For several months now, City of Auburn staff members have been talking with members of Auburn’s Transportation, Transit and Trails Committee about changing that committee’s structure.
That is, about creating a separate Transportation Advisory Board, or (TAB), having broader membership than the present committee and representing the interests of key elements of the community.
And ultimately for such a board to provide to the mayor, the City Council and staff diverse views and opinions on transportation issues.
After hashing out the idea with the City Council at its study session on Monday, staff got the go ahead to bring the issue to the Feb. 17 council meeting for a vote.
Kevin Snyder, director of the City’s Department of Community Development and Public Works, told councilmembers Monday night that the hope is to have the new board in place as soon as possible so it can provide input on the comprehensive Transportation Plan Update, the 6-year Transportation Improvement Program, and ongoing funding discussions related to the Transportation Benefit District.
To get a vote on Feb. 17, councilmembers must be willing to suspend the rules that ordinarily call for a second reading of pending legislation.
Roger Thordarson, chair of the TT&T Committee, and members of his committee went over the proposal with City officials on Feb. 4.
Having agreed that a board like that would provide greater opportunity for people in the community — residents and business owners alike — to get involved in transportation issues and provide that valuable input and feedback, the TT&T committee threw its support behind the idea.
Membership on the 15-member TAB would be made up of three citizens at large and two local business representatives, in addition to one representative of each of the following entities: Auburn School District; Green River College; Auburn Area Chamber of Commerce; Auburn Downtown Association; Muckleshoot Indian Tribe; Auburn area high school students; transit users; the bicycling community; senior citizens; and an advocate to represent accessibility issues related to the Americans With Disabilities Act.
