Lake Forest Park council adopts 2027–2032 Transportation Improvement Program, advances Road Safety Action Plan

Lake Forest Park’s City Council unanimously approved Resolution 26-2075 on June 11, adopting the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for calendar years 2027–2032 and moved several safety projects into the near-term work plan.

Director Heaton presented the six-year TIP and said the city will pilot a Healthy Street on 26th Avenue between Forest Park Drive and NE 185th, advance a crosswalk project at 40th and 178th (SP03), and bundle restriping and bike-lane work along a portion of 178th (CS05). He said some projects are listed as “need funding” but staff anticipates using a mix of local transportation funds and pursuing state sources such as the Transportation Improvement Board. “We’ll be updating the dashboard probably quarterly,” Heaton said when asked how the council and public will track project status.

Council members asked for clarity on funding and timeline. Councilmember Josh Rosenau asked whether Briarcrest neighborhood cut-throughs (noted on 156th) were captured in current priorities; Heaton said that corridor projects beyond the six-year horizon may appear in longer-term planning and that short-term interim striping or planter solutions remain possible. Several members emphasized the importance of an interactive web map that lets the public click projects to view the latest status and schedule. Heaton said staff will post the materials to the city’s engineering/transporation page and make the map interactive.

The TIP presentation flowed directly into a second presentation on the Road Safety Action Plan (RSAP), the update to the city’s prior Local Road Safety Plan. Heaton described the RSAP’s seven components—leadership, planning structure, safety analysis, engagement, policy and process changes, strategy selection, and progress/transparency—and said the plan will be updated annually to reflect changing safety data. The plan includes driver-education work with the police department focused on repeat risks such as distracted driving, and short-term safety projects that were advanced by the TIP. When Councilmember Riddle asked whether near-miss reporting by residents could be included in data collection, Heaton said he would explore ways to incorporate such reports with the PD and staff.

The council debated speed-limit reductions on SR-522 and the city’s next steps for persuading WSDOT to act. Heaton told the council that the Transpo Group’s study has been delivered to WSDOT and that the city has requested a follow-up meeting with the agency’s traffic engineers; he said the $50,000 placeholder in the TIP is conservative and may not be required if WSDOT accepts the data-driven justification.

The council voted to adopt the TIP and thanked staff for the work. The resolution passed by voice vote and was recorded as unanimous approval.

What’s next: staff will publish the TIP materials and an interactive map, pursue funding opportunities for the projects listed as “need funding,” and coordinate with WSDOT on the SR-522 study and any speed‑limit requests.