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Residents urge fast action after pedestrian killed at Cole and Stevenson
Summary
At the June 22 Enumclaw City Council meeting, multiple residents urged immediate pedestrian-safety measures at the Cole and Stevenson intersection following a January crash that later proved fatal, calling for signage, lighting, enforcement and interim low-cost solutions.
Several residents used the public-comment portion of the Enumclaw City Council meeting on June 22 to press the council for faster pedestrian-safety work at the Cole and Stevenson intersection after a January crash that later proved fatal.
A resident who did not give her name told the council she had notified staff previously and asked for an update. "Please, can we get some pedestrian funding?" she said, adding that staff had told her improvements might not occur until January and urging the council to move sooner to prevent more tragedies.
John, introduced by another speaker, described his military service and said drivers frequently "zoom by" the crossing. "I am now 76 years old. I'd like to live to a 100, and I cross that street, and people just zoom by," he said, urging the city to install lights, signs and to do targeted speed enforcement.
Nora Tackenboge, who identified herself as a city resident, said Eileen Griffith died after a vehicle failed to stop at the intersection and urged measures such as attention-getting flags and other interim steps. "I just hope that, you know, Eileen's death wasn't in vain," she said.
Cindy Proctor, a longtime resident, broadened the safety concerns to nearby streets, describing frequent stop-sign failures, missing ADA-compliant curb ramps at key crossings, increased cut-through traffic when Cole Street is closed, and the vulnerability of families and children who use nearby trails and bus stops. She said she has documented videos of drivers running stop signs and called on the council to reconsider lower-cost traffic-calming options such as reflective markings and clearer crosswalk signage.
The comments were delivered during the public-comment period; no formal action on the intersection was taken at the meeting. Residents asked the council and staff for a timetable and interim measures, including low-cost signals and enforcement, to reduce risk while longer-term engineering work is scheduled.
