Residents press council for traffic and pedestrian safety after fatal collision at Cole and Stevenson

Multiple residents urged the Enumclaw City Council on June 22, 2026 to prioritize pedestrian and neighborhood traffic safety following recent serious incidents.

A resident in public comment (speaker 5) asked the council for an update on efforts at the Cole and Stevenson area after a January collision that resulted in a fatality and asked whether pedestrian funding could be accelerated.

A Navy veteran (speaker 6) recounted his service and said he now worries about "enemies behind the wheel" at the Cole and Stevenson intersection because drivers run stop signs or use phones while driving. "We need lights to stop the speeders that have their phone in their ear and not paying attention," he said, and urged enforcement and engineering improvements to prevent more deaths.

Nora Tackenboge, a longtime Enumclaw resident, reiterated that the recent fatality of Eileen Griffith occurred because a driver failed to stop, and suggested temporary measures such as handheld flags to increase driver awareness at the intersection.

Cindy Proctor urged the council to revisit traffic‑calming requests on Rilla Lane and Melody Lane, describing frequent stop‑sign violations, lack of ADA‑compliant curb ramps, heavy cut‑through traffic and increased child pedestrian exposure near trailheads and bus stops. She said the absence of curb ramps forces people onto the street and recommended low‑cost options such as reflective slow‑down markings and a designated short drop‑off zone on Cole Street.

Council members did not adopt new measures at the meeting but heard the comments; several committee reports and staff updates addressed related safety work including block camera deployment and a forthcoming police education push on ebikes and similar vehicles.