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Residents urge quicker action after pedestrian death at Cole and Stevenson intersection
Summary
Residents pressed the Enumclaw City Council for interim safety measures at the Cole and Stevenson intersection after a January crash victim died, asking for pedestrian funding, enforcement and low-cost calming steps while longer projects await funding.
Several residents asked the Enumclaw City Council on June 22 for faster, interim safety measures at the Cole and Stevenson intersection following a January crash that later resulted in a death.
A resident who addressed the council said the person struck in January had died and asked for an update and immediate pedestrian funding. “We would still wish to have an update regarding how we're moving forward on the Stevenson and Cole area,” the resident said, adding, “We need that. But, we also need to not have another person die.”
A longtime resident and Navy veteran described repeated near-misses and urged enforcement and physical safety improvements. “I didn't realize that we had enemies behind the wheel with their coffee cup and their telephone… at the corner of Cole and Stevenson,” he said, and asked the city to install lights and signs and consider speed enforcement to prevent further deaths.
Nora Tackenboge, a city resident, said the victim, identified in public comment as Eileen Griffith, died after a vehicle failed to stop. She suggested low-cost interim steps such as high-visibility flags to increase driver awareness: “Could we maybe get those little flags that you see in all the other cities… anything to help?”
Cindy Proctor, a longtime resident, told council the suburban corridors of Trella/Trilla and Melody Lane face persistent speeding, drivers running stop signs, and gaps in ADA-compliant curb cuts that force people into the street. She said prior requests for traffic calming in the area had been denied and urged the council to reconsider low-cost remedies such as midblock reflective markings and clearer crosswalk signage.
Council did not take formal action on the requests during the meeting. Earlier in the agenda, the public-safety committee had reported plans for an enforcement and education push on new e-bike laws and said a proposed electric-motorcycle ordinance would clarify enforcement authority for city staff and police; however, no immediate funding decision was made to implement the specific pedestrian improvements requested by speakers.
The council minutes show the public-safety committee plans additional steps on enforcement and camera deployment in July; residents requested those efforts be coupled with temporary pedestrian safety measures at high-risk intersections.
