Residents urge quick traffic-calming measures after pedestrian fatality at Cole and Stevenson

Residents pressed the Enumclaw City Council on June 22 for faster action to reduce speeding and improve pedestrian safety at the Cole and Stevenson intersection after a January crash that later proved fatal.

At the start of public comment, a longtime resident (S5) said she had reported the crash to staff weeks earlier and asked for an update and pedestrian funding, saying, “We would still wish to have an update regarding how we're moving forward on the Stevenson Coal area.” The speaker urged the council to act, noting, “We really need your help.”

Another resident introduced as John (S6) described his personal fear crossing the intersection and called for enforcement and physical changes: “Please put in the lights, put in the signs 25 miles an hour, and take people's cars away,” he said, adding that drivers “just zoom by” and recounting that a neighbor in a wheelchair later died after the collision.

Nora Tackenboge (S7), who identified herself as a city resident, asked the council to consider low-cost interim steps such as handheld flags so that the victim, Eileen Griffith’s death, “wasn't in vain.” She told the council, “I just hope that, you know, Eileen's death wasn't in vain.”

Cindy Proctor (S8), also a longtime resident, broadened the safety concerns to nearby Rilla/Trilla and Melody Lanes, highlighting multiple risks: speeding cut-through traffic, missing ADA-compliant curb ramps that force people into the street, an active bus stop near the trailhead, and on-street parking that reduces sight lines. She said she has documented multiple near misses and asked the council to reconsider lower-cost traffic-calming measures such as reflective pavement markings and short-term drop-off zones near Cole Street.

Council and staff did not take an immediate vote on capital funding at the meeting. Council members and staff acknowledged receipt of the complaints during committee reports and public-safety updates; Public Safety Council member Shorten (S9) noted the department’s awareness of neighborhood safety issues and said the police would conduct an education push on recently changed e-bike laws and continue enforcement where feasible.

The council did not commit to a specific funding timeline in this meeting; residents requested interim measures and updates, and the council’s committees will carry the issue forward for follow-up and potential budget or capital-project consideration.