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Council weighing short-term closures, pilot tests for Perkins Way due to deferred maintenance and safety concerns
Summary
Council discussed long-running safety concerns on Perkins Way and suggested limited weekend or day-long closures and interim traffic-calming measures while capital repairs are evaluated.
Lake Forest Park councilmembers and parks representatives discussed Perkins Way, a roadway the city has considered closing to through traffic for over a decade, and potential interim options to improve safety.
Staff and councilmembers noted deferred maintenance on Perkins Way, including sewer infrastructure tied to Brightwater and other capital needs that would make a full permanent closure or a long-term capital solution expensive. Several councilmembers and a parks board representative said short-term limited closures — for example a single weekend day or closures tied to events such as bike-to-work month — could serve as low-cost tests to assess impacts and community response.
Parks Board member Tiffany O’Hara told the council the parks board has considered limited weekend or single-day closures and could coordinate with events at Bridal Acres to test a pedestrian-friendly closure. Councilmembers also suggested interim traffic-calming measures such as speed cushions that emergency vehicles could still negotiate and emphasized that any trial would need to account for emergency access and maintenance costs.
No formal decision was made; staff were asked to explore a limited pilot and report back with logistics, estimated costs and impacts on emergency response.
