Vancouver, Washington—Vancouver City Council will get an update from staff on the development of the city’s long-term 20-year vision for Vancouver’s entire transportation system at a workshop at 4 p.m. Monday, June 14.

The comprehensive transportation system planning project, also known as Vancouver Moves, examines travel conditions for all users of the city's transportation system, including those who drive, walk, bicycle, use mobility aids, ride transit or deliver freight.

At the workshop, city staff will establish how the updated Transportation System Plan will reflect the council’s core values of equity, safety, sustainability and climate action. They will also provide an update on the work done so far, including the existing conditions analysis and “Vancouver Moves” community engagement efforts, and discuss next steps.

Community members can watch the workshop live or on demand at www.cvtv.org. Council workshops and meetings continue to be held remotely.

The updated Transportation System Plan creates a transportation vision for 2040. The plan’s framework will analyze current and projected transportation conditions and outline projects and policies that will help the city make strategic investments that allow us to move more people on our roadways as the population grows. It will reflect the community’s values and needs for traveling and moving goods and services, and includes all modes of transportation, from walking, biking and public transit to cars and commercial trucking.

“The city is growing and most of its land is already built out,” explained Rebecca Kennedy, deputy director of the city’s Community and Economic Development Department. “Widening streets is expensive and in many cases impossible due to the impacts it has on nearby homes and businesses. Instead, we need to look at new ways to carry more people more efficiently using our existing street infrastructure.”

Vancouver’s Transportation System Plan is part of the city’s larger Comprehensive Plan, a coordinated effort required by the state’s Growth Management Act to guide land use and zoning for the entire city. Land use and transportation decisions naturally go hand in hand because how an area is developed, whether it’s a busy commercial district or a single-family residential neighborhood, dictates resulting transportation needs. The city’s current Transportation System Plan was adopted in 2004.

Project staff anticipates the updated plan will be completed by end of 2022. After the June 14 council workshop, next steps include developing the goals and values that will guide the plan, establishing policies for future transportation investments, and identifying priority routes for each transportation mode. Throughout this process, the city will continue to offer a variety of opportunities for the community to get involved, provide input and help shape the plan.

To learn more about the Transportation System Plan update, stay up to date on the project, and find out how to get involved, visit www.beheardvancouver.org/VancouverMoves.

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