Moses Lake council authorizes bid solicitation for downtown chip‑seal restriping project

City staff presented a 2025 downtown chip‑seal and restriping project and the Moses Lake City Council authorized staff to solicit bids to advertise the work following a study‑session presentation and public review.

The project, which staff said was competitive for a TIB (Transportation Improvement Board) grant of roughly $1 million, proposes chip sealing selected downtown streets and reconfiguring striping to convert several four‑lane segments to three lanes, add turn pockets, increase angled and parallel parking where feasible, and install bike lanes or sharrows to fill missing links. Staff said the TIB funds would offset roughly 80% of this year’s pavement preservation work.

Levi, a city staff presenter, said the project targets downtown streets including Third Avenue, Hill Street and portions of Willow and Wheeler roads and is modeled on a previous chip‑seal effort from 2009. “We’re essentially doing that project again,” Levi said. He described the traffic volumes used in the grant application (for example, about 7,000 average daily trips on sections of Third Avenue and about 10,000 on parts of Wheeler) and said the restriping aims to shorten crosswalks, reduce conflict points between pedestrians and vehicles and lower future maintenance by reducing through‑lane area.

Staff outlined typical surface‑treatment costs they used for planning: a chip seal at roughly $5 per square yard, a thin mill‑and‑fill of about $32 per square yard, and full reconstruction near $100 per square yard. Levi noted that more than surface work can be required if structural or ADA ramp upgrades are triggered: “Anytime we do anything above and beyond those treatments… it triggers structural improvements, which means you have to improve ADA ramps,” he said. Staff also warned that older underground utilities on some streets could require water‑line work before final surfacing.

Public and business feedback summarized by staff included requests for more parking near specific businesses (Rick’s and Bloom Salon were named), concerns about timing and construction during events, illumination and lighting gaps, and safety worries around specific intersections. Staff said one compromise was to add angled parking on nearby Holly Street rather than directly in front of some downtown storefronts; Bloom Salon indicated it was content with that approach and staff said they would confirm with Rick’s. The presentation also noted other measures to address business concerns, including doing much of the work in early morning hours and coordinating schedules with the downtown business association.

The package includes several traffic‑calming and operational options: converting four lanes to three on selected segments to reduce crossings and conflict points; adding center two‑way left turn pockets or dedicated turn lanes; adding bike lanes where required by grant rules and converting existing sharrows to buffered bike lanes; revising signal timing; and pursuing compact modular roundabouts at locations such as Wheeler & L and Fifth & Division as a complement to the restriping. Staff displayed a modular roundabout demonstration (modular yellow curb units) and said those elements accommodate oversized agricultural or freight loads while slowing typical traffic.

Staff gave a tentative schedule: advertise bids on June 17 (bidding), return to council the following council meeting for award, begin construction approximately after July 4, and expect project completion in September. Staff also said striping quantities are bid on a per‑foot basis and can be adjusted by change order before painting begins.

After discussion and public comment, a council member moved to authorize staff to solicit bids and advertise the project; another council member seconded. The motion passed on a voice vote (ayes recorded). The motion authorized staff and the city manager to solicit bids and proceed with project advertising while continuing outreach and follow‑up with business owners and the downtown association.

Council members and staff emphasized continued community engagement and flexibility during the bid and construction process. Staff invited attendees to review maps and to provide written comment cards; staff said they would incorporate additional feedback and, where feasible, modify striping via addenda before final award.

What’s next: staff will advertise the project, continue community coordination on parking and timing, and return to council with the bid award and any recommended changes.