Vancouver Area Smart Trek: Transportation Operations

The TSMO Plan was updated in 2026, and is now available on the sidebar. The updated TSMO plan builds upon the progress made since the 2016 TSMO Plan and establishes a set of prioritized strategies to guide regional operations over the Near-, Medium-, and Long-Term.  This update organizes recommendations across strategic, programmatic, and tactical elements, recognizing that effective TSMO requires coordinated attention to leadership, organizational practices, and on-the-ground implementation.

This update reflects how TSMO practice has evolved by integrating technology with governance, workforce, collaboration, and performance management.  Together, these elements support a more coordinated, resilient, and sustainable regional operations program.

Transportation systems Management and Operations (TSMO) is defined by the Federal Highway Administration as “…a set of strategies that focus on operational improvements that can maintain and even restore the performance of the existing transportation system before extra capacity is needed.” While adding lanes has been the traditional approach to reducing congestion, it typically only addresses congestion relating to bottlenecks.  Non-recurring congestion, such as crashes, adverse weather, and special events, are unlikely to be addressed by widening roadways.

TSMO addresses much more than congestion, it enables VAST to proactively manage the transportation system in Southwest Washington with coordinated operations, maintenance of assets, data-driven decision making, and shared use of technology and infrastructure.