Umatilla County adopts updated 2026 Transportation System Plan

The Umatilla County Board of Commissioners voted to adopt the county's updated Transportation System Plan on Aug. 19, 2026, completing a multi‑year update staff said was overdue after the previous TSP was adopted in 2002. The adoption includes proposed comprehensive plan text changes and development code amendments intended to implement the TSP's recommendations.

County staff and consultant KDU and Associates presented the plan during a public hearing. Division manager Megan Dusty told the board the update is a post‑acknowledgment amendment and said the county received a Transportation Growth Management grant to complete the process. Consultant Matt Hubard summarized the TSP's purpose: "It's just a long range planning document that identifies multimodal transportation network improvements over the next 20 years." The presentation emphasized safety, multimodal connectivity, resilience, equity and a flexible, GIS‑based mapping system.

Staff said the full project list carries a planning‑level cost estimate of roughly $415 million, while projected, locally available capital over 20 years is about $30 million; the plan therefore organizes projects into tier one and tier two priority lists aimed at matching likely funding paths. The Planning Commission earlier recommended approval (5–0) and proposed specific edits now included in the adopted package, notably adding project IO2 — an interchange control modification at Interstate 84 and Oregon 207 — and adjustments to bridge project tiers.

The board adopted the findings and amendments by voice vote. Staff noted technical appendices (traffic counts, crash analysis, 700+ page volume two) are available online and that the decision may be appealed to the Land Use Board of Appeals within statutory deadlines. Next steps will include incorporating the updated code language and continuing project prioritization and grant pursuit.