KINGSTON — Kingston Complete Streets, a planning study conducted by Kitsap County Public Works, will be presented at a community forum during the Kingston Citizens Advisory Council meeting from 7-8:30 p.m. May 6 at the North Kitsap Fire & Rescue Paul T. Nichol Fire Station, 26642 Miller Bay Road, Kingston.

The meeting and presentation are open to the public. County staff members and consultants will discuss  the plan with local business owners and residents. Attendees can share concerns and ideas for advancing development that benefits the community.

Public Works will also review its Transportation Improvement Program at the meeting and provide information on how to submit project proposals, and how projects are evaluated, selected and prioritized.

Kingston Complete Streets is a part of a national movement to promote accessibility for all users of local streets.

According to Public Works, a growing number of communities in Washington state — especially those located along state highways — use “Complete Streets” as a tool to develop policies and ordinances related to transportation facilities, including roads and sidewalks.

The Kingston Complete Streets plan encompasses the Kingston Urban Village Center from the ferry terminal to Lindvog Road and from Third Street to the Village Green off West Kingston Road.

The scope of the project includes streetscape planning, design and maintenance that enables safe, convenient travel and access for users of all ages and abilities — including those using buses, bikes, wheelchairs and ferries. The final plan will include a report identifying specific projects prioritized for development and implementation.

According to Public Works, the emphasis in the Kingston study is to identify issues and solutions within the public right-of-way, with a focus on potential redevelopment or new development of streets and sidewalks; evaluation of parking demand and available facilities; conceptual design of a pedestrian mall and streetscape improvements; consideration of a potential transfer of development rights; opportunities for stormwater improvements; and modeling operational designs for the realignment of State Route 104.

MacLeod Record, a planning and landscape architecture firm, was contracted to complete the study. Consultants there are working with county transportation planners and an advisory group of local business and property owners. This is the first public meeting for the group to present its findings thus far. A second public meeting will be scheduled late fall.

The Complete Streets program is administered through the Puget Sound Regional Council. PSRC awarded Kitsap County a grant to conduct the study.

To review the county’s Six-Year Transportation Improvement Program, go to www.kitsapgov.com/pw/sixyear_tip.htm.