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Residents urge city action after fatal crash at Cole and Stevenson intersection
Summary
Residents told the Enumclaw City Council during public comment that a January crash at the Cole and Stevenson intersection resulted in a death and urged immediate pedestrian safety fixes — from interim flags to permanent traffic-calming measures and funding — after prior requests were denied.
A group of residents told the Enumclaw City Council on June 22 that the city must act to prevent more pedestrian injuries and deaths at the Cole and Stevenson intersection.
At the start of the public-comment period a resident said an accident victim struck in January later died and asked the council for an update on pedestrian-safety measures and funding. The resident asked for engineering fixes and immediate attention, saying the corner “still continues to be very, very volatile.” Another resident, who said he served in the Navy, urged enforcement and engineering changes: “So please put in the lights, put in the signs 25 miles an hour, and take people's cars away and do something, please.”
Nora Tackenboge, a longtime city resident, reiterated the loss of Eileen Griffith and recommended low-cost interim measures such as handheld red safety flags used in other cities while the city seeks funding for permanent changes. “I just hope that, you know, Eileen's death wasn't in vain,” Tackenboge said.
Cindy Proctor, also a longtime resident, broadened the concern to other neighborhood corridors, describing persistent speeding, drivers cutting through residential streets, missing ADA curb ramps on routes to the Foothills Trails, and vehicle behavior she said she has documented on video. Proctor said prior requests for traffic calming were denied and urged the council to “reconsider practical lower cost options such as mid-block reflective markings” and to plan for street improvements that accommodate growth and pedestrian safety.
Council did not take action on these requests at the meeting. The public comment record and committee reports indicate the matter has been discussed previously; residents asked the council for a clear status update and for staff to identify interim and longer-term funding and engineering options.
The public-comment period was the venue for these appeals; no formal motion or vote on specific traffic-calming measures was taken at the June 22 meeting. Council committees and staff have previously reviewed traffic-calming requests and will be the likely next step for follow-up.
