Pasco MPO adopts 2026 safety targets, keeps 2025 fatality goal

The Pasco Metropolitan Planning Organization board voted to adopt its 2026 safety performance measures, keeping the fatalities target at the lower 2025 level instead of the higher figure proposed during initial staff recommendations. Tania Gorman, Pasco MPO staff, said the measures track five indicators — total fatalities, fatality rate, total serious injuries, serious injury rate and combined serious injuries for pedestrians and bicyclists — and are required under federal and state transportation law to provide consistent benchmarks for planning and accountability.

"Reducing fatalities and serious injuries requires coordination, data investment and sustained focus," Gorman said, presenting the annual adoption package and introducing Urban SDK analyst Zach Funkhouser, who walked the board through the data and recommended targets. Gorman emphasized that the targets do not affect funding eligibility but are meant to keep agencies focused on measurable long-term reductions.

The Technical Advisory Committee recommended retaining the 2025 fatality target (91.26) rather than increasing it to 93. "We didn't feel comfortable saying it would be okay to add more fatalities to the target," Cynthia Spiedel, TAC chair, told the board when explaining the committee's modification.

Several board members pressed staff and the consultant for more granular, year-to-year and location-level analysis to better link improvements to outcomes. "With a five-year rolling average it's hard to see what's really working year to year," said Commissioner Mariano, urging staff to provide before-and-after analyses of targeted improvements and to identify specific hot spots driving changes in the averages. Staff agreed to provide more detailed analyses, including hot-spot mapping and options for shorter-term monitoring.

A motion reflecting the TAC modification to retain the prior-year fatality target was moved and seconded and approved by voice vote. The meeting record shows board members answered "aye"; the transcript does not record a roll-call tally of yes/no votes by name.

Next steps identified in discussion included providing board members with readable PDF slides and corridor-level fact sheets, producing before-and-after evaluations for recent improvements (including work on US 19), and considering near-miss assessments and low-cost, near-term countermeasures while pursuing longer-term projects.

The board approved the item as modified; staff will return with the requested follow-up analyses and supporting materials.