Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Oak Harbor council adopts lower speed limit on SR‑20 north of NE 16th Avenue
Summary
On a unanimous vote the Oak Harbor City Council adopted Ordinance No. 2046 to revise municipal code and set the speed limit on State Route 20 north of NE 16th Avenue to 45 mph, aligning the city code with a WSDOT post‑roundabout speed study.
The Oak Harbor City Council on a unanimous vote adopted Ordinance No. 2046 to amend the municipal code and reduce the speed limit on State Route 20 north of Northeast 16th Avenue from 50 mph to 45 mph.
City Engineer Alex Warner told the council the change covers the segment beginning roughly at milepost 33.69 (about 1,700 feet north of NE 16th) to the north corporate limit and was recommended after WSDOT performed a speed study following construction of the Fatima Road/Highway 20 roundabout. "The speed study based on actual vehicle speeds recommends 45 miles per hour," Warner said, explaining the revision will make municipal code consistent with the state’s traffic engineering determination.
Warner said the state has the ultimate authority to set highway speeds and that, after the council’s adoption, WSDOT would be expected to install or update signs. He estimated, based on prior coordination, that implementation of new signage could take on the order of months (Councilmember Stuckey asked about a three‑month timeframe based on prior south‑end changes).
Council members asked clarifying questions about the length of the reduced‑speed stretch (Warner estimated roughly three‑quarters of a mile) and about signage and a nearby signal at Alt Field. Warner confirmed WSDOT carried out the speed study after the roundabout was installed and that Island County had already adjusted an adjacent approach to 45 mph.
Councilmember Marrow moved to adopt the ordinance; the motion was seconded by the mayor pro tem and passed unanimously. The ordinance changes the local code language so the city’s regulation matches WSDOT’s recommended posted speed for that segment of SR‑20. No separate funding or other implementation action was required of the council at the meeting where the vote occurred.
What happens next: the city’s code change makes Oak Harbor’s regulation consistent with the state’s engineering decision; WSDOT would update signs on the state highway to reflect the new posted speed.
