Residents urge immediate safety measures after pedestrian death at Cole and Stevenson

At the June 22 Enumclaw City Council meeting, multiple residents urged the city to accelerate pedestrian‑safety work at the intersection of Cole Street and Stevenson after a January crash that killed a local woman.

Residents described repeated near‑misses, high speeds and the absence of effective crosswalk controls. A speaker who identified herself only as a resident said she had left a message weeks earlier and asked for an update and for pedestrian funding to be prioritized. "We would still wish to have an update regarding how we're moving forward on the Stevenson/Cole area," the resident said.

Another resident, a 76‑year‑old veteran, urged immediate enforcement and engineering changes. "So please put in the lights, put in the signs 25 miles an hour, and take people's cars away and do something, please," he said, calling for unmarked enforcement and speed checks.

Nora Tackenboge, a city resident, suggested interim, low‑cost measures such as handheld flags to increase driver visibility and acknowledged the city faces budget constraints that may delay larger infrastructure work. "I just hope that, you know, Eileen's death wasn't in vain," she said.

Cindy Proctor, a longtime resident, described broader corridor problems on Rilla and Melody lanes and at the Trella/Melody intersection: drivers cutting through neighborhoods at high speed, obstructed sightlines from on‑street parking, and missing or outdated ADA curb ramps. She said she has video documenting stop‑sign violations and asked the council to reconsider practical, lower‑cost traffic‑calming options and to factor street improvements into growth planning.

Why it matters: speakers said the area is used daily by families, children and people using mobility devices, and that delays in both interim measures and permanent engineering could lead to further injury or death. They requested clarity on timelines and funding sources for crossings, signage and enforcement.

What the council did: the public comments were entered during the audience comment period; council committees later reported related traffic and public‑safety work is under review. No formal action or vote on new pedestrian projects was taken during the meeting.

Next steps: residents asked for a status update and faster interim measures; council members and staff did not announce a specific timeline at the meeting.