Even two years before a car struck and killed one of their Kent neighbors two weeks ago, Matt and Allison Richner reached out to city officials to do something about the speeding vehicles along Southeast 223rd Drive.
So when a 1996 Nissan Coupe driven by Justin Jerald Cordova, 18, struck and killed motorcyclist David Daniel, 55, on Aug. 22 near the Richner’s on the East Hill, the couple decided to increase their efforts to get the city to install a speed bump or other device to slow traffic down. Cordova reportedly had a blood-alcohol level of 0.12 percent and traveled at an estimated 65 mph in the 25 mph zone just prior to the accident. Cordova has been charged with vehicular homicide. He plead not guilty to the charge on Thursday.
“We know the guy was (allegedly) drunk and there are drunk drivers all over, but that speed is not something we see only once in a while – it’s all the time,” said Allison Richner. “What’s frustrating is how many more accidents and potential deaths do there need to be before they do something because a stop sign, a speed bump or roundabout seems like a simple thing.”
The Richners plan to present a petition to the City Council’s Public Works Committee meeting on Sept. 17 to ask for action to improve traffic safety along the street between 116th Avenue Southeast and 132nd Avenue Southeast.
“It feels like we live on a freeway pretty much,” said Jenny Smith, who lives just down the street from Matt and Allison. “Most people that come through this neighborhood with a few exceptions are going 15 to 20 mph over the speed limit and it makes this street very dangerous.”
Smith said she has seen an average of at least one accident every year in her nine years in the neighborhood.
“I really fear for all the children that live on this road,” said Smith, who saw a vehicle smash into two cars in her driveway. “Children ride their bikes and skateboards. It’s not a safe place for a family.”
Matt Richner said he contacted city officials about the speeding traffic along the street shortly after the Panther Lake area annexed into the city in July 2010. He said the city responded initially with brochures and information about what type of devices, such as speed bumps, could be installed to help slow traffic.
“People use it as a cut through,” Richner said. “They are young children riding bikes on the street. I don’t how many times we’ve seen kids almost get hit and heard tires squealing.”
Richner said after the initial contacts the neighborhood never heard anything more from the city about slowing traffic until Council President Dennis Higgins responded to an email from Richner after the death of Daniel to come visit the neighborhood. Higgins walked to the accident scene, talked with neighbors and told them they could voice their concerns at the Public Works Committee meeting that he serves on along with council members Elizabeth Albertson and Dana Ralph.
“When I went to drive to their (the Richners) home I was being tailgated in the neighborhood,” said Higgins during a phone interview.
Higgins said he will rely on city staff to determine what can be done to improve traffic safety along the street.
“I want to know about the history and hear about the options from staff and then we’ll take it from there,” Higgins said.
City Engineer Chad Bieren said in an email to the Kent Reporter that the Public Works Department was contacted by a Panther Lake resident two years ago about the vehicle speeds along Southeast 223rd Drive.
In response, city traffic officials measured speeds and traffic volumes along the street.
“The data showed that 85 percent of the traffic on this roadway travels approximately 33 mph or less,” Bieren said. “Since the posted speed limit is 25 mph, the police department sent officers to provide traffic enforcement in the area. They have continued to provide periodic speed enforcement to help keep speeds down.”
Neighbors haven’t seen cars going any slower.
“The situation is bad,” Allison Richner said. “It hasn’t gotten any worse, but it hasn’t gotten any better. We’ve been passed (by speeders) when we try to take a left into our driveway on the left hand side of the road.”
Bieren said the accident history (seven in two years), speed study and enforcement efforts did not indicate the need for traffic calming measures such as speed bumps.
“East of this area, near 132nd Avenue Southeast, we have a speed issue that will be helped with speed bumps or traffic circles,” Bieren said. “We are working with the neighborhood to install one of these traffic calming features.”
At this time, Bieren doesn’t expect the city to install speed bumps near the home of the Richners.
“We will continue to look at the section between 116th and 124th to see if there is something else that should be done,” he said.
Matt Richner said he would gladly accept a speed bump in front of his house and even help pay for it.
“We’ll happily pitch in whatever we can for a speed bump,” he said. “People say don’t want it in front of their house. I’ll put it in front of my house. I’d rather not see what we saw and for the community to lose another valuable community member just because of the fact that maybe we don’t meet the data they ask for.
“It needs to be solved. It’s a problem.”
Smith, who has children ages 7 and 3, would like to see speed bumps installed by the city.
“I’m hoping they will.” Smith said. “When we were (unincorporated) King County I don’t think there was any chance we could get something to happen on this road. As much as we’ve been bothering the city of Kent lately, I’m hoping we’ll get the response we need. We need it immediately. It’s really dangerous out here.”
Residents who want to learn more about the city’s Residential Traffic Calming Program, can call Rob Knutsen at 253-856-5530 for more information.
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