to vote against removing the language. He described the Policy Board vote as unexpected and said some members had not had adequate time to review the matter before voting.
Councilmembers from Olympia expressed concern and urged a robust, transparent process at the Thurston Regional Planning Council meeting scheduled for Friday. Councilmember Robert (Intercity Transit Authority representative) said he expected to have another opportunity to vote and that, had the matter been placed on the agenda with time to read it, he likely would have opposed the staff direction.
Mayor Pro Tem Nguyen and other councilmembers signaled support for retaining local planning language that reflects community values and warned that removing federal-language references wholesale could have broader implications for regionwide projects including bicycle and green-infrastructure priorities.
Madrone said the RTP covers a long horizon and local values should guide plan choices. The matter was scheduled for further consideration by the Thurston Regional Planning Council.
