KENNEWICK, Wash. – The city of Kennewick is making strides to improve pedestrian safety, with a focus on enhancing streetlights and crosswalks throughout town.
Tacoma Swircenski, a junior at Kamiakin High School, uses the nearby crosswalks daily but avoids crossing Edison Street.
“The people that don’t follow the rules make them not safe,” Swircenski said.
Swircenski has seen drivers disregard pedestrians, even when the lights are flashing.
“I’ve just seen a lot of people speed through,” Swircenski said. “Sometimes the light flashes and someone’s coming and they drive fast so they don’t have to stop.”
Heath Mellotte, the design services manager for the city of Kennewick, explained that the city is focusing on improving crosswalks and streetlights to protect pedestrians. Federal and state funding supports the upgrades, including LED streetlights and flashing signs.
“We’ve been very successful in getting these grants in order to fund these safety projects. And yeah, about $1,000,000 just in the last two years in doing these projects,” Mellotte said. “Definitely a high priority citywide.”
The city received a $200,000 grant to install a crosswalk and three flashing signs on Clearwater and Johnson Street. This project, which connects two major bus routes, is expected to be completed in the middle of November.
Mellotte believes the city’s investments are showing positive results.
“It could be from these improvements, but we have been seeing a steady decline on the reportable pedestrian accidents,” Mellotte said.
Swircenski offers advice for drivers near crosswalks: “If you drive past the light and don’t follow the rules, imagine that’s your kid.”
Kennewick officials use accident data and community complaints to identify areas needing improvements.
