Transportation System Plan 2018-2038

Chapter 1 Introduction and Executive Summary Introduction A Transportation Sy stem Plan (TSP) establishes a city ’s goals in developing its transportation sy stem for both the short and long term . The Plan identifies both existing and future needs, and includes improvem ents to m eet those needs. The docum ent is intended to serve as a blueprint or m aster plan to guide transportation decisions as developm ent occurs in a City . The Medford TSP outlines a twenty -year plan to guide transportation im provem ents and enha nce general m obility throughout the City . Presently with over 66,000 (2002) residents, the City will use this docum ent to balance transportation needs and improvem ents in the com ing decades. The Medford TSP addresses Oregon Statewide Planning Goal 12 and the Oregon Transportation Planning Rule (TPR). The TPR directs cities and counties to devel op balanced transportation sy stem s addressing all m odes of travel including m otor vehicles, trans it, bicy cles and pedestrians. The TPR envisions developm ent of local plans that will prom ote changes in land use patterns and transportation system s that make it m ore convenient for people to walk, bicy cle, use transit, and drive less to m eet their daily needs. A fundam ental issue in local and regional transportati on sy stem plans is a strategy to reduce reliance on the autom obile. The 2001-2023 Rogue Valley Regional Transportation Plan prom otes a strategy of increasing investm ent in alternative m odes and prom oting land use patterns that will com plement investm ent in alternative modes as the locally preferred approach to reducing reliance on the autom obile. The regional plan calls for increasing investm ent in facilities for pedestrians, bicy clists, and transit users, and contem plates developm ent of Transit-Oriented Developm ent in key locations throughout the valley . To m easure the effectiveness and success of this strategy , the regi onal plan includes a pack age of seven perform ance measures with targets for im plem entation that are phased in five-y ear increm ents through 2020. These perform ance m easures have been approved by the La nd Conservation and Developm ent, and serve as a basis for developm ent of local TSPs in the Rogue Valley . Spanning a nine-m onth period, the TSP developm ent process was initiated in Septem ber 2002. The process consisted of five m ain steps: • Analy zing existing conditions, • Assessing future needs, • Evaluating future alternatives, • Creating a Draft TSP docum ent and code revisions, and • Finalizing the TSP. Several stakeholder groups partic ipated in developing Medford’s transportation sy stem plan. Two committees were established specifically to guide th e planning process; a Citizen Advisory Com mittee (CAC) and a Technical Advisory Com mittee (TAC). The CAC addressed goals and policies related to Medford’ s transportation sy stem , addressed the genera l needs of each transportation m ode, and reviewed improvem ent strategies and potential developm ent alte rnatives. The TAC included a focus on technical and interagency issues, as well as reviewing policies, improvem ent strategies and recom mendations. The City’s previously established Joint Transportati on Subcom mittee (JTS) also participated in the developm ent of the TSP. The JTS is com prised on city council and planning com mission m embers as well as other individuals and is res ponsible for providing overall policy guidance for the planning process. Medford Transportation System Plan 1-1 Introduction and Executive Summary