Yakima bicycle-pedestrian advisory committee reviews multiple projects, raises ADA safety concerns after recent cyclist fatality

Jennifer (Chair) called the Wednesday meeting to order and said, “We do have a quorum.”

The Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee on March 12 approved the minutes from its February meeting and spent the remainder of the session reviewing a range of city bicycle and pedestrian projects scheduled or proposed for 2025 and beyond. Committee members discussed funding sources, construction timing, design choices (separated bike lanes vs. shared pathways), and ADA gaps at several intersections — most notably 16th Street and Fruitvale Avenue, an intersection participants said should be reprioritized after a recent bicyclist fatality.

The discussion matters because several projects are already on the city’s Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) or have funding commitments, meaning design choices now will shape how people walk, roll and bike in Yakima for years. Committee members focused on ensuring new and replacement infrastructure include up-to-date pedestrian-accessible signals and curb ramps, continuous bike/ped connections for greenways and canals, and traffic-calming where crash data indicate elevated risk.

Most immediately, members reviewed these items: Nob Hill Boulevard at Fair Avenue (a TIP-listed project with signal replacement, curb, gutter, sidewalks, mast-arm signals and drainage upgrades with an amount noted in committee materials as $7,989,461); Fifth and D Street (sidewalks and pedestrian-leading signals funded in recent grant packages and construction activity that committee members said is underway); Powerhouse Canal/Greenway connections between 30th and 40th avenues and the River Road/Fruitvale…