Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC) is advancing its Martin Way safety plan, targeting up to 10 new mid-block crossings along the corridor, one of the busiest connecting Lacey and Olympia.
TRPC planner Aidan Dixon presented an overview of the Martin Way Crossing Strategy at the Transportation Policy Board meeting on Wednesday, April 9.
The proposed crossings aim to transform Martin Way from a high-speed road into a safer, more accessible route for pedestrians and transit users. The plan follows recommendations made in TRPC's 2022 Martin Way Corridor Study.
According to Dixon, they have identified about 15 potential locations. They are narrowing them down to 10 using three main categories: accessibility, safety and equity.
Under accessibility, Dixon mentioned prioritizing "locations with proximity to bus stops, with high activity key destinations like retail and community locations, and area of high residential density."
TRPC also conducted community engagement, with more than 180 residents providing insights into the corridor's current safety challenges.
Through targeted outreach with local community organizations, residents highlighted systemic transportation inequities affecting people of color, seniors, veterans and low-income households.
Participants expressed concerns about dangerous traffic speeds and inadequate pedestrian infrastructure. Community members shared personal experiences of feeling unsafe while crossing the corridor, with some describing near-miss incidents and persistent fears about street crossings.
Dixon added that people who participated in the TRPC's targeted outreach efforts indicated they want to see crosswalks near health services, schools, child care centers and bus stops.
The project is scheduled for completion by June, with final presentations to local councils planned for July.
Residents can continue to provide input through upcoming engagement opportunities, including an April 30 open house and ongoing community surveys.
TPB and Olympia City Council member Robert Vanderpool raised concerns about the project's approach to addressing traffic safety on Martin Way. He argued while crossings, sidewalks and infrastructure improvements are important, the plan does not offer a solution to the speeding problem.
Vanderpool emphasized that the road's current design — long, wide and straight — encourages high-speed driving.
"People are going to drive fast because it was designed originally as a highway. … People are going to go to the speed that the road feels designed for," he said.
Vanderpool suggested transformative interventions, such as redesigning land widths, making the road less linear, implementing raised crossings, and creating physical design changes that would force drivers to slow down.
Dixon agreed with Vanderpool, saying the road design influences driver speeds. He said the current project is just one incremental step toward transforming Martin Way.
"The lane reduction is not part of the scope of this project. However, one of the goals is to get to where we see safer speeds on Martin Way," said Dixon, adding he sees it as part of a broader, long-term strategy to improve corridor safety.
"Planning is incremental. So, when we start to roll the ball and include these things, I think that constellation will start to snowball, and we will have different strategies and different kinds of infrastructure pieces on Martin Way that will ultimately end up with people not speeding," he added.
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Southsoundguy
If they are going to do all this to try and change Martin Way then they might as well rebuild Olympia and Lacey.
Wednesday, April 16 Report this
Porter
Michelle looks enthralled and who's conference room 6 again?
Wednesday, April 16 Report this
jimLacey
"the road's current design — long, wide and straight — encourages high-speed driving"
In other words, people drive how they want, with no regard for laws, safety, or courtesy. Everyone KNOWS the limit, they consciously CHOOSE to ignore it.
The only way you can fix this is to make it physically impossible to drive too fast.
Or maybe just enforce the law and have meaningful consequences for bad choices?
Wednesday, April 16 Report this
HappyOlympian
Drivers in Thurston County about the worst one will find anywhere outside of Oregon. Make Martin Way a safety corridor with massive fines and advertise them just as is done with car pool lanes on I-5. Knock the stuffing out of speeders and word will get around.
Thursday, April 17 Report this