Frustrated resident says Highway 99 corridor still dangerous to pedestrians

Fitzsimmons, who serves as president of the Sherwood Hills Neighborhood Association, said that having pedestrian-friendly infrastructure is a quality-of-life issue. She said that for some more vulnerable residents, it’s an issue of basic safety.

She said there is a trailer park as well as apartments that house low-income individuals along the corridor. She said that many of their residents don’t have cars. Fitzsimmons also said they have no choice but to make their way to the store or bus stops along the busy highway using bike lanes or deteriorating patches of pavement. She said that sometimes she sees people in wheelchairs or pushing baby carriages.

“They are literally 3 feet away from cars going 40 mph or faster,” said Fitzsimmons, who also worries about her 11-year-old grandson using the streets.

Jeff Mize, spokesman for Clark County Public Works, wrote in an email that the county has finished projects that have improved some sidewalks in the area. He also pointed to efforts by Councilor Julie Olson to shuffle county funds to invest more money in sidewalks.

Still, “I see her point,” Council Chair Marc Boldt said in a text. “It has been slow.”

Pinch points

On a weekday morning, cars and trucks zoomed past Fitzsimmons as she walked along Northeast Highway 99 south of Northeast 117th Street. Fitzsimmons was separated from traffic by a concrete barrier, part of a mile-long interim pedestrian walkway the county installed that’s meant to be a temporary improvement until permanent sidewalks are in place.

As she continued walking, the barrier ended. Fitzsimmons was back in the bike lane a few feet away from speeding traffic. Fitzsimmons calls this one of several “pinch points” on the highway where the infrastructure abruptly becomes less pedestrian-friendly.

As she walked along, she came to the intersection of Northeast 104th Street and Northeast Highway 99. She said that during the winter, water puddles there.

“Can you imagine trying to move a wheelchair around that?” she said.

Fitzsimmons said she is grateful for some improvements. She pointed to the area around Chuck’s Produce on the corner of Northeast 117th that has more sidewalks around it.

Mize said that most new sidewalks in the county are built either by private developers as a condition of development, or by the county as part of a large road project.

“The county is taking this seriously,” he said.

He said that last year, the county finished a project that improved the sidewalk on the west side of Northeast Highway 99 from Northeast 63rd Street to Northeast 78th Street. It also included a new pedestrian crossing near the Fred Meyer store.

He also said that the county has another sidewalk project scheduled for construction later this year on the east side of Northeast Highway 99 from Northeast 122nd Street to Northeast 129th Street, north of Fitzsimmons’ neighborhood. He pointed to a county mailer that states that the project will include about 1,450 feet of concrete sidewalk that will address a gap between the bridge over Salmon Creek to Northeast 129th Street.

‘What it’s all about’

Fitzsimmons said that over the years, she’s been in touch with county officials about the lack of sidewalks. She’s invited members of the county council to walk along the highway.

“They need to walk it to really see for themselves what it’s all about,” she said.

She said that none have taken up her offer. But Olson, a Republican who represents the area on the county council, has taken notice.

Olson said she saw an opportunity as the county was preparing to fine-tune its two-year budget last year.

She said that she inquired about using one of the county’s Real Estate Excise Tax funds for sidewalks. In December the council, at Olson’s suggestion, directed $1 million from the fund to the county’s sidewalk program.

She said that in March, the council amended its 2018 Annual Construction Program to use the funds for two sidewalk projects on Northeast Highway 99. The first is from Northeast 122nd Street to Northeast 129th Street. The second is a scoping project near Northeast 104th Street and Northeast 117th Street, which is the area that concerns Fitzsimmons.

Olson said that there are a handful of issues she typically hears about from constituents, and sidewalks are one of them. She said that the area along Northeast Highway 99 is particularly problematic. The once-rural area has become very urban, and it can be hard to rebuild infrastructure along the highway.

She said that the original plan to install sidewalks on Northeast Highway 99 was proposed in 2006 before the recession of 2008, which ended up altering county plans. She said that the Real Estate Excise Tax fund typically funds projects internal to county government.

“I wanted to start having this money going back into the community where people can see where those tax dollars go,” said Olson. She added that the funds can be leveraged for grants.

Boldt said that the county is considering a Complete Streets policy. If adopted, it would mean that roadways in the county should generally include infrastructure for pedestrians, bicyclists, disabled and elderly individuals and transit riders. He said the policy, along with the additional money, could help get the county caught up on Northeast Highway 99.

In the meantime, Fitzsimmons said she’ll keep her eye out for people walking on Northeast Highway 99.

“There are people walking not because of their health but because they don’t have a choice,” she said.