Transportation‑system plan: city consultant outlines vehicle LOS, pedestrian/bicycle LTS and project list; open house set

Daniel Hendricks of Transpo Group presented Richland’s Transportation System Plan project list, explaining the 20‑year planning horizon, project sources and the multi‑modal standards used to prioritize improvements. “The main discussion tonight is going to be around the project list, how we develop those projects, and sort of identified what the needs are for the community looking out into that 20 year planning window,” Hendricks said.

Hendricks explained the vehicle level‑of‑service metric (A–F) and said the city’s standard for signalized intersections is LOS D; stop‑controlled intersections are evaluated to LOS E in the plan. He showed a 2045 forecast that identifies signalized intersections expected to operate below the adopted standard and therefore likely to require improvements such as lane additions, signal‑timing changes, new signals or roundabouts. Several of the intersections requiring major work are on SR 240; Hendricks said those larger changes would require coordination with WSDOT.

On active transportation, Hendricks described level of traffic stress (LTS) for pedestrians and bicyclists (1–4, with 1 the most comfortable) and outlined a primary/secondary network approach. He reported that about 20% of the pedestrian network currently lacks pedestrian facilities and roughly 7% of that gap is on local streets; bicycle LTS scores were generally higher (worse), indicating more work needed to provide comfortable, continuous bike routes. Proposed projects include corridor improvements (Downtown Loop, Vantage Highway), new roadway connections in developing areas (Badger Mountain South, Horn Rapids), multi‑use paths and spot improvements where bike lanes drop through intersections (notably George Washington Way locations AT‑17/18).

Hendricks flagged that many of the project list entries target federally classified roadways to maximize grant eligibility and that some intersections (for example, Columbia Park Trail/SR 240 ramp) will require further work with WSDOT. He said the project list will be posted in the packet and cross‑referenced with maps and that non‑infrastructure actions (speed reductions, alternative routes) also appear on the list.

An open house was announced for the following day from 4–6 p.m. at the Badger Mountain South fire station (4307 Trowbridge Boulevard) to gather community feedback; a draft TSP is expected to be finalized next month for Planning Commission review. Hendricks concluded that next steps include public outreach, refinement of the project list, and coordination with regional partners and WSDOT.