Photo by Trevor Wrayton for VDOT

The agenda isn’t packed, but a few noteworthy actions and briefings are coming up at the Transportation Planning Board’s next meeting on July 20. The full agenda and meeting materials will be posted online the Thursday before the meeting. For now, here’s a quick preview of what’s coming up:

Approval of the regional Freight Plan: The TPB’s Freight Subcommittee has completed work on a major update to the regional Freight Plan. The plan examines the role of freight in the region, the multimodal transportation system that carries it, and the economic and other factors that will drive future demand for goods movement. The plan also outlines policies to help guide freight planning activities and identifies a limited list of key projects that would improve the flow of goods.

Proclaiming September 22 Car Free Day: The TPB will make its annual proclamation of September 22 as Car Free Day in the Washington region. The event encourages people to try modes of travel other than driving alone, including transit, bicycling, walking, carpooling, vanpooling, and even teleworking! Those who pledge to go car-free or “car lite” will be eligible to win one of many prizes.

Monthly SafeTrack update: Four of Metro’s 15 planned SafeTrack work surges will be complete by July 18 and the TPB wants to hear from the jurisdictions and agencies that have been working to mitigate its negative travel impacts. Representatives from four affected jurisdictions and agencies will be on hand to brief the board. Staff will also report on observed changes in traffic on area roadways during the recent surges.

Funding recommendations for bicycle and pedestrian projects in Maryland: The TPB will be asked to approve 5 projects to recommend for $1.1 million in funding under the federal program previously known as the Transportation Alternatives Program. The projects were selected in part based on how well they advance regional priorities.