Kent city leaders lower speed limits to make travel safer

Slow down! That’s the message Kent city leaders are sending to drivers.

Speed limits will drop along several major Kent streets next year, including stretches of West Valley Highway, Kent-Kangley Road, Central Avenue South and Military Road South, in an effort to make travel safer.

The Kent City Council’s Committee of the Whole unanimously approved the changes recommended by staff at its Nov. 18 meeting. That puts the measure on the Dec. 9 regular council meeting for approval as part of its consent agenda, when items passed unanimously at the committee level are adopted.

There are changes to 19 segments across the city, including state routes, streets in the Valley and on the West Hill and East Hill.

“Specifically, maximum safe speed limits were updated in several locations after a recent engineering and traffic investigation, including changes in the roadway context,” according to city documents. “Changes to the speed limits on state routes were also approved by the Washington State Department of Transportation.”

Eric Preston, city traffic engineer, told the council during a presentation that West Valley Highway already has a speed limit of 40 mph in Tukwila, so a drop from 50 mph makes the speed consistent along the road, aka SR 181.

“Most of the length it’s seven lanes, with three lanes in each direction and a center lane,” Preston said. “The change in speed is a better match for traffic conditions with a high percentage of freight vehicles and match the city’s other arterials of Pacific Highway and 84th Avenue South.”

The city in 2023 dropped speed limits along Pacific Highway South on the West Hill from 45 to 40 mph between Kent Des Moines Road and South 272nd Street.

Residents near Riverview Boulevard South asked the city to lower the speed from 35 mph to 30 mph from SE 216th Street to Veterans Drive and traffic engineers agreed, Preston said.

Speeds were reduced along several streets where there is pedestrian activity, but no sidewalks.

Preston said new speed limit signs will go up early next year, starting with the state routes. Orange flags will be posted on the signs to alert drivers to the new speed limits.

City traffic engineers worked with Kent Police on the changes.

“They agree with them and will work with us when we get speeding complaints,” Preston said.

A look at many of the changes:

West Valley Highway (aka SR 181)

• North city limit near South 180th Street to SE 236th Street, from 50 to 40 mph

• 26100 block to S. 277th Street, from 50 mph to 40 mph

Kent-Kangley Road (aka SR 516)

• 116th Ave. SE to Lake Meridian, from 45 mph to 40 mph

SE 272nd Street (aka SR 516)

• Lake Meridian to Covington city limits, from 45 to 35 mph

100th Avenue SE

• North end of city to SE 224th St., from 35 mph to 25 mph

• SE 224th St. to SE 240th St., from 35 mph to 30 mph

104th Avenue SE

• SE 256th St. to SE 272nd St., from 35 mph to 30 mph

Central Avenue South

• East Willis St. to East Russell St., from 40 mph to 30 mph

• East Russell St. to south city limits, from 40 mph to 35 mph

Military Road South

• S. 250th St. to S. 272nd St., from 40 mph to 35 mph

Riverview Blvd. S.

• SE 216th St. to Veterans Drive, from 35 mph to 30 mph

SE 192nd Street

• 108th Ave. SE to 124th Ave. SE, from 40 mph to 35 mph

SE 240th Street

• 116th Ave. SE to 137th Ave. SE, from 40 mph to 35 mph