Albany's Transportation System Plan — a state-required 20-year document covering roads, transit, walking, biking, and emerging technology — is due for its first major update in 16 years. ODOT and Kittelson & Associates will lead the work, alongside a new Vision Zero safety plan and a Mobility Development Plan.
Source review completed May 28, 2026
Albany Public Works Director Paul Trombino III and Assistant City Engineer Rob Emmons briefed the Albany City Council on May 27, 2026 on the city's planned update to its Transportation System Plan — a state-mandated long-range planning document that has not been substantially revised since 2010.
The 2010 TSP identified approximately $268 million in transportation projects. As of the May 27 briefing, the city has completed roughly $14 million of that work in 2010 dollars — a gap that reflects both limited transportation funding and the difficulty of executing major capital projects over 16 years.
The new plan will cover a 20-year horizon and must meet Oregon Administrative Rule 660-012, the Transportation Planning Rules. The 2022–2023 Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities rulemaking added new requirements to the TPR, including greenhouse gas reduction planning, equity analysis, reduced parking mandates, and stronger emphasis on transit, walking, and cycling.
The City of Albany is partnering with the Oregon Department of Transportation on the update. ODOT has contracted Kittelson and Associates to lead the planning work. Total project cost is $908,194.83, with Albany's share at $148,698.69, funded through Transportation System Development Charges. Work is expected to begin in June 2026.
The update will also include two companion plans. A Vision Zero Action Plan, aligned with the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All program, will apply the Safe System approach — a framework that treats road deaths as preventable rather than inevitable. A Mobility Development Plan will analyze employment and population trends and set an Albany-based mobility vision tied to economic development and land use.
Staff also proposed incorporating National Association of City Transportation Officials street design standards into the update. Federal law explicitly allows cities to use NACTO guidance on federally funded city street projects. The standards shift street design toward multimodal safety and placemaking rather than vehicle throughput alone.
The May 27 briefing was informational — no council vote was taken. Public engagement opportunities tied to the update will be announced as the Kittelson contract begins.
The records to watch are the Kittelson contract, the public engagement schedule, any draft goals and policies released for comment, and the grant applications the city said these plans are intended to support.
Source for this draft: the Public Works staff memo and presentation in the May 27, 2026 Albany City Council agenda packet.
This article is supported by public records, source review, and neighbor-funded records work. Source gaps stay visible until the next record closes them.