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Residents urge Enumclaw council to speed up safety fixes after fatality at Cole and Stevenson
Summary
Multiple residents told the council on June 22 that a pedestrian, Eileen Griffith, died after a crash at the Cole/Stevenson corner and urged urgent pedestrian funding, traffic calming, enforcement and low-cost interim measures such as handheld flags while larger projects await funding.
Enumclaw — Dozens of residents and neighborhood advocates used the public-comment period on June 22 to press the City Council for faster pedestrian-safety measures at the Cole and Stevenson intersection following the January death of Eileen Griffith.
At the podium an anonymous resident described leaving a message to city staff after the January crash and said the victim later died. "We would still wish to have an update regarding how we're moving forward on the Stevenson Cole area," the resident said, asking if pedestrian funding could be accelerated. She said a staff contact told her a project might not occur until January.
A 76-year-old resident who identified his military service urged more enforcement and engineering: "I am now 76 years old. I'd like to live to a 100, and I cross that street, and people just zoom by. And I think one way to see that is sit in an unmarked car and with a speed gun to see how many people ... just don't pay attention." He urged lights, 25 mph signage and stronger enforcement.
Nora Tackenboge, a long-time city resident, reiterated the request for interim, low-cost measures such as handheld red flags to increase driver eye contact and awareness while funding constraints delay permanent fixes. "I just hope that... Eileen's death wasn't in vain," she said.
Cindy Proctor, who said this was her third time raising neighborhood safety concerns, asked the council to reconsider lower-cost traffic-calming options on Rilla Lane and Melody Lane, flagged missing ADA-compliant curb ramps that force people into the roadway, and said the city’s Cole Street closures are prompting cut-through traffic that increases risks for children and pedestrians.
Council members acknowledged the comments during committee reports and public-safety updates; no immediate commitment to accelerate capital funding was recorded in the meeting minutes. Residents asked for follow-up and clearer timelines from staff.
Why it matters: Residents described a recent death and repeated near-miss incidents at neighborhood intersections and called for immediate, affordable interim fixes plus longer-term capital work to reduce risks to seniors, children and trail users.
Provenance: Public comments began at SEG 117 and continued through SEG 281.
