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Residents press Clallam County on trails and intersection safety as staff outline six‑year transportation plan
Summary
County engineers presented the six‑year Transportation Improvement Program and invited questions; residents asked for a Diamond Point Road parallel trail and short‑term safety fixes at Old Olympic and K's after measuring sign placement and reporting recent crashes.
County Engineer Joe D'Nisi briefed attendees on Clallam County’s six‑year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), described that list as capital projects (not routine maintenance) and said the county has about 42 funded projects plus a similar number of unfunded projects posted on the roads website and previously presented to the Planning Commission.
D'Nisi introduced engineers Jason Odell and Will Habel and asked the audience to use the meeting for questions. Public commenters raised specific safety and trail requests:
- Resident Sarah Tetrault asked the county to support a non‑motorized trail parallel to Diamond Point Road so neighbors can reach a trail without using the busy county road. "Diamond Point Road ... is extremely busy and dangerous," Tetrault said. She added that the Trails Advisory Committee had held neighborhood meetings and planned a PowerPoint for the Trails Advisory Committee agenda.
- Resident Gwen Parker requested a small, low‑cost adjustment at the Old Olympic and K's intersection, noting a difference in sign placement and asking if the county could move a sign closer to improve visibility. County staff said they reviewed the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and that moving signs closer would require pulling them back from K's Road to meet standards; staff said they are investigating short‑term, low‑cost safety measures and that federal safety funding could be pursued.
County staff said they plan to apply for federal safety funding through the Safe Streets and Roads for All program and expect to begin a planning study in coming months so the county can be competitive for construction grants. D'Nisi emphasized that federal safety grants are competitive and that agencies with higher accident rates often obtain more funding; the county hopes to use Safe Streets planning to prioritize applications.
On state highway projects and fish passage, resident John Worthington asked whether the county could press WSDOT on culvert grades for salmon. County staff said WSDOT projects are state‑led and the county does not typically direct state highway design, though the county coordinates permits and sometimes sells or conveys small parcels for project work.
No formal action was taken on any individual trail or intersection at the town hall; staff said they would continue follow‑up with the Trails Advisory Committee, post TIP details online and investigate short‑term safety improvements at the intersection identified by residents.
