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Fife staff propose $352,500 lighting add‑on for 62nd Avenue multimodal project; council told a budget amendment will be needed
Summary
Engineers recommended adding street and sidewalk lighting to the 62nd Avenue multimodal Safe Routes to School project after finding existing southern corridor lights are below standard. Staff estimated the new lighting scope will cost $352,500 and said a future budget amendment will be required to fund it.
City engineering staff on March 20 presented a proposal to add lighting to the 62nd Avenue multimodal improvement project after a community push for improved nighttime safety. Jason, a Public Works presenter, said the original Safe Routes to School grant package did not include lighting to keep the project within grant cost thresholds, but staff now recommend adding lighting and upgrading deficient fixtures on the southern portion of the corridor.
"We propose to add the lighting to the project design after design contract award and use city funding for both the design and the construction of the lighting scope," Jason said in introducing the plan.
George Hyland, an engineering consultant with SCJ Alliance, said lighting analysis showed the northern segment of the corridor currently has no streetlights and the southern portion does not meet city and Washington DOT standards. To bring the full 62nd Avenue corridor into compliance, Hyland said the team would install 14 new lights on the north section (13 on the west planter strip and one on the east for the mid‑block crossing), add three new lights in the south, and replace several existing fixtures to meet uniformity and glare standards.
"So all in, the total new, cost for lighting specifically for the project is $352,500," Hyland said, and he added that roughly $112,000 of that is the southern section’s design and construction cost.
Council members pressed staff on fixture style and pedestrian‑level lighting. Councilmember Dominique asked if the design would preserve Fife’s decorative green fixtures; Hyland replied that the plan replaces fixtures on many existing aluminum poles with brighter cobra‑head LED fixtures because replacing poles is much more expensive.
Hyland said the mid‑block raised crosswalk would be supported by a rectangular rapid‑flashing beacon (RRFB) to alert drivers in addition to corridor lighting. "So the sidewalks, the road, and that mid block crossing are all gonna meet the standard," Hyland said.
City Manager Matheson cautioned that the $352,500 is not currently budgeted. "You should expect to see it in a future budget amendment," Matheson told the council, and he said staff expect the public safety fund is an appropriate source because pedestrian illumination is an allowed use under city code.
No formal vote was taken on the lighting itself at the March 20 meeting; the council heard the presentation and asked questions. Matheson told the council staff will bring a future budget amendment for council review to finance the added lighting scope.
