At the MPO: Work Program and Rule-Making Updates for the TAC

The Technical Advisory Committee for our Metropolitan Planning Organization meets today, and there is no important action item.

But the agenda does have a couple of other things to note.

Work on the formal Work Program continues, and if there is any sign that the remand by LUBA on the land use matters had any real consequences, I'm still not seeing them. On the SRC it says:

The final planning work on the Salem River Crossing Study EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) should be concluded in 2018. The lead agencies for the EIS are ODOT and city of Salem with SKATS staff on the project management team. As of December 2017, many of the technical sections of the FEIS were going through their final review; the City of Salem and Polk County are coordinating on the land use and Urban Growth Boundary issues with the state. SKATS staff will continue to coordinate with ODOT, the jurisdictions in SKATS, FHWA, and FTA on any needed planning work before and after the FEIS and Record of Decision (ROD).

What the heck does "the City of Salem and Polk County are coordinating on the land use and Urban Growth Boundary issues with the state" mean? That sounds like a sneaky work around!

There's nothing to coordinate until the City holds a new set of hearings! But apparently the LUBA decision is not very consequential, and there seemingly is much to coordinate.

Something's amiss here.

More pleasant are some of the "draft Transportation Planning Rule Performance Measures." (See the full rule-making site for more background.)

Measuring Bike Level of Stress

Percent of Households or Employment in Mixed-Use
or Transit Oriented Development

These look mostly promising! But of course much would also depend on how tightly they have to be interpreted. We have certainly see on the SRC that some of the rules (in OAR 660) can be legally satisfied in the narrowest or loosest or easiest construction of the rule. There are dumb technical ways to meet them that don't actually express the spirit and intent of the rules.

Look for the historic sign
next to the entry

You can download the agenda and meeting packet here.

SKATS Technical Advisory Committee meets Tuesday the 9th, at 1:30pm. SKATS is at 100 High St. SE, Suite 200, above Andaluz Kitchen and Table Five 08.