The Battle Floor Metropolis Council on Monday authorized an ordinance that may enable the Washington State Division of Transportation to decrease the pace restrict of West Foremost Avenue to 30 mph.
The highway — often known as state Freeway 502 — has been famous as a website of frequent crashes as folks flip east from the neighborhood onto Foremost Avenue. The present pace restrict is 40 mph from state Freeway 503, or tenth Avenue, west to Northwest thirtieth Avenue, the place it adjustments to 50 mph.
Based mostly on a pace examine and crash evaluation, WSDOT beforehand prompt reducing the pace restrict on West Foremost Avenue to 30 mph from Albertsons to the intersection with Freeway 503.
With Monday’s vote, the council greenlit WSDOT’s plan to vary the pace restrict.
“Ultimately, because it’s a state highway, it’s the state laws that control the enforcement and what the rules are going under,” public works Director Mark Herceg mentioned. “We’re essentially establishing: ‘This is ultimately what we want to see.’ And part of WSDOT’s process is they look to the jurisdiction to see what they want to have the speed limit set at.”
Nonetheless, the restrict must be authorized by Washington’s secretary of transportation.
The pace restrict dialog has prompted some spirited clashes throughout latest conferences. In April, councilors had selection phrases after proposed pace restrict adjustments to Freeway 502 weren’t as little as some wished after years of speed-related grievances from residents. Councilors additionally beforehand pushed to decrease pace limits elsewhere within the metropolis.
“I know this ordinance is not what everybody wanted. I know some people want it higher, some people want it lower,” Mayor Troy McCoy mentioned. “I hope that we can come together and compromise on this.”
