A roundabout will be built – soon – at the Highway 305/High School Road intersection. Asadvocates for nonmotorized transportation, bicycle, pedestrian and roller access, Safe Routes to Schools, and connectivity with the Sound to Olympics Trail, we urge Bainbridge Islanders to share their views and concerns with the Washington State Department of Transportation as the roundabout is in the early stages of design.
The intersection serves far more than regional commuters driving to and from the ferry. It is the primary point of crossing for neighborhoods on both sides of the highway near Winslow, for all ages and abilities in all modes of travel.
Residents east of the highway use it to reach our town center, and those to the west cross there for health care and services. Students use the intersection daily to and from school, while every single vehicle headed onto the ferry passes through. It is the most widely used intersection on the island.
This intersection is also a priority for safety improvements due to fatal and serious injury collisions.
It is critical that the roundabout be designed in scope and scale to reflect that wide use, to safely accommodate all who walk, bike and roll, and to respect our community’s commitment to nonmotorized travel.
We are not taking a position for or against the roundabout itself. That decision has been made. WSDOT intends to complete the pre-design this summer and begin roundabout construction in 2028. But there is still a narrow window for public input to see that bike-ped and rollability considerations are paramount in the design.
WSDOT and the City of Bainbridge Island are participating in a roundabout design workshop led by the renowned Dutch engineering firm Haskoning, to explore a range of design options to meet safety, traffic and community needs.
Following that workshop, our nonprofits are hosting a public presentation at 7 p.m. Feb. 12 at the Woodward Middle School commons. The Haskoning team will share roundabout design information and the results of the workshop. Mark your calendar and check our websites for details.
You can learn more here, including ways to give input directly to WSDOT: https://wsdot.wa.gov/construction-planning/search-studies/sr-305-high-school-road-pre-design. Or email: SR305HighSchoolRoad@wsdot.wa.gov
Time is short: the public comment period ends mid-February. The roundabout affects us all. Please make your voice heard today.
This op-ed was jointly written by the following people: Mary Meier, executive director of Bainbridge Island Parks & Trails Foundation; Alyse Nelson, president of Squeaky Wheels; Diane Landry, president of Sustainable Bainbridge; and Steve Durrant, project manager of Puget Sound to Pacific Collaborative.
