County to form Transportation Plan Update Citizen Advisory Committee

For Immediate Release: Friday, September 09, 2011

Washington County is planning to update its Transportation Plan and is looking for area residents to serve on a Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) to help guide the project. The CAC application is available through the Transportation Plan page of the Washington County website (www.co.washington.or.us) or by calling the Long Range Planning Division at 503-846-3519. Applications should be completed and returned to the Long Range Planning Division by September 30, 2011.

The CAC is expected to include approximately 20 members, represent a balance of geographic and stakeholder interests and provide a broad range of perspectives on transportation matters. The committee, which will be appointed by the Board of Commissioners, will likely meet six to eight times during the next 18-24 months.

To ensure the CAC is both a manageable size and reflects a broad range of perspectives, county residents who can represent multiple interests and have multiple affiliations are encouraged to apply. Commissioners also want to encourage Washington County residents who have not been active in the past and can bring new perspectives to the process to apply.

Transportation issues continue to be of major concern in Washington County and throughout the region. As growth continues and the challenge of accommodating travel needs becomes more difficult, these concerns are unlikely to abate.

The existing transportation plan was adopted in 2002 and identifies system needs and characteristics through the year 2020. A new regional transportation plan adopted last year extends the region's planning horizon to 2035 and provides a new framework for local government planning work. CAC members will have a central role in helping local government officials within Washington County, residents and other stakeholders carry out that work.

Washington County residents interested in staying current with plan update progress and participation opportunities may contact the Long Range Planning Division at [email protected] or by calling 503-846-3519. You'll be provided with project updates and be informed of public outreach events as they are scheduled.

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