To meet future demand, La Center will be evaluating ways to improve bike and pedestrian access and traffic safety between the city’s residential and commercial areas.
In an April 10 meeting, the La Center City Council voted to pay DKS, a consultant firm, $28,500 from its general fund to assist in updating the city’s transportation capital facility plan.
The city is revising its transportation capital plan as part of a larger effort to update its comprehensive plan, something it is required to do by the state.
Public Works Director Bryan Kast told The Reflector, as part of its transportation plan update, which will also include where new roads should be established in the future, city staff will consider additional bike and pedestrian improvements or projects.
“We’re actually going to be inventorying all of our sidewalks, bike lanes, trails and figuring out where there (are) gaps and prioritizing those gaps,” Kast said.
DKS will also assist the city in forecasting the future traffic needs including additional signals or roundabouts.
The city will host public hearings to get input prior to finalizing its transportation plan update. Kast said one of La Center’s current transportation considerations involves improving pedestrian and bike access along Pacific Highway, which connects several residential neighborhoods to La Center’s downtown area and to the city’s schools. Kast said the design phase of the project to build a 10-foot multi-use path is 75 percent complete. He said two-thirds of the final construction costs will be covered through grant funding. A portion of the rest is anticipated to come from state funding. If the state’s Climate Commitment Act is upheld in November, the city would receive $1 million from the state’s budget for the path’s construction. If Initiative 2117 is passed, La Center will not receive the funds.
DKS previously consulted with La Center in its 2016-21 traffic improvement plan update. Improvements included widening of turn lanes at the intersection of Northwest La Center Road and Northwest Timmen Road. The city also installed LED pedestrian and bike signs at various roads and intersections.
