Crosswalks, cross sections and confirming priority issues were all a part of the Quilcene Complete Streets Community Design Workshop in the Quilcene Community Center on Monday evening, Dec. 7.

“We’ve done a lot of public meetings and this is by far one of the most engaged groups. I love it,” said presenter Jeff Bouma.

About 60 people turned out to contribute to the design for a Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) grant of $884,165, to make walking and biking safer along U.S. Highway 101 in downtown Quilcene.

“The number one intent is safety, to be accomplished through built elements compatible with the rural character of Quilcene,” explained project manager Eric Kuzma, of Jefferson County Public Works,

“This project will provide the Quilcene community with enhanced pedestrian crossings, sidewalks, and bicycle lanes along Highway 101 (about from U.S. Bank to the community center). The project may also include streetscape improvements such as traffic signs and beacons, pedestrian scale lighting, and landscaping and pedestrian amenities to serve as visual cues to slow drivers down as they pass through the Quilcene Center,” Kuzma said.

“We’re glad to see the project moving forward,” said Ed Spilker, of WSDOT’s Local Programs, which funded the 2012 grant. Spilker said the safety grant was awarded because of the area’s collision history.

Currently, about 40 percent of that area is travel lanes, 32 percent is paved shoulder, 18 percent is turn lane, 6 percent is vegetated area and 4 percent is gravel shoulder, said Sandy Fischer, of Fischer Bouma Partnership, the workshop presenting team.

“It’s all up for discussion this evening,” said Fischer.

Traffic speed was a main concern.

“I think people should make it so when you try to get to school, [drivers] will stop for little kids to pass,” said Abby Ward, at age 8 the meeting's youngest participant.

“I think it’s great that we have an opportunity to make our town look better,” said business owner Melody Bacchus, also newly elected as a fire district commissioner.

“Incremental slow-downs from both ends of town would be beneficial,” said resident Clayton White, who has been active with projects around the community center.

“The narrower the road, the more people will slow down. That’s proven,” commented Fischer.

“Police are here writing tickets. Police and deputies are part of the solution, but you are doing the longterm solution,” said Sheriff Dave Stanko, referring to his staff, and the Washington State Patrol.

Much of the area is open to parking areas, and parking access was a concern.

“The reason you feel like you’re traveling through a parking lot is you are,” commented Fischer.

Participants were asked to identify spending area priorities for vehicle circulation, speed and passing, sight distance, parking, pedestrian crossings and pathways for pedestrian and bicycle pathways by affixing three green dots for high priority items and a red dot for the lowest priority item.

“I’m not going to have money to do everything. We need to see what you value,” said Kuzma. “With a $600,000 budget, we have to be pretty surgical.”

Participants were also asked to select from four types of crosswalk and designate locations appropriate for crosswalks.

“Initial outreach identified pedestrian patterns from the school to the store, and from the community center to the coffee house,” said Kuzma.

In another segment, teams were given elements of street design, and asked to construct ideal cross-sections of highway at three places: in front of the school, near the post office, and in front of the community center.

A practical design that addresses the problems at the lowest cost possible is the goal, said Scott Sawyer, civil engineer with SJC Alliance, who takes the information gathered in this and a workshop to be held early in 2016 to make the final design for approval by WSDOT.

Some participants expressed skepticism regarding the design process, and one asked the money be spent on something more important.

Spilker explained that the grant must be spent on bicycle and pedestrian safety.

“We need to do one step at a time,” said Kuzma. “We want this project to be successful.”

The next step is another community workshop early next year, to present the community with some possible alternatives, and to discuss details.

“There are a few technical things we need to work through,” said Fischer.

Interested persons may contact Public Works at 385-9160 for more information, or to be put on the Quilcene Complete Streets Project email list.

Information is also available online at co.jefferson.wa.us.

Hard copies will be available in the Quilcene Community Center and on the Jefferson County Library bookmobile, said Kathleen Kler, county commissioner.