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WSDOT recommends lower speeds on State Route 20 through Oak Harbor; city to provide local input
Summary
WSDOT presented a traffic analysis recommending several speed-limit reductions on State Route 20 within Oak Harbor city limits — including targeted 40->30 and 50->45 adjustments — and reminded the council state law gives the secretary of transportation authority to set limits; staff said a consolidated ordinance will be returned to council in early 2026.
Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) engineers on Tuesday presented data supporting multiple speed-limit reductions on State Route 20 that run through Oak Harbor.
City Engineer Alex Warner said WSDOT's design review for a recently completed roundabout prompted a request for a traffic study of how vehicles actually operate on the corridor. WSDOT's Joshua Shippey told the council that analysis supports lowering certain posted speeds: several 50-mph zones are proposed to drop to 45 mph, a stretch from near Barlow to just south of the Swan Town intersection is recommended to drop from 40 mph to 30 mph, and the stretch from south of Swan Town to the southern city limits is proposed at 35 mph. Shippey and Warner emphasized the change proposal is WSDOT's recommendation based on field data and crash history.
Authority and next steps: Warner and Shippey reminded council that state law (RCWs cited during the presentation) vests final authority to set speed limits with the secretary of transportation. Warner said the city asked WSDOT to analyze conditions and that once WSDOT completes the north-end data the two agencies will package a single ordinance proposal for council review, likely in early 2026.
Council concerns and data sources: Council members asked whether the proposed reductions should wait until planned roadway improvements (including possible roundabouts in the Swan Town area) are built. WSDOT said the agency uses current traffic and collision data (including aggregated cellphone-based speed and volume measurements) and that the analysis includes an assessment of crash history near the recently opened roundabout. The police chief (unnamed in the workshop) said enforcement often begins with an educational grace period; "traditionally, we've been 60 days or more" of public information and courtesy enforcement following a change.
Why it matters: The recommended changes affect traffic flow and safety on a principal arterial into Oak Harbor and could influence funding and timing for related projects. Warner noted significant new development along the highway and said speed revisions reflect that changing context.
Attribution: Technical recommendations and speed figures attributed to Alex Warner and WSDOT's Joshua Shippey; enforcement practice quoted from the police chief during the council Q&A.
