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Council sets May 5 public hearing on WSDOT speed‑limit changes; council seeks 30 mph on SR‑502 and 40 mph cap on SR‑503
Summary
Following a WSDOT study of SR‑502 and SR‑503, the Battle Ground City Council voted April 7 to set a May 5 public hearing on Ordinance 2025‑04 and directed staff to propose 30 mph within city limits on SR‑502 and a 40‑mph maximum on SR‑503 as the council’s initial position to WSDOT.
The Battle Ground City Council voted April 7 to set a public hearing for May 5 on an ordinance that would update city code to reflect speed limits on State Routes 502 and 503 within city limits. The vote followed a staff update summarizing a WSDOT speed study and an extended council discussion about whether the proposed changes go far enough.
WSDOT’s study, presented by city staff, recommended lowering the speed limit in front of the Albertsons area on SR‑502 to 30 mph from 40 mph based on plotted crash data and recent fatal and serious accidents. Staff said the agency seeks the city’s ordinance action because the speed limit change is within Battle Ground city limits and the Secretary of Transportation must ultimately approve speed limits on state highways.
Council debate was detailed and divided. Deputy Mayor Bowman moved to set the May 5 public hearing and to request that staff propose 30 mph on SR‑502 within the city and a 40‑mph cap on SR‑503; the motion was seconded and the council voted to set the public hearing with that direction. Several council members argued for extending the 30‑mph zone farther west (toward 90th Street) because of upcoming development and a planned high school; others urged caution and recommended that further engineering improvements accompany any broader reduction. The mayor, staff and a city attorney present noted that the city can adopt ordinance language but the state (Secretary of Transportation) must approve speed limits on state highways.
What happens next: The council’s action sets a formal public hearing on May 5 for Ordinance No. 2025‑04 (amending Title 10, Vehicles and Traffic, to update speed limits on State Highways 502 and 503). The council instructed city staff to carry the council’s preliminary position—30 mph for SR‑502 within city limits and a maximum of 40 mph for SR‑503—into the public‑hearing process and further communications with WSDOT. Final speed limits remain subject to regulatory approval by state transportation authorities.
Sources and attribution: Presentation by city staff summarizing a WSDOT study; council motions and statements during the April 7 meeting are the basis for the action reported here.
