Cowlitz County launches outreach for countywide transportation system plan

County Engineer Susan Eugenas told the Cowlitz County Public Works board that the county is advancing a countywide transportation system plan with a consultant and has begun public outreach. "We have a public meeting next Thursday at 5:30 p.m. on Zoom," she said, and staff have posted a survey online with a QR code and are distributing printed copies for people who prefer paper.

Eugenas said the consultant has collected initial data and staff used the recent farmers market for outreach, where planners solicited feedback on draft map ideas and long‑range alignments. She described the map handed out to the board as a draft showing conceptual colored lines and emphasized the county is taking a “big global view,” not final project alignments.

She told the board staff expect to release a draft plan in August, hold additional public workshops and a board workshop for input, and aim for final adoption in October or November. Eugene s asked residents to complete the brief survey to help prioritize projects and alignments.

The board and staff discussed that some draft lines use combinations of existing roads and potential new connections and that project routing will be refined when items enter the six‑year plan. The outreach is intended to inform that phasing and the county’s capital planning. The county posted the flyer and survey on the Public Works website and provided printed materials for those attending in person.