Commission Seeks Working Group to Improve Hayes Street Safety

MOSCOW – With Hayes Street safety a continuing concern, the Moscow Transportation Commission voted at its regular meeting Thursday to recommend actions to the City Council. 

Among the recommendations is to form a working group to pursue measures not indicated by the intersection and speed studies the city performed in the spring. Those studies showed that increased safety measures are not warranted under standard metrics.

“Just because data doesn’t support it, doesn’t mean a working group couldn’t recommend it,” said Commissioner Steve Mills. “The problem is bigger than the traffic-flow numbers.”

“This issue is not going to go away,” agreed Commissioner Joel Hamilton. He and other commissioners who walk, bike and drive a school bus in the area voiced their ongoing concerns, with at least one member saying the city doesn’t want to delay until someone is injured or worse.

The recommendation also includes such actions as: adding yellow no-parking curb paint on the west side of Blaine Street at Third Street to improve sight distance at the intersection near Lena Whitmore School; and conducting speed studies annually along Hayes Street. 

“The council is seeking a recommendation, rather than specific actions from the commission,” said Luke Hajda, city engineer and the new staff liaison to the commission. City staff compiled the recommendations from concerns voiced by commissioners at their July and August meetings, after the city’s safety study and report. Read earlier articles at:

With the commission’s vote, the recommendation will go to City Council for action.

In other business, the commission: 

* Agreed to pursue its goal to make accessibility to modes of transportation other than driving cars more inviting. Chair Sarah Tucker will work with staff to bring items pertaining to that goal to future meetings for discussion and action.

* Affirmed its intention to create and distribute public education information about the legal use of e-scooters, and to pursue ways to make helmets available and encourage their use. 

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Moscow Transportation Commission will be Oct. 8.