Residents urge swift action after pedestrian fatality at Cole and Stevenson

Several residents used public comment to urge the City Council to accelerate safety improvements at the Cole and Stevenson intersection following a January crash that killed a local resident.

A resident (speaker 5) told the council she had reported the collision and asked for an update and pedestrian funding: "We would still wish to have an update regarding how we're moving forward on the Stevenson Cole area... We really need your help," she said, adding that a person who was struck died.

Another resident (speaker 6), a Navy veteran, described frequent speeding and dangerous driver behavior at the same intersection and urged enforcement and traffic calming: "Please put in the lights, put in the signs 25 miles an hour... do something, please." Resident Nora Tackenboge (speaker 7) said the victim was Eileen Griffith and suggested low‑cost measures such as high‑visibility flags to increase driver awareness. Longtime resident Cindy Proctor (speaker 8) provided a detailed account of multiple neighborhood hazards—speeding, cut‑through traffic, missing ADA curb ramps and obstructive on‑street parking—and requested the council reconsider practical, lower‑cost traffic‑calming options and improved ADA access near the library.

Council did not take formal action during public comment but the repeated appeals and the cited fatality make the intersection a priority for follow up with Public Works and Public Safety staff, according to committee reports and staff remarks earlier in the meeting.