The front page of the current (November 2011 [pdf]) issue of Tualatin Today prominently calls this The Year of Transportation in Tualatin and identifies three priority projects:

1. Transportation System Plan (TSP), defined as "a blueprint for building and maintaining Tualatin's transportation network"
2. Linking Tualatin (HCT), which "will identify areas in the city that can best support...transit...with the greatest potential to connect employment centers and attract riders...(and)...also look at ways to improve the walking and biking experience...(and)...identifying connections that can be made between downtown Tualatin and Highway 99W"
3. Transportation planning for the area between Tualatin and Wilsonville "to build a system that works for everyone who will live and work in and around these areas now and in the future"

The City encourages "everyone to listen in, be involved, and speak out during The Year of Transportation in Tualatin" and we strongly echo that sentiment.

Each of these is a big deal and has the potential to significantly influence the character of Tualatin in the years to come. Will congestion get worse? Can we improve connectivity? Will downtown Tualatin become more vibrant?

For more information on how you can participate, the City recommends you visit www.ci.tualatin.or.us.

Because it's sometimes hard to find things on the city's website, here are direct links to a few helpful background resources: 

• Tualatin TSP including a nifty Google Map where you can add your own two cents!
• Transportation Task Force newly formed and expected to play a key role
• RFP for Linking Tualatin [pdf] learn exactly what the City is hiring a consultant to do
• Linking Tualatin pre-submittal Q&A [pdf] some insights from a 09/19/2011 meeting

Now, how would you make transportation in Tualatin better?

Here is a link to the City of Tualatin's "newly updated" park system map (PDF). For some reason, the City published the URL over three lines in the current April 2010 issue of the Tualatin Today newsletter, but has not made it easy to find on the city website. For your convenience, we've provided a direct link above. In our casual review, it's not clear what is updated as the map doesn't yet reflect 124th Avenue going south to Tualatin Sherwood Road, which was completed last year. Oh well. On to spring time!

According to the winter 2010 Tualatin Tomorrow newsletter, Tualatin will have a farmers' market begining this summer (2010). This is very encouraging news as Tualatin is probably one of the few (and last?) communities not to have its own farmer's market.

Where
It appears that the farmers' market will be located at the Lake of the Commons (based on the two small photos included in the newsletter). While this may make sense as it gets going, this location is not ideal for the long haul. As anyone who has attended ArtSplash can attest, the space by the fountain simply isn't large enough or well-defined enough to support a market. A better option would be to use one of the streets in the downtown core, such as Seneca Street which could help to activate the center street concept in the Town Center plan.

When
According to these minutes,  "Beth [Roach] has met with the City Manager, Councilor Beikman and Carl Switzer to discuss a possible location, and the consensus is we would like to run it concurrently with the Concerts on the Commons on Friday evenings during July and August." What are your thoughts? Does it make sense to leverage the existing concert-going audience for the incidental produce buy or to establish a dedicated time (say, Saturday mornings like Lake Oswego or Wednesday evening like West Linn) and expand the number of events each week? I vote for the latter. You?

Update: the farmers market website is now live (www.tualatinfarmersmarket.com) and the market opens June 25, 2010. I can't wait!

The December issue of Tualatin Today had a sidebar about Town Center Planning. The image above, reprinted from the Tualatin Town Center TGM Outreach Workshop Summary Memorandum by Crandall Arambula PC, provides a visual summary of the key recommendations. Is this something that you would like to see happen? Deep in the report, it is noted that 45 people attended a workshop in June 2009, of which just 25 people filled out feedback forms. The feedback that was received was generally very good, but Tualatin has 25,000 people, not 25 people and we'd like to hear from everyone! What do you like about this proposal? What don't you like? Why?

http://www.polleverywhere.com/multiple_choice_polls/LTE1NjYzMjk4OTI

Metro is holding three open houses this week about the Tonquin Trail master plan. If you're like many, perhaps you've heard the name, but don't really know what and where the proposed trail would go. Here is a map of the proposed trail network (PDF). If you'd like to "share your thoughts and ideas," here are the three open houses listed on the Metro website:

Tuesday, Dec.8 
6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Tualatin Council Chambers Building
18880 SW Martinazzi Ave.,Tualatin
Co-hosted with Tualatin Parks Advisory Committee

Wednesday, Dec.9
6 to 8 p.m.
Wilsonville City Hall, Council Chambers
29799 SW Town Center Loop E, Wilsonville
Co-hosted with Wilsonville Planning Commission

Thursday, Dec.10
5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Sherwood Community Room, Sherwood City Hall
22560 SW Pine St., Sherwood
Co-hosted with the City of Sherwood

The City of Tualatin's website also has more information about the Tonquin Trail.

The City of Tualatin has officially issued notice of its intent to create a quiet zone for WES. According to the City's website, public comments will be accepted until January 5, 2010. Learn more.

The Tualatin Tomorrow Community Vision and Strategic Action Plan (PDF), which was first published in June 2007 and updated in September 2009, includes this vision statement:

HOW WE PLAN AND GROW
Growth, Housing and Town Center

In the Year 2030, Tualatin has maintained a strong community identity while successfully managing new growth and development. A dynamic growth strategy and plan for development have promoted growth choices that fit community values and priorities, while benefiting local neighborhoods, businesses, schools, parks, and roads.

The City of Tualatin has worked collaboratively with other local and regional governments, expanding its urban planning area as appropriate, and managing the impacts of Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) expansion to protect community and environmental assets. The City has also planned carefully to address the costs of new growth and needed infrastructure.

Tualatin has diversified its supply of housing, providing a range of housing choices and affordability to meet the needs of its changing population. Tualatin town center has preserved its best historical features while incorporating new mixed-use development, including high-density housing, a full complement of services, commercial and retail development, and amenities that accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists as well as cars.

Good urban design is an important part of Tualatin, with flexible standards that promote an attractive, well-functioning community, including appropriate mixed-used development, small, pedestrian-oriented neighborhood commercial centers, beautiful, tree-lined streetscapes, and community „gateway‟ entrances that strengthen local identity.

Tualatin has a thriving local economy that attracts businesses which fit well into the community, providing living wage jobs and supporting small businesses, while encompassing high-end retail development that offers better choices to shoppers and supports the local tax base.

This blog is focused exclusively on Tualatin, both today and tomorrow. Welcome.