Lakewood council approves $950,000 downtown transportation feasibility study and plans an ad hoc task force

The Lakewood City Council approved a $950,000 agreement with Civil Air Engineers PLLC on March 2 to conduct a downtown Subarea Transportation Feasibility Study intended to examine multimodal infrastructure and multimodal levels of service in the downtown core.

Council member Talbot pulled the item from the consent agenda to seek clarity about public participation. Talbot asked how the city planned to form an advisory group and when council and stakeholders would provide input. "There is an item in there that sounds like it will allow for the formation of an advisory committee, and that the consultant will work with the city to define the membership," Talbot said.

Angie Silva, assistant director of planning and public works, described the concept as an ad hoc task force of no more than eight members to include downtown business representatives, transit agency stakeholders (Pierce Transit and Sound Transit), and residents from the downtown area; the task force will also examine accessibility, environmental justice and greenhouse-gas reductions. Silva said staff expects to have a draft public participation plan within about three weeks.

After the clarification, council moved, seconded and approved the motion by voice vote. The motion was recorded in the consent agenda as motion number 2026-17; it had been pulled for brief discussion before final approval.

Angie Silva said the study is intended to produce conceptual designs and analyses of multimodal investments in downtown Lakewood and that staff will bring draft participation details back to council.