Bend committee invited to transit work session; MPO outlines crash‑data TSAP update and 3D intersection models planned
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Summary
City staff invited COBAC to a March 11 transit work session to help reimagine local and regional transit; the Bend MPO previewed a Transportation Safety Action Plan update and consultants outlined a project to 3D‑print intersection models as tactile tools for people who are blind or low vision.
City staff and regional partners on Feb. 26 invited the City of Bend Accessibility Advisory Committee to engage in a series of transportation planning efforts, including a March 11 transit work session, a Transportation Safety Action Plan (TSAP) update and a project to create 3D‑printed intersection models for people who are blind or have low vision.
City Manager Eric King said the March 11 session will begin a revisioning of Bend’s transit system to consider fixed routes, paratransit and mobility hubs while working with Cascade East Transit and regional partners. Bob Townsend, Cascades East Transit director, offered to present the same transit options to COBAC in advance of council work sessions and flagged the many regional committee approvals (PTAC, counties, COIC) that remain part of the process.
Tyler Dickey of the Bend Metropolitan Planning Organization summarized the TSAP update: staff will analyze the most recent five years of crash data to identify crash patterns, emphasize pedestrian and bicycle safety where appropriate, and use the plan to pursue state and federal grant funding. Dickey said public engagement will kick off in early April with a draft plan expected by late 2026.
Derek Hoffbauer described a project to produce five 3D models (single‑lane and multi‑lane roundabouts, a protected signalized intersection, a skewed intersection and a fifth option decided with input) that would be tested by focus groups of people who are blind or low vision and then housed at public facilities (for example libraries or City Hall) so community members can check them out and tactilely explore intersection layouts. Hoffbauer said a first focus group is scheduled for March 19, followed by model testing in May or June.
Committee members discussed opportunities to align the 3D models with walk‑and‑roll events and advised selecting intersection types that are common and replicable across the city. City staff and consultants will return with additional engagement opportunities and timeline details for COBAC review.