EDMONDS — Following the decision to not put a stop sign at a contentious Meadowdale intersection, city staff has compiled five other options that, if approved, just might do the trick.
Unfortunately, there’s no money to see any of them through.
“The City Council direction was that we do not have any money at this time to proceed forward,” city traffic engineer Darrell Smith said. “I think the intent is there will be an opportunity to look at it during the budgetary cycle.”
At a work meeting Tuesday, Sept. 28, City Council members reviewed the ideas suggested by staff to increase pedestrian safety at 76th Avenue West and Meadowdale Beach Road.
They include:
•Do nothing;
•Install traffic calming features such features as speed bumps;
•Construct pedestrian refuge areas at key locations;
•Lower the speed limit in the area from 30 to 25 miles per hour and conduct a speed study and an evaluation of the roadway characteristics;
•Fund and construct walkways.
At a July public hearing and community outreach meeting on the issue, more than a dozen residents said they would like to have sidewalks built in the area more than anything.
City Council members decided in early August that an all-way stop sign was not warranted at that intersection, and questioned the feasibility of building sidewalks in the area. Edmonds development services director Duane Bowman said building the sidewalks could cost upwards of $550,000 – something that probably wont fit in the city’s already tight budget.
According to Smith, the only viable option to fully fund the construction of sidewalks in the area would be through a Local Improvement District (LID). An LID would charge residents of properties adjacent to the construction site for the project, he explained
“Unless we want to find funding somewhere else, we are going to need to ask for a tax increase and take it to the public for a vote,” Smith said.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
