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Residents urge action after pedestrian death at Cole and Stevenson; council hears multiple safety requests
Summary
Residents told the Enumclaw City Council they fear more pedestrians will be hurt or killed at the Cole/Stevenson intersection and asked for lights, signs, speed enforcement and low-cost interim measures while larger projects await funding.
Residents urged the Enumclaw City Council on June 22 to accelerate pedestrian-safety measures at the Cole and Stevenson intersection after a January crash resulted in a death.
At the start of public comment, a resident (speaker S5) said they had repeatedly sought updates and asked the city for pedestrian funding after a person hit in January later died. Nora Tackenboge, a longtime city resident (S7), said, "I just hope Eileen's death wasn't in vain," and suggested low-cost interim fixes such as handheld flags. A nearby resident and Navy veteran (S6) described daily crossings and urged the city to "put in the lights, put in the signs 25 miles an hour," saying enforcement and physical changes were needed to prevent more fatalities. Cindy Proctor (S8), who said she has documented drivers running stop signs, raised broader neighborhood concerns including missing ADA-compliant curb ramps, increased shortcutting traffic due to Cole Street closures, and a request to reconsider previously denied traffic-calming measures.
Speakers repeatedly asked council to prioritize low-cost, short-term interventions while larger capital projects wait for funding. One public commenter said a city staff member (identified in public comment as "Chris") indicated a permanent improvement might not occur until January, which residents said was too slow given the recent fatality.
Council took the comments under advisement; there was no staff motion or formal vote to authorize immediate capital work during the meeting. No timeline or specific funding commitment for the Cole/Stevenson corner was announced during the session.
The public-comment period also highlighted related accessibility and neighborhood-planning concerns, including requests to review crosswalk visibility, ADA ramp compliance on Trilla and Melody lanes, and the traffic effects of downtown street closures. Residents asked council to pair street-improvement planning with anticipated development so changes are proactive rather than reactive.
The council did not set a follow-up date at the meeting. Residents and commenters asked staff and councilmembers to provide updates at future meetings or to identify interim safety steps the city could deploy before engineered solutions are funded.
