Blog going on hiatus

Greetings. Due to staffing transitions at Jefferson County Public Works, this blog is going on hiatus.

The snippets of other transportation-related blogs to the right will continue to be automatically updated.

Check again in the future to see if things are "rolling" again here on the Visionary Transport Blog. Thank you for checking in on us.

Public Hearing August 13 for 2013-2018 Transportation Improvement Program

The Jefferson County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing on Monday, August 13, 2012, at 10:00 AM in the Commissioners Chambers at the County Courthouse in Port Townsend, in consideration of the proposed Six-Year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for 2013 through 2018.

Update: The Board adopted the 2013-2018 TIP unanimously on August 13 through Resolution 49-12.

Oak Bay Road culvert replacement, milepost 8.947, April 2011

The 2013-2018 TIP is a list of capital transportation projects that Jefferson County Public Works anticipates undertaking in the corresponding six-year period. The list includes secured and anticipated funding sources for each project.

For more information, visit the TIP webpage. 

Example project map. Click here for the TIP wall map.

The text of the August 1 media release follows after the jump...

Quimper Peninsula Transportation Study

The Quimper Peninsula Transportation Study is now posted on the Jefferson County Public Works website.

The Port Hadlock "Crossroads"

A few years back Jefferson County hired Transpo Group of Kirkland to build a travel demand model for the Quimper Peninsula. We shared the data with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to contribute to the SR 19/20 Corridor Plan and we initiated our own study that covered a larger area and focused on the Irondale & Port Hadlock Urban Growth Area (UGA). We have now completed the contract with Transpo Group and the final products are up on the web.

The Quimper Transportation Study, Study Appendices and the 2008 Travel Demand Model Documentation can be found here: http://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/publicworks/trans_planning.asp.

An anticipated next step is to scope a “UGA Roadmap” project that will use the Quimper Transportation Study as a foundation for further transportation planning. Refer to initial goals, deliverables and outcomes below (after "the jump").

2012-2017 Transportation Improvement Program

The Board of County Commissioners will hold a public hearing on June 20, 2011 at 11:00 AM at the Jefferson County Courthouse in consideration of the proposed Six-Year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for 2012-2017.

For details and documents, visit the Public Works TIP page.

Public Works issued a media release on June 8 with information about the process by which the proposed TIP is developed. Read the text after the jump or jump to a PDF of the release.

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WSDOT approves SR 19/20 Corridor Plan

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has completed a Corridor Plan for State Route (SR) 19/20 from SR 104 to the Port Townsend ferry dock.

The plan outlines a vision for the future of the highway corridor and recommends improvement strategies.

The WSDOT Olympic Region Administrator approved the February 2011 document on March 27.

Visit this website to download the Corridor Plan: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/sr19/corridorplan.

The key question for those of us who use this highway corridor is how best can we work together to implement the Plan. How can we see to it that the priority improvements happen?

Jefferson County Public Works will be working toward meeting the goals of the Plan and we look forward to working with you.

2011-2016 Transportation Improvement Program subject of Oct. 18 public hearing

The Quinault River threatens the South Shore Road.  Jefferson County frequently faces road management challenges resulting from winter storm damage.

The Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) will hold a public hearing on October 18, 2010 as a step in the process to consider and adopt a Six-Year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for the period from 2011 through 2016. The TIP is a list of capital transportation projects that the Jefferson County anticipates undertaking in the next six years.  It includes cost estimates and secured or planned revenue sources for each project.


Jefferson County Public Works issued a press release this week that pertains to the proposed TIP and upcoming public hearing.


Visit the Jefferson County website TIP page for more information and access to documents and maps.


You are welcome to comment on this blog.  In order for your comment to reach the BoCC as part of the public hearing and TIP adoption process, please email the Commissioners directly.

Draft County Non-Motorized Transportation Plan Update

Jefferson County is updating its Non-Motorized Transportation & Recreational Trails (NMT) Plan that was initially adopted in 2002. The 2010 Plan update will guide the County’s development of non-motorized transportation facilities and multi-purpose trails, including:

• Larry Scott Trail and the Rick Tollefson Trail


• Safe routes for walking to school


• Sidewalks in commercial areas and adequate roadway shoulders and community trails for walking in residential area


• Pedestrian and bicycle connections to transit routes


• Bicycle commuting routes


• Bicycle touring routes such as the Olympic Discovery Trail
  

Click here for additional information on the 2010 NMT Plan Update, including links to chapters of the proposed NMT Plan.

The Jefferson County Commissioners will conduct a public hearing on the Draft 2010 Non-Motorized Transportation and Recreational Trails Plan at 10:00 AM on May 17, 2010 in the Commissioners’ Chambers at the Jefferson County Courthouse in Port Townsend.

6-year TIP adopted for 2010-2015

Conceptual rendering of the future Rick Tollefson Trail connecting Chimacum and Port Hadlock through the Chimacum Valley. The preliminary engineering, right-of-way acquisiton, and construction for this project is included in the 2010-2015 TIP.

On July 27, 2009, the Board of County Commissioners adopted through Resolution 42-09 a Six-Year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for the period from 2010 through 2015. The TIP is a list of capital transportation projects that the County anticipates undertaking in the next six years, including identified funding sources for each project. Visit the TIP page for more information and access to documents and maps.

Jefferson County receives "stimulus" funds for transportation improvement

The Washington State Department of Transportation informed Public Works via letter dated March 11, 2009 that Jefferson County is to receive $358,000 through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) to apply toward a two-mile ashphalt overlay project on Center Road.

The ARRA funds are at 100% (i.e., require no local match). The County will also apply other Federal funds through the Surface Transportation Program regional allocation (with a 13.5% local match) to complete the project.

The ARRA transportation improvement funds channeled through the State of Washington are for "shovel ready" projects. The Center Road overlay (phase 4) will be completed in 2009. The asphalt overlay will rehabilitate and preserve the roadway section between milepost 2.3 and milepost 4.3. Center Road is classified as a Rural Major Collector and a T-3 Freight and Goods route.

More information about ARRA-funded transportation improvements can be found on the Federal Highway Adminstration website.

Rick Tollefson Trail in line for grant funds

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) issued a report to the Legislature in December 2008 pertaining to the grant programs for Safe Routes to Schools and Pedestrian & Bicycle Safety.

Jefferson County Public Works submitted a proposal for consideration under the Ped & Bike Safety program to complete the funding needed to design and construct phase 1 of the Rick Tollefson Trail (RTT) in the Tri-Area of Jefferson County. The RTT is a non-motorized, multi-use path that will eventually run from central Port Hadlock to the Chimacum school campus along State Route 19. The centerpiece of the RTT is the phase 1 stretch from Chimacum Road near the Bob Bates Fields to the northeast corner of HJ Carroll Park by way of the Chimacum valley and over the Chimacum Creek via short bridges.

The WSDOT report lists RTT phase 1 as the #9 project among 92 total. (See page 19 of the PDF.) The first 16 projects in this competitive process are anticipated to be funded. However, the final word will come from the State Legislature in setting the budget during the 2009 session. The County is very hopeful that our project will receive grant funding this year and be ready for construction next year.

The RTT will provide a relatively direct (and enjoyable) path for bicylists and pedestrians (including wheelchairs and strollers) connection between widely-used amenities, which will enable non-motorized travel that avoids busy roadways. The overall goal of the project is to construct an attractive, universally supported, and well-used multi-use trail that is part of a non-motorized network in the Tri-Area. More information on the project can be found in the County's 2009-2014 Six-Year Transportation Improvement Program.

Experimental Blog

Welcome to the "Visionary Transport Blog" for Jefferson County, Washington. These pages are managed by the transportation planning program at Jefferson County Public Works. Our hope is that this blog fosters an exchange of ideas about the future of this part of western Washington state. Jefferson County residents and interested parties are welcome to contribute. Public Works will provide links to information and conversations happening in the world at large. Let us discuss whether and how these cutting edge ideas could be applied here. No idea is too "out there" in terms of thinking ahead and envisioning what this place may be like many years from now.

Feel free to comment to get the dialogue started. If you are interested in being added as blog "author," enabling you to post entries, contact the "blogmaster" directly at jpeters@co.jefferson.wa.us.