We have completed the Urban Reserves Transportation Study (URTS) which provides detailed transportation impact information to help with future planning in Washington County's urban reserve areas. What are urban reserves?

We worked collaboratively with staff from Washington County cities, agencies, special districts, organizations (1000 Friends of Oregon, Home Builders Association of Metro Portland, Oregon Department of Agriculture and Oregon Department of Land Conservation and development), community groups and Metro.

We focused on one main question: How will future development of Washington County’s urban reserve areas affect the county transportation network?

The study identified: 

• An estimated number of future houses and employees in the urban reserve areas
   
• Areas where road improvements will be needed for additional traffic from future development, such as road widening and traffic signals at intersections
   
• Best practices for Washington County to help cities plan for future growth and transportation impacts
   

Outcomes

Results of this project include reports and tools to help jurisdictions with future planning projects in Washington County’s urban reserve areas, including:

• Infrastructure Analysis Summary Report. Summarizes the analysis included in the study and provides recommendations for additional planning.  The report includes profile sheets of each urban reserve areas, including maps, land use assumptions abd transportation projects by Urban Reserve Area with preliminary cost estimates and planning recommendations. 
   
• Recommended Transportation System Plan Amendments. Analysis  from this study and the related the Cooper Mountain Transportation Study helped us identify amendments to the Washington County Transportation Stytem Plan to plan for the transportation impacts of future development.  Recommended Transportation System Plan Amendments
   
• Infrastructure Funding Plan Toolkit. Provides a comprehensive framework for funding for transportation, water, sewe and more to support development. The toolkint includes a report and several interactive templates:

o    User's Guide

o    Funding Planning Toolkit

o    Funding Plan Calculator

o    Funding Plan Gantt Chart

o    Toolkit Glossary

o    Example Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

o    Summary of Existing Planning Processes

Background

We worked on URTS from Spring 2019 through late 2020. Along the way, we engaged with the technical advisory committee (TAC), and gathered input from  cities, county groups and committees for input.

The four components and major deliverables included:

• Partnerships and Outreach: Technical Advisory Committee rosters and performance measures
   
• Assessment of growth impacts and system needs: Land use assumptions, travel demand forecasts and analysis and transportation needs assessment report
   
• Evaluation of potential improvements: Infrastructure analysis report and engineering feasibility report for identified transportation system plan projects in study areas
   
• Infrastructure Funding Plan Template: Review of best practices, finance plan components, glossary of funding sources and infrastructure finance plan template