Lacey to lower some speed limits, add roundabout to Carpenter Road/Britton Parkway
Lacey City Council voted unanimously on Thursday to reduce some area speed limits to 35 miles per hour.
The city is making the change largely because some recently annexed areas of unincorporated Thurston County had slightly higher speed limits (40 miles per hour) than the more common 35 mph speed limit in Lacey.
After Thursday’s vote, here’s what will change:
▪ Lake Lois/Pacific Avenue annexation: A section of Pacific Avenue in the county, which previously had a 40 mph speed limit will be slowed to 35 mph. Kinwood Street, which was part of the annexation, will stay at 35 mph.
▪ College Street Northeast extension: The city plans to eventually extend College Street from Sixth Avenue Northeast to 15th Avenue Northeast. Once it does, the city wants the extended area to have the same speed limit as the rest of the street: 35 mph.
▪ Steilacoom/Marvin Road annexation: The city is making no change to speed limits in this area because Marvin Road and Steilacoom Road are already set at 35 mph.
▪ Martin Way and Britton Parkway: Both Martin Way within the city and Britton Parkway from Marvin Road Northeast to Carpenter Road Northeast currently are set at 40 miles per hour, but now will be reduced to 35 mph.
Resident Craig Foster addressed the council during public comment about the intersection at Britton Parkway and Carpenter Road. He called it one of the more dangerous intersections he’s ever seen because the stop sign is set back a bit and driver views are blocked by hills, giving drivers little reaction time if another car suddenly appears.
The city’s Transportation Manager Martin Hoppe said the intersection is going to become a roundabout. He said the roundabout is almost completely designed and the city is purchasing right-of-way property in the area. The project is expected to go out to bid later this year, Hoppe said.
The council wrestled with the speed limits dilemma on Martin Way. The sections of Martin Way that run through Lacey will be reduced to 35 mph from 40 mph, but the areas of Martin Way in the county will stay at 40 mph. The result will be a stretch of road that alternates between 35 mph and 40 mph.
Hoppe said he has been talking to the county, but they have a much more complicated methodology for lowering speed limits. However, they will have to resolve issues about speed limits on Martin Way because both the city and county received a grant through the Safe Streets and Roads For All grant program, he said.
