Othello School Board discusses 14th Street with city officials

OTHELLO — Traffic, traffic flow and pedestrian safety, especially for elementary students, were the subjects of a lengthy discussion at the Othello School Board meeting Monday.

Board members had asked about the decision by Othello city officials not to reinstall stop signs on 14th Street opposite Scootney Springs Elementary. Othello mayor Shawn Logan and the city’s development director Travis Goddard attended the board meeting to answer questions.

A portion of 14th was widened to accommodate anticipated increases in traffic at the new Columbia Basin Health Authority facility. There’s also a new subdivision of about 100 houses planned on the opposite side of 14th, Goddard said.

Prior to the street project there was a four-way stop at the entrance to Scootney Springs. The stop signs were not reinstalled at that spot on 14th when the project was completed.

“We just kind of have a funky mess” at that intersection, Goddard said, with multiple streets and the school driveway branching off 14th. “There are actually six intersections potentially affected by the stop signs that were there.”

More traffic studies are needed for 14th Street, he said, and in the meantime the city will install flashing yellow lights at Scootney Springs.

Board member Tony Ashton asked about the stop sign at Wahitis, and why it’s staying. The traffic situation around the two campuses is pretty much the same, he said. The number of cars seemed to be about the same at both schools, Ashton said, and if a stop sign was warranted at one intersection it should be warranted at the other. Goddard said the difference is the new CBHA facility, which is expected to double the traffic on 14th Avenue.

Board chair Juan Garza asked if the flashing lights would have the same effect as a stop sign. Hilmes said that didn’t help school bus traffic, and that pedestrians crossing 14th aren’t the way to control traffic.

The stop signs were installed at Scootney Springs because of the increased traffic, Ashton said, and it’s difficult for him to explain to district patrons why they’ve been removed at a time the road is expected to get busier.

Logan said the stop signs originally were required mostly because of school bus traffic across 14th, but district officials have changed the school bus route. In addition, more streets have been built and provide more routes and choices for drivers.

School isn’t open every day, Logan said. “The need for slowing and/or stopping traffic is the peak time at the school, is about half an hour in the morning and a half an hour in the afternoon. Does it make sense to slow everybody down (year-round) or does it just make sense to slow them down during the peak times?”

Board chair Juan Garza asked what the city plans to do, both in the short term and the long term. “This is our first step in addressing what the school district’s concerns are. I don’t think we’re done,” Logan said. City officials will be monitoring 14th, he said, and if this solution doesn’t work the city will look for other solutions. “At that point additional measures will need to be taken.”