County Council approves grant plan for pedestrian improvements on Issaquah-Fall City Road

Students walking to school at the Pacific Cascade Freshman Campus along busy Issaquah-Fall City Road will see some pedestrian safety improvements this fall, prior to construction of a larger sidewalk project in 2009.

The Metropolitan King County Council today unanimously approved an improvement plan that uses a $500,000 allocation to match a grant application for an additional $795,000 from the Washington State Department of Transportation Safe Routes to School program. If it is awarded late this year, the grant would allow for construction next summer.

Because of ongoing safety concerns in the community, Councilmember Kathy Lambert requested some interim improvements to occur earlier, in time for students returning to classes this September.

“I am pleased that the Road Services Division is willing to add rumble strips to separate the travel lane from the narrow paved shoulder where students walk to school, and that driver awareness will be enhanced with solar-powered electronic reader boards,” said Councilmember Lambert. “These immediate improvements also demonstrate King County’s commitment to the safety of pedestrians as we continue to work toward resolving issues of traffic congestion on this heavily used arterial.”

The grant applied for would allow King County to construct a sidewalk between the school at 247th Place Southeast and Klahanie Drive, where many of the school’s students live. In addition, to the sidewalk, the grant would fund curbs, gutters, drainage improvements, lighting and signal upgrades.

“Right now, students must walk on the narrow paved shoulder with no separation from traffic on the 45 mph roadway,” said Councilmember Lambert. “These improvements will become even more urgent when the school is converted to a middle school in the fall of 2009, and students as young as 11 years old will be walking to school.”

Read more about this legislation on the King County Council’s LEGISEARCH system.
Type in “2008-0189”