Any way you look at it, growth will come to the City of Tigard over the next 20 years. The Tigard High Capacity Transit Land Use Plan is an opportunity for community members to weigh in on what this growth will look like and where it should be located.
Thinking about how to maintain and improve existing neighborhoods while accommodating anticipated growth and change will be part of the discussion at a May 25 workshop at the Tigard Library. Community members will discuss ways to make the most of what is already great about Tigard while defining ways to improve things that could provide even more benefit to residents and businesses.
Participants will roll up their sleeves and get involved in some mix and match exercises, defining what type of neighborhood activity center best suits potential locations around the city. Each area could become a station community and should have its own look and feel. The outcome of this work will be a foundation for planning future transportation improvements and enabling the community’s vision for growth and development.
Spurred by the region’s selection of the Southwest Corridor as the next priority corridor for high capacity transit, Tigard is taking a proactive look at existing and potential local land uses and developing concepts for active station communities. Neighborhood activity centers are places that could best support future transit investments in a way that fits Tigard. The kind of transit (bus or rail), transit route (near a highway or closer to community) and number and location of future transit stations are still unknown.
Metro is coordinating the land use and transportation planning in the corridor between downtown Portland and Sherwood in the Southwest Corridor Plan with a goal of defining a variety of transportation solutions to serve those communities. The highways and connecting roadways in this area have some of the worst congestion in the region. Improved transit, bike and walk connections will also be identified, providing more options for people to get around.
Planning ahead for future activity centers throughout the Southwest corridor is critical to leveraging future public investments. By working with local communities, Metro hopes to develop partnerships that lead to vibrant communities with good jobs now and in the future.
The cities of Portland and Tualatin are undertaking related efforts and all three want to see plans shaped by engaged local residents, businesses, and property owners that reflect community values and have community support. In each area, people will have access to online information, ability to participate in local and regional meetings and opportunities to provide comments.