Franklin County commissioners on Nov. 26 approved and asked staff to send a letter to the Washington State Patrol, the Washington State Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration asking for immediate steps to address a string of recent fatal crashes on U.S. Route 395 near Pasco.

Administrator Danzel read the letter into the record, saying the county is "writing to express profound and urgent safety concerns regarding the deteriorating conditions and alarming rate of serious incidents on U.S. Route 395 near Pasco." The letter lists four primary risk factors: high-speed freight traffic at the posted 70 mph limit, heavy commuter congestion, frequent agricultural slow-moving equipment and a recent string of collisions. It calls for "enhanced law enforcement and visibility," a traffic-engineering review including a speed-limit assessment and possible intersection changes, and identification of dedicated safety funding — including federal programs such as the Highway Safety Improvement Program — to fast-track improvements.

County officials and a local law enforcement representative described multiple recent crashes and near-misses on the corridor, including a fatal crash the previous day that killed a local council member. Commissioner comments emphasized that the route carries a mix of freight, commuters and agricultural traffic and said the county needs a "holistic" approach involving enforcement, engineering and intergovernmental coordination. "We must act decisively now to prevent further loss of life and property," the letter reads.

Mr. Lee, identified in the meeting as the local police chief, told commissioners that emphasis patrols can change driver behavior when they are strategic and sustained but cannot replace engineering fixes. "Emphasis patrols do work," he said, "but they've got to be strategic and they can't just be one and done." Commissioners asked staff to circulate the letter to partner agencies including the Port and City of Pasco, the Ben Franklin Council of Governments and local legislators and to request a formal response from the Department of Transportation about plans to maintain and improve the federal facility.

Next steps agreed by the board include sending the letter to state and federal partners, asking agencies to craft similar letters of their own, coordinating through regional planning bodies and scheduling a scoping workshop with consultant Eric Johnson to identify infrastructure and funding priorities. No specific construction or funding commitments were made at the meeting; the board sought to elevate the issue with state and federal partners and to pursue coordinated planning.