Redmond study session narrows TMP focus to TDM, school safety and corridor studies

At its Oct. 22 meeting, the Redmond Planning Commission held a study session on the city's Transportation Master Plan, focusing on Transportation Demand Management (TDM) and the Transportation Facilities Plan (TFP), staff said. Michael Hintz, the city's transportation planning manager, told commissioners the TMP will consolidate transportation-related Growth Management Act requirements and set projects and policies through 2050.

The session centered on four immediate topics: enforcement and funding for TDM measures; safety concerns about high-powered e‑bikes and e‑dirt bikes; changes to the TFP that remove some vehicle-capacity projects in favor of multimodal work; and prioritizing a corridor study for Avondale Road. "This plan shapes decades of growth," said David Morton, a Redmond resident who spoke during public comment, urging the commission to "address school bus safety concerns, funding contingencies, neighborhood equity, and TDM enforcement." Morton noted the TFP's projected need of $462,000,000 and said federal and state grants account for about 18% of that forecast.

Staff described the city's TDM approach as broad, aiming to reduce total vehicle travel by encouraging transit, walking and biking rather than only targeting commute trips. "Go Redmond's TDM program supports the state commute trip reduction requirements and manages the school pool program," senior transportation planner Francesca Liberti said. Staff said Go Redmond will expand school-pool and walking/biking programs and that parking management and Mobility Management Plans (formerly called Transportation Management Plans) will be used to align new development with multimodal outcomes.

On transit alternatives, staff said the city received a WSDOT Regional Mobility Grant to pilot a micro-transit shuttle and has contracted Circuit Transit as the vendor. "We're getting started here in early 2026," Liberti said. Staff described the pilot as an on-demand, flexible shuttle focused on Downtown Redmond, Education Hill and connections to light-rail stations; the pilot period is two years with the goal of continuing service if funding allows.

Commissioners pressed staff on e-mobility and school safety after multiple commenters described high-powered e-bikes and e-dirt bikes used by youth. "We're aware of the issues around some of the high powered e‑bikes and e‑dirt bikes that middle school students in particular are using," Liberti said, adding that the city is coordinating with the police department and regional partners on education and potential enforcement. Staff noted Mercer Island has pursued code changes to clarify definitions and that the Association of Washington Cities is pursuing state-level changes to improve enforceability.

On the Transportation Facilities Plan, staff said the TFP is a 25-year, plan-based concurrency document that identifies system improvements needed to support Redmond 2050. "We have made some changes to the transportation facilities plan to reflect Redmond 2050. We've removed projects that don't align with Redmond 2050 and added others," Hintz said, citing completed cycle-track projects and the removal of vehicle-capacity projects such as the Willows Road widening as examples. Staff emphasized that removal from the TFP reflects planning priorities and is not the same as a refusal to address corridor safety; separate safety-focused plans and the city's local road safety plan would still address safety needs.

Commissioners asked for more detail and maps for the TFP project list (staff said Attachment D in the packet includes a full list and map), and pressed staff to clarify the rationale for specific removals. On Avondale Road and school-bus pullouts, staff said the pullouts were primarily intended to reduce congestion and that a broader corridor study will be prioritized in 2026. "There's a lot of things happening on Avondale," Hintz said; "we are gonna prioritize this in 2026." Commissioners also discussed the Sammamish Trail extension, where staff said a lower-cost shoulder-and-barrier option would likely be pursued instead of an expensive separated boardwalk that would encroach on wetlands.

Staff and commissioners sought clearer terminology and signage for bicycle facilities. Commissioners asked staff to standardize language in the TMP (for example, using "separated bike lane" in place of older "cycle track" terminology) and to reference the city's bicycle design guide where facility types are defined.

Next steps: staff said the public review draft of the TMP will be posted Nov. 12 for a three-week comment period; the Planning Commission will receive an issues matrix Nov. 19, hold a public hearing Dec. 3, return Dec. 17 to finalize a recommendation, and staff will brief City Council in mid-January before a target adoption date of Feb. 3, 2026.