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Tigard High Capacity Transit Land Use Study Gets Underway

Home > News > Tigard High Capacity Transit Land Use Study Gets Underway

	City of Tigard 13125 SW Hall Blvd. Tigard, Oregon 97223	Press Release January 7, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact:	Judith Gray Senior Transportation Planner City of Tigard 503-718-2557 judith@tigard-or.gov Sean Farrelly Redevelopment Project Manager City of Tigard 503-718-2420 sean@tigard-or.gov

Tigard High Capacity Transit Land Use Study Gets Underway
On December 13, 2010 the City of Tigard received notice to proceed from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) on the Tigard High Capacity Transit (HCT) Land Use Plan. This plan is a joint effort between ODOT, Metro, and the City of Tigard to plan for future station area communities in Tigard. Spurred by Metro's identification of the SW Corridor as the next priority corridor for HCT, the Tigard HCT Land Use Plan will take a closer look at existing and potential land uses in the general vicinity of Pacific Highway.

In addition to potential station areas for future transit service, the Tigard HCT Land Use Plan will consider the possibility of a wider range of land uses in the corridor. HCT success depends on its easy accessibility to a number of potential users. For this reason, the plan will examine other transportation improvements needed to support transit access. Improved transit options are a good way to accommodate long-term population and job growth while protecting existing neighborhoods.

The City is planning several opportunities for public participation, including a design workshop and public meeting in the spring, and an open house in the summer. On-going activities, technical documents, and meeting schedules, will be posted on the city's web site.

The current High Capacity Transit Plan, which was adopted by Metro Council in 2010, identified the Southwest Corridor connecting Portland, Tigard, and Sherwood as the next priority for transit investment. The specific type and alignment of HCT will be determined by a separate study, the Alternatives Analysis, led by Metro which is expected to get underway in 2011. The potential station areas that result from the Tigard HCT Land Use Plan will be used in the Alternatives Analysis to identify the future HCT alignment; however, decisions about the actual type and alignment of HCT service are not expected until 2015.

This study is being funded by a state Transportation and Growth Management (TGM) planning grant, which was awarded jointly to the City and Metro. Grant funds will pay for a consultant team with expertise in land use, transportation, real estate, and development. Some city staff time will be reimbursed by the grant.