About the SR 109 Scenic Byway Plan

The region served by SR 109 is a popular travel destination, and when people travel here they travel by road.  The Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plan for SR 109 is about recreational travel in the corridor—what people do, what infrastructure they need, and how tourism supports the quality of life in the region.

 

First, imagine yourself on a driving vacation.  How do you spend your time?  What services do you need to have a great trip?  What do you expect when you visit local communities?  How do you plan your trip and find your way when you’re driving? 

 

Now, look at it from your own perspective.  As a community member in a tourism destination, how do you want tourism to support and enhance your quality of life?  What do you expect from visitors?  What do you want to share with visitors, and what would you like to keep to yourself?

 

These questions, and questions like them, are the types of issues that the scenic byway plan for SR 109 will address.  The answers will come from the community, and the plan will reflect the community’s priorities for the development of recreational travel and the tourism economy.

 

Questions and answers about the byway plan

 

What is a scenic byway plan?

 

A scenic byway plan focuses on the needs of recreational travelers and opportunities for byway communities to benefit more from recreational travel and tourism. Byway plans typically include recommendations for improving visitor facilities, improving road signs, supporting tourism marketing, and improving visitor information (for example road signs), among others.

 

How will a byway plan help the region?

 

Byway plans can have a range of benefits for local communities.

 

First, they are an opportunity to develop a shared vision for improving recreational travel along the corridor and its benefits for local communities. With vision and direction local stakeholders, local jurisdictions and land management agencies can be more coordinated and effective.

 

Second, a byway plan can help local stakeholders compete for grant funding to implement projects. Scenic byway-related funding has helped to support the redevelopment of historic buildings as community facilities, improve highway signing, pay for the development of brochures and marketing websites, and many other projects.

 

Finally, a byway plan can provide insight and direction for WSDOT as they develop plans for maintenance and improvement of the highway.

 

Who is responsible for the byway plan, and who will be responsible for implementation?

 

Scenic byway plans are community-based. That means that both the planning process and implementation of the plan will be guided by community input and leadership. The plan is being funded through a grant awarded to the Grays Harbor Council of Governments (GHCOG). As part of the planning process the GHCOG will help to establish a community steering committee that will set the direction for the byway plan. If the recommendations developed in the plan have community support, an ongoing byway committee will work in partnership with the GHCOG to organize implementation and seek funding for plan recommendations.

 

Will the byway plan affect private property?

 

Byway plans are not regulatory, and all recommendations in the plan are voluntary. The completion of a byway plan has no impact on control of land use by local jurisdictions. In some cases a byway plan might recommend a project that requires purchase of private property (for example to develop access to a recreation site or develop a new viewpoint.) Generally, these projects are only implemented with the cooperation of a willing seller.

 

How is the byway plan different from other plans for the highway?

 

Scenic byway plans are more about a great place than they are about a road. Recreational travelers rely on the highway, but the majority of their travel is focused on facilities and resources in the region that the highway serves, not on the highway itself. Recreational opportunities, food and lodging, restrooms, and travel information are generally provided off the highway by a mix of public agencies and private businesses.

 

The highway is the responsibility of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). WSDOT plans focus on keeping the highway safe and maintaining its capacity to handle traffic demands. The scenic byway plan is intended to address the specific needs of recreational travelers. Some of these issues, for example weekend traffic congestion, are directly related to the highway. Other issues, for example recreational facilities or beach access, are more about the roadside and properties near the highway. Recommendations for these types of improvements to the byway may be the responsibility of other state or local agencies, or be developed with the leadership of local community groups or businesses.