Newswire: Public comments sought on Mult. Co. transportation capital plan

Public comments sought on transportation capital plan

Multnomah County welcomes comments on its public review draft of the Transportation Capital Improvement Plan and Program (CIPP) for Fiscal Years 2010-2014. The purpose of the CIPP is to ensure limited public funds are invested in transportation projects providing the greatest public benefit. The CIPP is updated every five years.

The CIPP is a two-part process. The Capital Improvement Plan identifies and ranks transportation improvement needs on County roadways and bridges over the next 20 years. Multnomah County maintains 300 miles of roads and bridges. The network of roads and bridges lies outside the cities of Gresham and Portland, with the exception of five Willamette River bridges within Portland. Projects that accommodate all modes of transportation — motor vehicle, transit, pedestrian and bicycle, and improvements to fish passage culverts — are considered. County staff uses objective criteria to evaluate and score potential projects. Criteria include safety, congestion relief, support of regional land use goals, and community support.

The Capital Improvement Program assigns anticipated revenues to the highest priority projects for a five-year period. The program is reviewed by the County Transportation Division biennially, for programming corrections. The biennial updates adjust anticipated capital revenues to more current projections, and ensure capital project expenditures are allocated appropriately.

The public review draft of the CIPP compiles the list of uncompleted projects and new projects identified through the update process. Candidate projects were identified through public comments, from staff at the cities of Fairview, Troutdale and Wood Village, the County’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Citizen Advisory Committee and from the County’s Road and Bridge staff.

The review draft of the CIPP can be reviewed online at www.multco.us/cipp. Please send comments or questions about the CIPP update to cip@co.multnomah.or.us or by mail to: CIPP Comments, 1600 S.E. 190th Avenue, Suite 116, Portland, OR 97233. Public comments are welcome through February 8, 2010. The Board of County Commissioners is tentatively scheduled to hold a public hearing to consider adopting the CIPP on February 11.