Clark County BPAC backs proposed active-transportation network to guide comp-plan work

Clark County’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee on Thursday recommended that staff move forward using a newly proposed active-transportation network as the basis for updates to the county’s comprehensive-plan transportation element and capital facilities plan.

The network, presented by Harrison Husting, a county transportation planner and BPAC staff coordinator, is built from three layers: the county’s 2010 bicycle and pedestrian master plan, corridors from the county arterial atlas and additional locally owned arterials and collectors identified to meet the Growth Management Act’s new multimodal level-of-service requirements. "Once the comprehensive plan is adopted, the intent is that this proposed network will serve as the implementation tool to determine where and what facility types should be constructed throughout the county," Husting said.

Why it matters: State law changes now require local governments to adopt multimodal level-of-service standards for locally owned arterials and active-transportation facilities. The proposed map is intended to translate those standards into specific corridors and facility types — protected bike lanes, buffered lanes, shared-use paths or shoulders — which will then inform capital planning and project design.

How staff developed the map: Husting said staff applied the BPAC-adopted typology and a Level of Traffic Stress (LTS) approach, considering roadway speed, lane configuration and traffic volumes to select appropriate facility types. For rural arterials the plan generally assumes 8-foot shoulders; for collectors in urban areas staff considered a 30 mph default speed assumption in some locations to reduce the need for higher-cost capital projects. County staff also removed segments no longer under county jurisdiction after annexations and adjusted routes using observed travel-pattern data.

Committee discussion and concerns: Members raised funding and implementation concerns, the safety tradeoffs of "shared roadway" designations and the importance of preservation of off-street trails. "Shared roadways are accidents waiting to happen," a committee member said, urging higher expectations and more funding for separated facilities. Husting and colleagues said the map represents a pragmatic step to align local policy with statutory requirements while preserving opportunities for later, more ambitious updates.

The vote and next steps: BPAC member Brian Watson moved that staff proceed using the proposed network to prepare the comprehensive-plan transportation element and related analyses; the motion was seconded and passed on a roll-call vote with eight yes votes and two abstentions (John and Jay). Yes: Dave, Megan, Kelsey, Patty, Scott, Paul, Brian, Doug. Abstain: John, Jay. There were no recorded no votes. Staff said they will continue refinements and return to BPAC with a final recommendation before forwarding to the planning commission and county council.

Funding and coordination: Husting noted that state routes will be coordinated with WSDOT and that many off-street projects involve Parks and Nature or other divisions; the county intends to align the proposed network with cities’ transportation system plans where corridors cross jurisdictional boundaries.

The committee’s recommendation does not itself adopt capital projects; it authorizes staff to use the proposed network in the upcoming comprehensive-plan deliberations and capital-facilities analysis. BPAC members asked staff to provide more detailed maps, funding scenarios and a glossary for arterial-atlas codes as part of subsequent briefings.