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Residents urge immediate pedestrian safety fixes after fatal crash at Cole and Stevenson
Summary
Multiple residents told the Enumclaw City Council they have lost trust in the safety of the Cole and Stevenson intersection after a January collision that resulted in a death, urging short-term measures such as flags, signs, lighting and speed enforcement rather than waiting months for longer-term projects.
Several residents told the Enumclaw City Council on June 22 that neighborhood streets and specific intersections need immediate safety improvements after a January crash that later proved fatal.
At public comment, a resident who identified himself as a longtime community member asked for a status update on the Stevenson/Cole area and urged the council to prioritize pedestrian funding now rather than delaying work until the following January. The resident said the person struck in January died and that another victim was recovering.
A veteran who spoke subsequently described crossing the Cole and Stevenson corner as hazardous and urged enforcement and engineering changes, saying, “I am now 76 years old ... 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, introduced as a city resident, reiterated the loss of Eileen Griffith at the intersection and suggested low-cost interim measures such as hand‑held red safety flags to help drivers notice stop signs.
Cindy Proctor, another longtime resident, expanded the concerns to nearby Rilla Lane and Melody Lane: she reported frequent high speeds, drivers running stop signs, missing ADA curb ramps in places that force people into the street, and increased cut‑through traffic while Cole Street is closed. Proctor said she has video evidence of traffic violations available to staff and asked the council to consider lower-cost traffic‑calming options, reflective markings and a short-term drop‑off area near the library to reduce unsafe behaviors.
Council members did not take formal action during the public comment period. Several council committee reports later in the meeting referenced ongoing project work and quotes from fabricators that exceeded prior approvals for Cole Street improvements, but no timeline for concrete pedestrian work at the Cole/Stevenson intersection was provided at the June 22 meeting.
The council meeting record shows residents pressing for both short-term, low-cost measures and longer-term engineering fixes; council members or staff did not announce a firm near-term schedule or funding source at the meeting.
