RTC lays out 20-year regional active-transportation backbone as Clark County BPAC presses on gaps, lighting and speeds

Judith Perez Kinston, principal planner at the Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Council (RTC), presented a proposed 20-year regional active-transportation plan to the Clark County Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC), describing a “backbone” network of regional corridors intended to link local networks and trails across Clark County.

“The proposed vision is a safe, comfortable and connected active-transportation network that promotes mobility, health, accessibility and sustainability in the region,” Perez Kinston said, summarizing the plan’s goals and policy framework. The RTC proposal identifies four facility types the plan will prioritize: sidewalks, shared-use paths, protected bike lanes and buffer bike lanes, and will use adopted design standards based on the regional designated transportation system atlas and the WSDOT design manual.

RTC plans to treat the dark-blue corridors shown in its map as a backbone that connects to local (pink) networks and trail (green) networks. Perez Kinston said the regional map is an initial draft meant to start conversations and will be refined as local comprehensive plans and the county’s parks, recreation, open space and trails (PROS) plan are finalized. She told BPAC the RTC board will have the final say on policies, actions and projects developed through the process.

BPAC members pressed on practical gaps and implementation. John Vanderberg and others pointed to perceived missing connections on the map and urged attention to continuity so people can travel directly between neighborhoods without long detours. Scott Sloan and other members cited specific corridor gaps between Salmon Creek and the 192nd corridor and urged clearer connections and cross-street links.

On lighting, BPAC member Jay asked whether the plan will address nighttime illumination, saying, “I think something like three-quarters of pedestrian deaths are at night,” and suggesting lighting be part of the RTC work. Perez Kinston responded that the RTC plan will not prescribe detailed lighting standards because ownership and lighting guidance reside with the local jurisdictions. “To get to that level of detail we need to get involved with the city and the county to see how they are addressing that,” she said.

Susan Poisner, county transportation planner, clarified the county’s funding role: the county is a regional service provider under the Growth Management Act and “we don't have the funds to do street lights” in urbanizing areas now. She said the county can and does consider installing conduit as part of roadway work so that when annexation occurs a city could install light fixtures later with lower additional cost.

Perez Kinston described the public-engagement and schedule: RTC and the active-transportation subcommittee will continue vetting the vision, goals and proposed network, run an online survey this spring and hold open-house-style engagement, return to BPAC with refined maps and supporting data in May or June, and identify projects and priorities in summer 2026. She said the plan is a 20-year document and implementation will depend on funding and local coordination.

Other staff updates and requests: Brett Setterfield, transportation planner for the City of Vancouver, said the city will apply for multiple WSDOT grants for bike/ped projects and noted short public-survey windows for three corridor projects; Dylan Bass (WSDOT Southwest Region) reminded members that applications for several programs are due April 15 and that projects within or adjacent to WSDOT right-of-way should be joint applications with WSDOT. Harrison noted Clark County Public Works expects to submit two Safe Routes to School projects that would be funded in the 2027–29 biennium, and reminded BPAC that the county’s Neighborhood Traffic Management Program (NTMP) application deadline moved to April 1.

Procedural note: BPAC approved the meeting minutes from the Jan. 27, 2026 meeting by motion (mover: Patty; seconder: Scott) and a roll-call vote. Susan Poisner conducted the roll call; the transcript records David, John, Patty, Scott, Anthony, Jay and Brian as voting “yes” and Kelsey recorded as “present.”

What’s next: RTC will refine the regional network after agency and public feedback, present data to justify corridor choices, and identify and prioritize projects and programs in summer 2026. BPAC members were asked to review Chapter 3 of the 2010 Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan and to share the forthcoming online survey with their networks.