Online public forum set April 5 for highways 195, 26

Washington State Department of Transportation Eastern Region will host its first online public forum to discuss safety concerns along US 195 and State Route 26 at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 5. The interactive, town hall-style meeting will provide participants the opportunity to stream the live video and submit questions and comments in real time, all without having to leave home.

Representatives from WSDOT, Washington State University and the Washington State Patrol will be on the panel. The organizer of an online petition that asked WSDOT to address the public's safety concerns will also participate. WSDOT will present information on upcoming improvements to the highways and WSP will address driver-safety issues.

Two fatalities on US 195 and SR 26 last Thanksgiving weekend led to increasing concerns regarding collisions and driver safety on these highways, the main routes to and from the WSU campus.

Those wishing to participate remotely will need to sign in with a Google user name and password. Questions or comments can also be submitted in advance or during the meeting via email. WSDOT partnered with WSU, which is providing the studio location and technical expertise, to produce the forum.