The city of Philomath received $80,000 in regional transportation funding that will be used toward the development of a strategic action plan focused on pedestrian and bicycle safety.
City Manager Chris Workman announced the funding award from the Corvallis Area Metropolitan Planning Organization during Monday’s City Council meeting. The money comes from regional transportation dollars distributed through the Oregon Department of Transportation.
“It’s going to look a lot like our traffic safety and circulation study that we did with the school district,” Workman said. “It will ride on the coattails of that effort but this is the formal ODOT-approved action plan that they need to see.”
The strategic action plan is similar to a transportation system plan but specifically examines safety concerns for bicyclists and pedestrians. Workman said the plan must include specific elements required by ODOT that weren’t part of the school traffic circulation study.
The city plans to hire a consultant and launch the project before year’s end. The work will largely review existing planning documents though Workman said a community survey and additional research will likely be conducted.
Once completed and approved by ODOT, the plan will enable the city to apply for state grants to fund identified safety projects. Workman said the lack of such a plan has been “kind of our roadblock” in securing additional funding for improvements like the 17th and Main street crossing and other projects identified in the school circulation study.
Mayor Christopher McMorran encouraged Workman to loop in Benton County on the planning effort.
