[ORRando] FW: Washington County Transportation System Plan January Open Houses

Fri Dec 13 11:09:34 PST 2013

Friends,

I should add that in general I've been impressed with the stated support
for bicycling and pedestrian projects by the county.  There are quite a
few county staff involved pushing the agenda.  There's also wide support
by the Citizen's Advisory Committee.

BUT, the motor vehicle rules the roost (and the TSP), and not
surprisingly the plan calls for lots of big roads, fast roads, wide
roads, all of which are designed to "reduce congestion", "reduce travel
time" and increase vehicle throughput.  There are big employers out here
with lots of sway that are very vocal about the "need" to get people to
work by motor vehicle.  And frankly, there is a not-small percentage of
vocal residents that couldn't give a $h!t about bikes and peds, and just
want to get where they want to go as fast as possible, vulnerable
roadway users be damned.  

While there are bicycle and pedestrian strategies in the plan, my
overwhelming feeling is that those methods will see continued
on-the-ground de-prioritization as travel modes when push comes to shove
as projects get developed.   

It is therefore absolutely critical that citizens let the county know
(in a positive way) that bicycling, walking, and transit are important
to them personally.  That those things increase the livability of our
community, and make us want to live, work and play here.  That if safe,
convenient and accessible alternatives to single occupancy vehicles are
available, we will take advantage of them.

If you own a business in the county, let county staff and your
commissioners know that getting your employees to work by bike, ped, and
transit is important to you.

You can do this by attending an open house, by writing a letter to your
county commissioner or to Dyami Valentine (the planner listed below) and
by educating yourself on projects coming down the line in areas where
you live or ride.  

For more information on the TSP Update, you can visit the county's
website at:
http://www.co.washington.or.us/LUT/Divisions/LongRangePlanning/PlanningP
rograms/TransportationPlanning/Transportation2035/

Thanks for your time,

Susan

***********************************************
Susan Otcenas
Team Estrogen, Inc.
www.TeamEstrogen.com
877-310-4592
***********************************************
Follow our TE fan page on Facebook!
Look for "teamestrogen.com"
***********************************************

-----Original Message-----
From: obra-bounces at list.obra.org [mailto:obra-bounces at list.obra.org] On
Behalf Of T. Kenji Sugahara
Sent: Thursday, December 12, 2013 10:28 PM
To: Scott Kocher
Cc: <obra at list.obra.org>
Subject: Re: [OBRA Chat] FW: Washington County Transportation System
Plan January Open Houses

Agreed with Susan and Scott-

Step up and be heard- make a difference!

k-

On Thu, Dec 12, 2013 at 9:13 PM, Scott Kocher <Sfkocher at gmail.com>
wrote:
> This is very important.  We need people to go and explain that
everyone's favorite WACO routes need to be protected and problem spots
need improvement. Thank you for stepping up, Susan.
>
> From
> Susan Otcenas <sus.. at teamestrogen.com>
>
>
> Hello All,
>
> As some of you may know, I serve on the Citizen's Advisory Committee 
> for Washington County's 2035 Transportation System Plan Update.
> Washington county is holding a series of community open houses to give

> the public an opportunity to learn more about that plan update and to 
> provide a forum to give the county feedback.
>
> If you ride a bicycle in Washington County, be it for work OR play, 
> you should care about this process.
>
> The county is (and is expected to continue to be) one of the fastest 
> growing in the state, with significant projected increases in the 
> number of jobs, homes and residents. And that means finding ways to 
> move people between Points A, B & C.
>
> As cyclists, most of are us interested to see active transportation, 
> as well as multi-modal transportation, play a siginificant role in the

> development of the county's road system. Make sure your voices and 
> opinions are heard by turning up at one of these events.
>
> Thanks for your time!
>
> Susan
>
> ***********************************************
> Susan Otcenas
> Team Estrogen, Inc.
> www.TeamEstrogen.com
> 877-310-4592
> ***********************************************
> Follow our TE fan page on Facebook!
> Look for "teamestrogen.com"
> ***********************************************
> ________________________________
>
> From: Dyami Valentine [mailto:Dyami_Valentine at co.washington.or.us]
> Sent: Thursday, December 12, 2013 4:23 PM
> To: Dyami Valentine
> Subject: Washington County Transportation System Plan January Open 
> Houses
>
> The county needs your help creating a future vision for the 
> transportation system.
> The transportation system of roads, sidewalks, bikeways, trails, 
> transit, and all the other elements necessary to move people and goods

> efficiently throughout the county represents a huge public investment.
> Planning the future transportation system is critical to achieving 
> local and regional goals over the next 20 years. The county is 
> updating the long-range Transportation System Plan that establishes 
> the framework for future decisions about how we invest in our 
> transportation system. The goal is to create a well-connected, highly 
> livable, sustainable community that provides a range of transportation

> choices, and addresses important transportation issues in our region. 
> We need your help to do it.
>
> Get Involved!
> Attend one of four open houses in January to learn more about the 
> project and give us your feedback.
>
> January 7
> NORTH COUNTY Beaverton/Cedar Mill/Bethany area
> 4 -8 pm, Christ United Church in Cedar Mill 12755 NW Dogwood St., 
> Portland 97229
>
> January 15
> WEST COUNTY Hillsboro/Forest Grove/Cornelius area
> 4 -8 pm, Public Services Building (cafeteria) 155 N. First Avenue, 
> Hillsboro 97124
>
> January 21
> SOUTH COUNTY Tigard/Tualatin/Sherwood area
> 4 -8 pm, Tigard Christian Church 13405 SW Hall Blvd., Tigard 97223
>
> January 30
> EAST COUNTY Central Beaverton/Aloha/Metzger/Garden Home area
> 4 -8 pm, St. Mary's Valley Catholic High School 4275 SW 148th Avenue, 
> Beaverton 97007
>
> We strive to make our events accessible to all. Sign language, 
> translation, and other services are available upon advance request.
> Please contact Dyami Valentine (below) for more information.
>
> For more information visit www.tsp2035.com or contact Dyami Valentine,

> Sr. Planner, Washington County Department of Land Use & 
> Transportation, at dyami_valentine at co.washington.or.us or 
> 503-846-3821.
>
>
> Dyami Valentine
>
> Senior Planner | Planning and Development Services
>
> Washington County Department of Land Use & Transportation
>
> 503.846.3821
>
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