The City of Redmond is hosting an open house to discuss and evaluate a draft Redmond Transit Master Plan on Wednesday, October 23, 6-8pm, Redmond City Hall, 716 SW Evergreen Avenue.
This is a great opportunity for the Redmond community to come together and discuss Redmond transit needs now and in the future,” explained Heather Richards, Community Development Director. “This meeting will give you an opportunity to review the primary elements of the draft Transit Master Plan, and to ask questions and provide input about how, when, where and if transit should be provided in Redmond.”
In 2009 the City of Redmond undertook a planning effort to evaluate the long-term operation of a community transit system to serve our City. Redmond undertook this transit planning process as a requirement of the State of Oregon Transportation Plan for communities with a population over 25,000 to prepare a transit feasibility analysis, and ultimately a Transit Master Plan (TMP).
The primary purpose for a TMP as outlined by the State is to:
• Prepare for future community growth, and economic and demographic changes
• Anticipate the need for new transit facilities so that future development plans can integrate with these needs
• Promote multi-modal transportation options that help to reduce reliance on single occupant vehicles
• Allow for a system that is fully accessible for person with disabilities and complies with the ADA
• Identify partner opportunities
Ultimately, the TMP is intended to be a guiding document to help local officials make informed decisions about what type and degree of transit service may be necessary for Redmond, what the associated costs will be for various service levels, and the timing of when services can and should be provided.
During the early part of 2013 the City of Redmond worked with the staff of Cascades East Transit/Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council, and a transit planning consultant, to update the original draft TMP from 2009.
This update includes “real-time” data from Cascades East Transit regarding the type and degree of transit service provided to the citizens of Redmond since they began operations in 2008. Additionally, the update process has included transit service rider and community preference surveys, community stakeholder meetings, and an initial general public information gathering meeting.
The updated information allows the TMP to be as accurate as possible so that projections for potential future service needs can be effectively assessed. However, aside from the accuracy of the data, community involvement into the process continues to be a primary part of the TMP development process.
For more information, please contact Scott Woodford at 541-923-7758
