Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Pasco council backs speed cushions, signage for Court Street after six‑month review
Loading...
Summary
After a six‑month reassessment, staff and a second‑opinion traffic engineer recommended active traffic calming on Court Street. Council directed staff to implement ten speed cushions from I‑182 to Road 100, add signage and monitor nearby cut‑through traffic, funding the ~$82,000 program by reallocating streets funds and partial general‑fund support.
City engineering staff and an external traffic consultant presented the six‑month effectiveness review of passive traffic measures on Court Street and recommended installation of physical speed cushions (ten sets spaced roughly 800 feet apart) plus additional warning signage and striping. The consultant told council the cushions follow Vancouver standards and are designed so emergency vehicles can straddle them; he also said ambulances routinely comply with lowered speeds and cushions are not an obstacle for emergency response.
Director Sarah and the consultant presented measured before/after speed data showing limited long‑term behavior change from passive measures alone and reported average speeds in many locations ranging from the mid‑20s to low‑30s mph. The engineer estimated materials and in‑house labor at about $70,000 plus roughly $12,000 for extra “hump ahead” signs and potential physical bike‑lane separators if vehicles encroach. Staff proposed several funding options: temporarily reduce sidewalk maintenance and pavement‑marking budgets, reduce signal and sign maintenance purchases, reduce pavement preservation by ~9%, use general‑fund reserves, delay to FY2027, or pursue a special assessment (LID) — staff recommended options that reallocate within the streets fund or a modest general‑fund supplement.
Multiple council members and many residents who spoke during public comment urged quick action, citing collisions, near‑misses and frequent speeding adjacent to the Sacagawea Heritage Trail. Council members discussed enforcement increases, possible diversion of traffic to side streets and monitoring afterward; the traffic engineer recommended pre‑ and post‑installation counts on adjacent roads to detect cut‑through activity. Council gave staff direction to proceed with installation and to include the $12,000 signage cost, agreeing to fund the work by reallocating a portion of street fund line items and a partial general‑fund contribution to reduce impacts on core pavement preservation programs.
