Outreach

We are committed to engaging the community to help develop cost-effective solutions to improve safety.

March 2018 outreach and engagement

In March, we conducted a survey to better understand needs, problems and priorities within this corridor. The survey was advertised online via Facebook, Nextdoor, Twitter, Reddit and local news media. We also notified families within the Vancouver School District about the survey and sent mailers to area neighborhoods.

Community input

More than 2,500 area residents and travelers who drive, walk, or bike on this section of SR 500 provided input. Nearly 70 percent of survey respondents began their trips in the study area. Here’s what we heard about their priorities:

Safety
Travel Times
Access to SR 500
Cost Effectiveness
Crossing SR 500
Pedestrian/Bike Crossing
Impacts to Property
Other

Who did we hear from?

Zip codes where respondents reported their SR 500 trips starting

Trip starting locations by zip code

	20–99		200–299		400–599
	100–199		300–399		600+

Zip codes where respondents reported their SR 500 trips ending

Destination locations by zip code

	20–99		200–299		400–599
	100–199		300–399		600+

Stakeholder Group Input

The study team also met with key stakeholders, including neighborhood associations, fire and police departments, and the Vancouver School District to better understand their needs and the challenges they currently experience in the study area. To see the summary of the results of the conversations, click on the bar below.

The team used input from the survey and conversations with key stakeholders to develop the three concepts you will read about on the “Concepts” page.

Stakeholder Group Conversations

Stakeholder	Needs	Problems
Vancouver Public Schools	Uses westbound access to SR 500 with approximately 100 buses per day About 200 staff members located in the Jim Parsley Administration Building off of Falk Road 150 middle school children at iTech in Jim Parsley Center	If access was closed to SR 500/54th, Vancouver Public Schools bus driver costs would increase Boys and Girls Club participants get bussed from Truman across SR 500, due to lack of sidewalks
Vancouver Fire Department	Relies on access across 54th Would like an early warning system if traffic lights remain Not enough distance to stop	Drivers break the law and make U‑turns on 54th to get around red lights on SR 500 Stop lights are the problem Slope on 42nd creates a sight issue Response times can be delayed when using SR 500 due to traffic backups
Law Enforcement Vancouver Police Department Clark County Sheriff Department Washington State Patrol	Improve timing of lights Would like a pedestrian crossing over SR 500 at 54th	Response times can be delayed when using SR 500, due to traffic backups Stapleton backs up during school hours Concerned about safety when drivers run red lights Not enough motorist education The light cycle is not synchronized with the other turning movements Visibility is limited around Andresen from the east Traffic bottlenecks between Falk and St Johns
Neighborhoods Associations Truman Roads End East Minnehaha	Do not want possible changes to transfer crashes or traffic to neighborhood streets Use access across 42nd to go to post office & businesses on Fourth Plain Unsafe to bike on 42nd; can’t make legal turn to use bridge from 42nd Want access across 54th	Due to backups and delays on SR 500, they use St Johns Trucks block sight distance, would like speed bumps installed 44th (between 54th & St Johns) is already congested – need speed humps Hard to get out of driveway on 44th Drivers break the law and make U‑turns on 54th to get around red lights on SR 500 54th NB is two lanes for 100 ft. No shoulders on local roads No sidewalks on 42nd

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Online Open House

SR 500 42nd Ave to 54th Ave Safety Improvements Study

Outreach

Outreach

March 2018 outreach and engagement

Community input

Who did we hear from?

Zip codes where respondents reported their SR 500 trips starting

Zip codes where respondents reported their SR 500 trips ending

Stakeholder Group Input

In the March 2018 survey, the top four priorities identified by respondents were safety, improved travel times, access to SR 500 and cost effectiveness.