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Rick and Jeannie Pearson have lived in the same Millwood neighborhood for 22 years, investing time and money into a home and well-manicured yard on Fowler Road.
Now the couple may be moving.
The problem has to do with worsening conditions on Fowler – a street that has become a shortcut for vehicles traveling down east/west thoroughfares like Trent and Empire. When Jeannie spoke at the June 1 Millwood City Council meeting, she described how a car ran through a side fence on the west side of her home in the early morning hours of May 29, one of several incidents in recent years that has the couple concerned about their safety.
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| Speeding vehicles on Fowler Road in Millwood continue to be a concern for residents like Rick and Jeannie Pearson. This photo was taken after a car skidded into a fence outside the Pearson’s home near the corner of Fowler and Argonne just before dawn on May 29. |
“We’ve had concerns for a long time,” Jeannie said.
Construction along Argonne this summer has exacerbated traffic as trucks rumble down Fowler on their way to and from the work site. A barricade installed by the city at the corner of Fowler and Empire indicates “No Through Traffic,” although vehicles regularly turn right from Empire onto the street to reach Trent.
At the June 1 council meeting, Council Member Kevin Freeman talked about Fowler being closed to through traffic on Argonne and trucks using north/south streets like Pines and Butler to access Empire. Millwood Mayor Dan Mork said Spokane County has recommended against placing a barricade on Trent and Fowler due to concerns about potential collisions on Trent.
Last October, Mike Ellis, who has lived on Fowler for the past eight years, appeared before City Council to talk about safety hazards on the street. The next month, a three-day traffic study was commissioned to track vehicle counts and average speed along Fowler and Empire.
In one 24-hour period, a total of 1,036 vehicles drove down Empire; another 773 vehicles were counted along Fowler in the same day. While average speeds were at or near the posted 25 mph limit, two cars were clocked at over 45 mph – one was traveling at nearly 78 mph.
Ellis said he and neighbors have to continually watch their step along Fowler, a 21-foot wide road with no sidewalks, lane markings or street lights.
“It’s become a very dangerous situation,” Ellis said.
In February, Mork called a special meeting to address issues on Empire and Fowler. The Feb. 18 gathering included representatives from Spokane County, the Washington Department of Transportation and the Spokane County Sheriffs Office. Ideas like speed bumps, traffic cameras and special traffic patrols were discussed while Freeman brought up the idea of hiring a traffic engineer to research the issue of unsafe side streets that he said “extends beyond Fowler and Empire.”
Since that meeting, Mork has commissioned Spokane County Sheriff’s officers to conduct speed checks in the area. Freeman said the city is waiting on a proposal from Welch-Comer Engineers that would include the cost and scope of work for the proposed traffic study.
“Our goal with the study is to get some real, long-term engineering solutions,” Freeman said. “We need to have a consensus.”
A traffic emphasis patrol in the area of Fowler and Empire from May 27 to June 2 supported many concerns expressed by residents to this point. In one afternoon period, from 3 to 7 p.m., nine tickets were issued for traffic violations. On another day in the same time span, eight tickets were handed out.
“Most of them involved not stopping at the stop sign or going too fast,” Mork said.
Mork said the patrols will continue through July. The information will be passed along to Welch-Comer for inclusion in the traffic study. Mork said he hoped to have some recommendations from the engineering company by sometime this fall.
Meanwhile, residents like Ellis and Pearson have expressed frustration with the lack of progress since the special meeting in February. Pearson said she is particularly worried about a neighbor who gets around in a wheelchair and has difficulty navigating the limited space for pedestrians.
“I don’t think the city realizes the safety issues out here,” Ellis said. “I don’t want to wait until winter for some changes on this street.”
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By
Craig Howard
