Resident urges action on high speeds on Cedar Island Road; police and public works to collect data

Edward Venne, a Bellevue resident of 2624 Linda Street, urged the City Council to address persistent high-speed driving on Cedar Island Road, saying neighbors are "almost afraid to go out and get their mail" and recounting fatal and serious crashes in the corridor.

In response, Police Chief Ken Clary said he asked the patrol captain to add Cedar Island Road south of Chandler to the department’s selective enforcement schedule and to place the department’s speed trailer to collect speed readings over time. "I've asked him also to put the speed trailer out there so we can get some readings on speed over time," Clary said. He told the council enforcement would be added in discretionary patrol time and that officers would review recorded data if incidents occur.

Public Works Director Dave Goldin told the council the street is classified as a collector or minor arterial, which limits certain traffic-calming installations. Goldin said the city will deploy traffic counters (rubber hose counters) that log vehicle type, volume and speeds and produce standard engineering metrics — including the 85th-percentile speed — to help determine appropriate measures.

Councilmembers thanked the resident and staff; several noted sidewalks and complete-streets work are planned for older collectors and said the near-term steps (selective enforcement and data collection) should clarify whether physical changes such as stop controls or speed tables are warranted. The council did not vote on any ordinance or capital project at the meeting and directed staff to report back with the collected data and recommendations.