Learn How You Can Share Your Input!

We want to hear from you! What would make it easier and safer to walk, bike, or ride transit in your community?

Visit Mid-Columbia Economic Development District’s project website [https://mcedd.org/mid-columbia-transportation-needs-assessment-survey/] to share your feedback and help identify priorities for future projects and improvements.

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Introduction

Planning Across Jurisdictional Boundaries project is a two-part effort to develop a regional transportation needs assessment followed by a national guidebook for other regions to use. The Gorge Regional Active Transportation Needs Assessment is part of the Federal Highway Administration’s Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program. Working with the Mid-Columbia Economic Development District, this initiative will develop a regional needs assessment to improve walking, biking, and access to transit across the five-county Columbia River Gorge region (Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, Klickitat, and Skamania Counties).

The plan will also produce a national Guidebook to help rural communities across the U.S. develop their own multi-modal transportation plans — tailored to their needs and resources.

Why This Matters

We want to create a transportation system that works for everyone — one that’s safe, equitable, and connected. Community voices will guide every step of this process to ensure that the plan reflects local priorities and lived experiences.

The project’s community engagement approach prioritizes inclusion and accessibility by focusing outreach on underrepresented and underserved communities, with materials available in multiple languages. Through a transparent and collaborative process, the team will share what is heard and how it’s used, ensuring local and regional voices shape the plan every step of the way.

Project Update

Our team is currently holding in-person events across the Mid-Columbia River area to hear directly from community members about their transportation needs and priorities. Next, we’ll engage with regional agencies and organizations to understand the broader priorities of the communities they represent and the transportation systems they operate.

The input gathered from these efforts will help shape a set of recommended strategies and projects that strengthen rural active transportation networks and inform a forthcoming guidebook for rural communities nationwide.

Project Documents

• Check back regularly for new project materials!