Public Comment Needed on Regional Transportation Plan

DAYTON—The Palouse Regional Transportation Planning Organization wants your input in identifying transportation priorities in Columbia County.

Do we need a passing lane on Highway 12, between Dayton and Waitsburg? Do we need a sidewalk corridor on Cameron Street and Highway 12? Do we need a bike path between Dayton and Waitsburg? Or do we need to improve Patit Road to Tucannon Road?

These are just some of the possible transportation related issues that could be addressed by the Palouse RTPO, according to Port of Columbia Manager, Jennie Dickinson.

Last week members of the Palouse RPTO from the Port of Columbia, the City of Dayton, Columbia County, met with Palouse RPTO Planning Engineer, Shaun Darveshi, to discuss the 20-year transportation plan update, and to identify transportation related issues in the county, by taking a long-range transportation plan survey.

The Palouse RTPO is required by Federal and State regulations to develop a Regional Transportation Improvement Program. The TIP is a financial plan to identify and prioritize federal and state-funded projects to be carried out in Columbia County, and in other counties in the Palouse region, Darveshi said.

Darveshi said the survey is available for anyone to take, and it can be found on the Palouse RTPO website.

“Let the county know,” Dickinson urged.

For further information about the Palouse RTPO, or to take the on-line survey go to http://www.palousertpo.org.