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Once a month for the past year, a steering committee has been meeting to address safety conditions on State Route 27.
On Thursday, the wheels were officially put in motion on a campaign that will feature new signage, engineering improvements and added traffic enforcement in an effort to reduce collisions on a 20-mile stretch of the rural highway from Trent Avenue through the town of Rockford.
The kickoff event was held at the Albertson’s store on 32nd Avenue, a site that was considered a central location along the corridor, according to Peggy Gilliland, traffic safety coordinator for Spokane County’s branch of the Washington State Traffic Safety Commission.
“We wanted some place that incorporated the city of Spokane Valley and also rural areas like Rockford,” Gilliland said.
From February 2004 through January 2007, there were 482 collisions on the corridor with the majority of the incidents taking place at major intersections in Spokane Valley, namely at streets like Sprague, Mission, Indiana and Broadway.
In the town of Freeman, the intersection of SR-27 and Jackson Road is a cause of concern for residents who point to the traffic that converges onto the highway from Freeman High School and various retail sites. Freeman School District Superintendent Sergio Hernandez, who is part of the SR-27 steering committee, said lowering the speed limit near the intersection and increased signage have been mentioned as remedies.
“You have vehicles trying to get out onto the road where motorists are going 55 miles per hour,” Hernandez said. “We have had too many accidents and close calls right there. The committee understands what we are facing.”
Gilliland described how the committee established a work plan that identifies safety problems, actions to be taken and organizations that will help implement the changes. One category includes the number of collisions involving impaired drivers – there are more such incidents on SR-27 than on similar roads. The work plan focuses on educating establishments that serve alcohol to reinforce the dangers of drinking and driving.
Nearly 20 organizations are represented on the steering committee including the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, the Washington State Department of Transportation and Spokane County Engineers.
Police emphasis patrols will focus on reducing the four leading causes of collisions along the corridor – failing to yield, exceeding safe speed, following too close and disregarding traffic signals. Other aspects of the plan include modification of signage, adding radar speed signs, adding traffic signals and alerting motorists of the possibility of roaming deer and other animals along the roadway.
Similar safety projects involving thoroughfares like Highway 94 near Cheney and SR-291 between Trent and Division have produced positive results, according to Jeff Otis, a captain with the Washington State Patrol. Relying on public feedback, Otis described how authorities have installed signs, added turn lanes and increased police patrols as methods of improving safety conditions.
“The goal is to get people to their destination safely,” Otis said. “You need to have that input. If you don’t have all the stakeholders involved, it’s not as successful.”
Want to find out more?
To learn more about the SR-27 Safety Project, contact the Washington State Traffic Safety Commission at 477-2342.
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By
Craig Howard
