Regional Transportation Plan

Looking Ahead to 2045

Over the past decade the Klickitat County’s population has grown substantially faster than both the Washington and U.S. averages for rural communities. Drone manufacturing and viticulture have brought new high-wage job opportunities to the county as well as tourism to the many destinations Klickitat County has to offer. The county is projected to continue to add population and employment over the next 20 years.

This growth isn’t without challenges. The future population is expected to skew older and include more people living with disabilities. By 2040, people over 65 are expected to make up 34 percent of the population, up from 18 percent in 2010. People with disabilities are anticipated to make up over 20 percent of the population in future years. Future demand and travel trends are expected to diversify, with higher demand for transit and multimodal options.

Aging infrastructure, lack of existing multimodal options, transportation cost burdens, and funding continue to be concerns for businesses and residents alike. To ensure a robust and flexible transportation system in years to come it is important to maintain the facilities the county has while enhancing the multimodal transportation network of transit, walking, and bicycling more viable options.

RTP 2024 Summary

This Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) is Klickitat County’s long-range transportation planning document. The plan assesses the transportation system today, expresses the community’s vision and goals going forward, and lays out how these goals will be achieved over the next 20 years. The focus of this plan is in improving the transportation network to support economic growth, improve access to services and employment, and enhance quality of life for residents and visitors alike.

Chapters 1 through 5 of the RTP provide a wealth of information about Klickitat County and its transportation system. They describe the people, communities, and industries the transportation system supports; the key transportation facilities and services that make up the system today; and gaps in the system, both today and projected as the region’s population and economy grow.

In the concluding chapters, the RTP shifts from the what to the how. Chapters 6 through 8 describe the financial resources available to the County to support the transportation system; strategies and solutions to meet the projected needs; and how projects will be implemented and monitored to ensure they are performing as required. An unconstrained project list raises the most pressing needs to top priority for available funds.

To review the 2024 Klickitat RTP update, please click this link.