San Juan County staff says unmarked crosswalk would be unsafe at Mount Baker–North Beach; four‑way stop, redesign suggested

Colin, a San Juan County Public Works staff member, presented options to the EPRC on improving pedestrian safety at the Mount Baker Road–North Beach Road intersection in East Sound and recommended against installing a marked crosswalk without stop control.

That recommendation matters because residents and schoolchildren use the intersection and because traffic counts are high: presenters said the eastern leg carries roughly 2,000–3,000 vehicles per day and that county counts this year should provide a precise split of truck versus passenger traffic.

Public Works outlined a “palette of options” that range from installing four‑way stop control and marked crosswalks to lighting and a full reshaping of the western approach (creating a flatter stopping area). Colin also discussed roundabouts, underpasses and overpasses but said those options require substantial right‑of‑way, utility relocations and higher cost. He cautioned that roundabouts and under/overpasses pose pedestrian‑safety tradeoffs or major engineering challenges in this location.

“That would not be my recommendation at this location considering the speeds and volume of traffic to put in a crosswalk without stop control,” Colin said during the presentation.

Speakers described the intersection’s steep western approach as a practical obstacle to simply adding a stop sign: heavy vehicles stopping on a slope and winter conditions were cited repeatedly as reasons any stop control may need associated roadway reshaping. County staff said the posted speed at the location is 25 mph but indicated observed speeds commonly exceed that; one slide shown during the meeting said prevailing speeds near the cemetery were roughly 43 mph in an example location, underscoring the gap between posted limits and driver behavior.

Committee members and residents discussed enforcement and education options, temporary measures such as signage, and lower‑cost traffic calming tools. Several participants said marking a crosswalk without engineering changes could give pedestrians a misleading sense of safety. Public Works staff said traffic counts for the islands are being updated this year and that they will provide a breakdown when available.

The committee did not vote on a change. Members asked Public Works to post the discussion publicly and to return with traffic counts and cost estimates if community interest is sufficient. The conversation will remain on the committee’s radar while staff compiles data and solicits public comment.