Benton-Franklin Council of Governments: Transportation Programs Office

Our office serves as the Regional Transportation Planning Organization (RTPO) for the jurisdictions within Benton, Franklin, and Walla Walla Counties in southeastern Washington State. We also serve as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Tri-Cities area. The Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) describes the transportation planning activities undertaken by our office. Tasks included in the UPWP are the result of issues identified by the ongoing Tri-Cities Metropolitan Area Transportation Study (Tri-MATS). Tri-MATS is comprised of two working committees, the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and the Policy Advisory Committee (PAC), which hold meetings the first and second Thursday of each month. Details about some of our projects can be found below. Due to size constraints, it impossible for us to furnish all documents on the website. For further information, please contact the Transportation Programs Office.

Transportation Survey 2010

As the RTPO prepares for our 2011 Regional Transportation Plan, we are anxious to hear from the public about their habits and perceptions of our transportation system. We appreciate your time in completing our Transportation Survey that can be accessed by clicking on the arrow below.

Transportation Enhancement Program

For information about the 2010-2012 Transportation Enhancement Program please contact Mark Kushner at mkushner@bfcog.us, Tanna Dole at tdole@bfcog.us, or phone (509) 943-9185.

Draft 2010 Regional Bicycle & Pedestrian Transportation Plan

The Draft 2010 Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan is complete and available for public comment and review. The Plan includes jurisdiction-specific policy summaries, facility maps and projects; Washington state laws and policies; accident data and much more.

Libraries in the following cities have also received copies of the draft Plan: Connell, Kennewick (South Union branch), Pasco, Prosser, Richland, Walla Walla and West Richland. There is also a copy available for review at the office of the Benton-Franklin Council of Governments, 1622 Terminal Drive in Richland.

Comments are requested back to Len Pavelka by Friday, August 13^th. Mr. Pavelka may be reached at lpavelka@bfog.us or (509) 943-9185.

2010 SOV/HOV Windshield Survey

During May, the BFCG Transportation Programs office coordinated a windshield survey to tally the percentages of Single Occupancy Vehicles (SOV) vs. High Occupancy Vehicles (HOV) at key locations throughout the Tri-City Metropolitan Area and Hanford Site. Data was collected at twenty four locations spread across the urban area, with vanpool totals and the “Hanford Commute” being points of focus. To view the results of the 2010 SOV/HOV Survey, click here.

A Decade of Accomplishments

The RTPO has seen significant growth over the last ten years and experienced the challenges that accompany growth. BFCG staff were asked to compile a collection of some of the most significant transportation accomplishments over the last decade. Selecting the projects to feature was difficult, as much progress has been made through the region. A presentation highlighting some of the more significant accomplishments can be found at this link.

2006 - 2025 Regional Transportation Plan

Adopted in November, 2006, the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) replaces the 2001 MTP/RTP. The 2006-2025 Regional Transportation Plan can be found by accessing this link. This twenty-year planning document identifies regional transportation issues, goals and policies related to transportation planning, deficiency analysis for both the MPO and RTPO, and a financial plan to alleviate anticipated deficiencies. It represents the efforts of all member jurisdictions and provides a comprehensive vision of our entire region. It meets state planning requirements of the Growth Management Act (GMA) and federal requirements of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU).

Regional and Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)

Each year, jurisdictions across the state complete their six-year Transportation Improvement Program, or "TIP". Collectively, the projects with secured funding in these TIPs make up the State Transportation Improvement Program, or "STIP". This program gives the jurisdictions the opportunity to review their project lists and adjust their plans, as necessary. Projects are identified either as selected (S) or planning (P). Selected projects are those which the jurisdiction has funding to complete. Planning projects are those which are yet to be funded. For information about the TIP, contact Brian at the Transportation Programs Office.

Mapping/GIS Activities

The Transportation Office maintains an extensive inventory of maps for our region. Maps are used for informational presentations and also appear in a variety of planning documents. The maps provided here are letter sized and can be viewed/printed with the adobe acrobat viewer (click Map Name to view). Designations and boundaries found within these maps are accurate - to the best of agency knowledge - as of our most frequent Regional Transportation Plan adoption (November, 2006). However, designations and boundaries change frequently - for verification of a designation or boundary, please contact the Transportation Programs Office.

Map Name	Description
RTPO-PTBA	Transit Public Transportation Benefit Areas within RTPO
RTPO-MPO-CL	MPO Planning Boundary and RTPO City Limits
RTPO-Traffic Flow	RTPO Average Daily Traffic Flows
RTPO-Port Districts	RTPO Port District boundaries
RTPO-Scenic & Rec	RTPO Scenic & Recreational Hwys w/interpretive markers
RTPO-TransFac	Active & Abondoned Rail, Gas, Petroleum, Port, & Airport Facilities in RTPO
RTPO-FreightGoods	Freight & Goods Transportation System within RTPO
RTPO-FuncClass	Functional Class system within RTPO
RTPO-HUA	Highway Urban Areas within RTPO
MPO-Traff Flow	Tri-City Metropolitan Planning Area Average Daily Traffic Flow
MPO-FuncClass	Functional Class system with MPO
MPO-WCity UGAs	Metropolitan Planning Area and city Urban Growth Areas
MPO2005-25_Pop	Metropolitan area projected population growth by Traffic Analysis Zone
MPO2005-25_Emp	Metropolitan area projected employment growth by Traffic Analysis Zone
WWCP-FuncClass	Walla Walla/College Place area Functional Class system
Tri-City PNR	Tri-City area Park and Ride Lots
WWCP_UGA	Walla Walla/College Place Urban Growth Areas
Benton-FuncClass	Benton County Functional Class system
Franklin-FuncClass	Franklin County Functional Class system
Walla-FuncClass	Walla Walla County Functional Class system
BFT-routes	Ben Franklin Transit transit routes
Valley-routes	Valley Transit routes
GasTaxFSL	Federal &State Gasoline taxes shown by State
BFTPTBA	Ben Franklin Transit Public Transportation Benefit Area
Congressional	Washington State Congressional Districts
Legislative	Washington State Legislative Distrcits

One of the more popular maps provided by our office is "Cycling Tri-Cities" - which shows bike routes, area Bike/Ped trails, the Sacagawea Heritage Trail, area parks, facilities, and other points of interest. On the backside of this map are descriptions of favorite area rides, a visual of their locations, and assorted safety tips. For convenience, both sides of this map have been prepared in "tiled" quadrants ready for print on regular letter sized paper.

The Cycling Tri-Cities map is also available in scaled versions ready for print on 11 x 17 paper. Click on the links below for each side of the map

Free large copies of the Tri-Cities Bike Map are available at our office, local jurisdictions, local bike shops, local Chambers of Commerce, and the Tri-Cities Visitor & Convention Bureau.

Coordinated Public Transit Human Services Transportation Plan

This plan was developed through the sponsorship of Benton-Franklin COG on behalf of Benton, Franklin, and Walla Walla Counties. The plan lists local needs, Public Transportation projects, and funding programs identified locally through a series of public meetings. During 2010, an update to the plan will be completed. For more information, contact Len Pavelka of the Transportation Programs Office. The current plan can be viewed by accessing this link.

Traffic Count Program

Our office maintains an inventory of all traffic counts collected in the RTPO. County spreadsheets date back to 1997, and are updated as data becomes available (Updated: February, 2010). WSDOT Permanent Traffic Recorder (PTR) locations are summarized by rural and urban locations.

We also collect traffic counts for the smaller jurisdictions throughout the RTPO, as they are needed. For more information about the Traffic Count Program, please contact our office.

Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan for Benton, Franklin and Walla Walla Counties

Adopted in 2005, The Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan outlines a complete inventory of existing conditions of the pedestrian/bicycle system in our region. Our office is currently working on a plan update - for more information, contact Len Pavelka of the Transportation Programs Office. It identifies the future needs of the system and provides strategies to implement the necessary changes. The 2005 Walla Walla Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan is incorporated into the plan by reference.

Major Employers Report

The 2010 Major Employers Report details major employers within Benton, Franklin and Walla Walla Counties. The list includes private and public sector employers – from orchards to Hanford contractors and school districts to the Post Office. The criterion for inclusion in the list was that a business/agency/entity have 100 or more full time employees, including those with a total of 100 or more shift workers, and entities with a substantial number of seasonal employees. The final result is a list of around 140 significant employers for the three-county area.

You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view some of the items on this website. Click here to download the free reader.

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