Public Works presented the county'level Transportation Safety Action Plan (TSAP) update, summarizing outreach and data work to date and the next steps toward a prioritized set of safety projects.

Laurel, who is leading the TSAP work, said the county has held three task force meetings and a stakeholders advisory meeting involving neighboring jurisdictions and an ODOT representative. As part of outreach the project'team ran an online open house that, combined with Corvallis, recorded 6,480 views and 811 comments; about 171 of those comments targeted Benton County.

The consultant has begun translating crash and behavioral data into a smaller set of about 10 high-priority corridors and intersections for focused improvements. Early corridors called out for further study include Independence Highway and Bellefontaine Road, where lack of shoulders and visibility issues were highlighted. Staff said the TSAP effort will produce a systemic toolbox of countermeasures so short-term maintenance projects can be paired with safety improvements.

Laurel said the county expects to finish the plan by March 2026 and will continue public outreach (another open house planned for November) as they refine solutions and costs. Commissioners asked about including near-miss reports and local safety concerns that do not show in DMV crash data; staff said the public comment map is one way to bring those concerns into the prioritization process.