Jefferson County Public Works will hold a public hearing Nov. 19 to receive comment on a plan to reduce the speed limit on Shine Road in Port Ludlow. Due to frequent closures of the Hood Canal …
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Shine Road runs parallel to Highway 104, west of the Hood Canal Bridge.
Jefferson County Public Works will hold a public hearing Nov. 19 to receive comment on a plan to reduce the speed limit on Shine Road in Port Ludlow.
Due to frequent closures of the Hood Canal bridge during the summer for construction and military use, Shine Road residents saw an increase in traffic as drivers used the road to cut ahead in line for the bridge.
Shine Road is narrower than standard two-lane roads, and sections of the road are too narrow to support a centerline stripe. Shine Road residents were concerned that the increase in traffic on a residential road was a safety issue.
A citizen petition with more than 100 signatures was brought to the county, asking for change. The county’s plan would decrease the speed limit from 35 mph to 25 mph.
“It’s not a thoroughfare. It wasn’t designed to be a thoroughfare,” John Fabian, a resident of Shine Road, said at a county commissioners’ business meeting on July 23. “The speed limit is 35 mph, which is too fast. And it’s particularly too fast when a line is created when the bridge is closed.”
Public works conducted a traffic study and found there were some instances when an increase in traffic coincided with bridge closures and peak weekend traffic, corroborating residents’ reports.
They also found that lowering the speed limit would not affect any other roads or increase traffic in other areas.
“It’s not going to push the problem out somewhere else,” said Wendy Clark-Getzin, a public works transportation planner.
Public Works also added fog lines during this year’s chip-sealing season as a safety measure to emphasize the road is not a full two lanes wide.
“The 25 mph speed limit is warranted and appropriate,” Jefferson County Undersheriff Art Frank said of the proposed change.
The public hearing to discuss the Shine Road speed limit reduction will be held at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 19 in the Commissioners Chambers at the Jefferson County Courthouse, 1820 Jefferson St., Port Townsend.
Written public comment will be accepted by mail or email through the close of the public hearing, addressed to the BoCC at P.O. Box 1220, Port Townsend, WA 98368 or at jeffbocc@co.jefferson.wa.us.
The full Shine Road 2018 traffic report is available at www.co.jefferson.wa.us/DocumentCenter/View/6742/Shine-Road-Traffic-Study-2018.
Questions can be directed to Jefferson County Public Works at 360-385-9160 or pubworks@co.jefferson.wa.us.
