PORT LUDLOW — The safety concerns of Shine Road residents have sparked a move to lower the speed limit from 35 mph to 25 mph and a public hearing on the proposal is set for Monday.
Jefferson County Public Works conducted a traffic study and is recommending the change after the county received a petition Aug. 6 signed by 100 residents listing such concerns as narrow road width, recreational pedestrian use and traffic during Hood Canal Bridge closures.
“Reducing the speed limit on Shine Road is long overdue,” said Monte Reinders, Jefferson County engineer and public works director.
“The road is barely one and a half lanes wide and oncoming vehicles cannot even pass each other without coming to almost a complete stop in many areas.”
Jefferson County Undersheriff Art Frank was cited in a news release as being in favor of the proposed change.
“Shine Road is a rural residential street and is not intended for highway traffic and certainly isn’t designed for highway speeds,” he said, according to the release. “The 25 mph speed limit is warranted and appropriate.”
A public hearing on the proposal to cut the speed limit on the road is set for 10:30 a.m. Monday in the Jefferson County commissioners’ chambers at the Jefferson County Courthouse, 1820 Jefferson St., Port Townsend.
Written comment will be accepted by mail or email anytime through the close of the public hearing. Comments can be 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 tinyurl.com/PDN-shinetraffic.
Residents have complained that Shine Road frequently is used as an alternate route to the Hood Canal Bridge when state Highway 104 is congested, the county department said.
“While Jefferson County does not have the authority to designate public roads as ‘local access only,’ it will work with [state Department of Transportation] to discuss possible advisory signage to discourage use of this detour,” the news release said.
The county public works department’s findings are that Shine Road has poor visibility due to its many curves and also is more narrow than standard two-lane roads.
Much of its length is too narrow to support a centerline stripe, the report said, adding that white edge lines were added during this year’s chip sealing season as a safety measure to emphasize that the road is not a full two lanes wide.
Heavy foot traffic is another concern on Shine Road, the department said, especially because of its narrow to nonexistent shoulder widths.
“Many Shine Road dwellers must cross the road to retrieve their mail or access the beach, and longer dog-walking excursions along the roadside are also common among residents,” the release said.
The new speed limit of 25 mph would be consistent with most residential streets in Jefferson County, the department said.
“This change would create a safer road with negligible impact to drivers: the difference in travel time between 35 mph and 25 mph is only 96 seconds for the length of Shine Road,” according to the release.
For more information, call Jefferson County Public Works at 360-385-9160 or email pubworks@co.jefferson.wa.us.
