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Residents urge immediate traffic-calming at Cole and Stevenson after fatal crash
Summary
Residents told the Enumclaw City Council on June 22 that a recent death at Cole and Stevenson demands interim measures — flags, signage and enforcement — while longer engineering fixes await funding. Multiple speakers described near misses, ADA gaps, and speeding on neighborhood streets.
Residents pleaded with the Enumclaw City Council on June 22 for near-term traffic-calming and enforcement at the Cole and Stevenson intersection following a recent fatality.
Cindy Proctor, a longtime city resident, told the council the neighborhood has persistent safety problems: inadequate curb cuts, heavy pedestrian use, and drivers cutting through at high speeds. "Previous requests to this council for traffic calming measures in this area were denied," Proctor said, and she urged the council to reconsider lower-cost options such as reflective pavement markings and midblock slow markings.
Nora Tachenberg said a local resident, Eileen Griffiths, died at the intersection and asked the council to deploy interim visibility measures if capital funding for permanent changes is not yet available. "Could we maybe get those little flags that you see in all the other cities," Tachenberg said, calling them a low-cost way to increase driver awareness while larger projects are scheduled.
A resident who identified himself only as John, a Navy veteran, described near-misses and urged enforcement and speed checks: "People just zoom by," he said, and asked the city to consider speed enforcement and better lighting at the location.
Mayor acknowledged the public comments during the meeting’s public-comment period; staff and council did not announce immediate capital spending at the June 22 meeting. The concerns were raised during the public-comment portion and will be available for committee follow-up. Council committee reports later in the meeting noted that the public safety committee is tracking staffing, enforcement approaches and other safety tools citywide.
The meeting record shows residents also raised broader neighborhood problems — missing ADA-compliant curb cuts near Trella and Melody, bus-stop pedestrian volumes, and requests for a short-term drop-off zone near the library — which they said compound the immediate dangers at Cole and Stevenson. Speakers asked for staff to report back on specific interim measures and timelines at a future meeting.
