Cowlitz County seeks public input on countywide transportation plan; draft due in August

Cowlitz County’s County Engineer on Monday urged residents to participate in outreach for a countywide Transportation System Plan, describing planned public meetings and a short online survey intended to shape long-range corridor ideas.

Susan Eugenas said a consultant has collected initial data and the public-engagement phase is underway. Staff distributed a flyer and a draft map showing potential long-range corridors and asked residents to use a QR code or the county website to complete a 5–10 minute survey. She said a draft plan is expected in August, followed by additional public outreach and a workshop with the board prior to anticipated adoption in October or November.

Eugenas emphasized that the map is an illustrative, long-range view and that exact project alignments will be refined when projects are placed into the six-year plan. Commissioners asked clarifying questions about whether proposed bypass lines follow existing roads or historic logging tracks; staff said many alignments use portions of existing roads but exact alignments are illustrative at this stage.

Why it matters: the Transportation System Plan will be referenced in the county comprehensive plan’s transportation element and will guide prioritization for future capital projects, grant applications and the six-year program.

Next steps: public meeting next Thursday at 5:30 p.m. (Zoom), continued farmers-market outreach and an August draft release for public comment.