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Residents urge faster action on dangerous Cole/Stevenson intersection after pedestrian death
Summary
Residents used public comment at the June 22 Enumclaw City Council meeting to press for quicker pedestrian safety measures at the Cole Street/Stevenson Avenue intersection following the death of Eileen Griffith, asking for interim low-cost fixes while longer projects are scheduled.
Residents pressed the Enumclaw City Council on June 22 to accelerate pedestrian-safety work at the Cole Street and Stevenson Avenue intersection after a neighbor’s January crash that later proved fatal.
A Public commenter told the council she had left messages with staff and asked for an update, saying the city “needs help” to prevent another death. A resident who identified his military service urged enforcement and short-term safety measures, saying, “put in the lights, put in the signs 25 miles an hour, and take people's cars away and do something, please.”
Nora Tackenboge, a city resident, named the victim as Eileen Griffith and said funding limits have slowed permanent fixes. “I just hope that, you know, Eileen's death wasn't in vain,” she said, urging interim, low-cost measures such as handheld flags or other visibility tools while the city schedules longer-term work.
Longtime resident Cindy Proctor described broader neighborhood safety issues, including repeated stop-sign violations, missing ADA-compliant curb ramps at several cul-de-sacs, heavy cut-through traffic because of closures on Cole Street, and near-misses she documented on video. She told the council previous requests for traffic calming were denied and asked officials to reconsider lower-cost options like reflective markings, additional signage and a short-term drop-off zone near Cole Street.
Several commenters said they had been told by staff the permanent safety work might not take place until January; none of the public comments recorded an explicit council commitment to immediate funding or an approved acceleration plan during the meeting. Council did not take formal action on the intersection during the June 22 session.
What happens next: Residents asked for an update from staff; at the meeting no council member provided a timetable or formal directive and the public-comment period closed without a motion to fund immediate measures.
