Submitted by Thurston Regional Planning Council
In collaboration with partners, Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC) has been working to identify locations for additional crosswalks along Martin Way. For the next phase of this work, TRPC is asking the public to help design those crosswalks.
Community members are invited to attend an open house from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 30. The event will be held at Intercity Transit’s offices at 510 Pattison Street SE in Olympia. Refreshments will be provided.
TRPC launched this project — the Martin Way Crossing Strategy — in July 2024. It is supported with funding from Washington’s Climate Commitment Act (CCA), which puts cap-and-invest dollars towards efforts to reduce climate pollution, create jobs, and improve public health.
The Martin Way Crossing Strategy builds upon previous work along the corridor, which affirmed a shared vision for Martin Way as a more pedestrian-friendly area. To work towards that vision, additional crosswalks are needed along Martin Way.
The Martin Way Crossing Strategy will identify locations for up to 10 additional crosswalks along the corridor. As a part of this process, a team of consultants from Transpo Group and Toole Design Group are analyzing data — such as locations of fatal or serious injury collisions with pedestrians or bicyclists, proximity to bus stops, and neighborhoods identified as having high environmental health disparities — and reviewing community input received from surveys, interviews, focus groups, and walk audits.
The project is being guided by a Steering Committee comprised of representatives from each jurisdiction that Martin Way goes through — the cities of Olympia and Lacey and Thurston County — as well as Intercity Transit. The project partners will use information gathered at the open house, among other factors, to develop options for future crosswalk projects along Martin Way.
At the April 30 open house, community members can visit a series of stations to learn more about the Martin Way Crossing Strategy. There will be opportunities to provide feedback on proposed crosswalk designs, and staff from TRPC and its partners will be available to answer questions.
