The Bainbridge Island Fire Department Board of Commissioners received an update about the proposed Highway 305 and High School Road roundabout as part of its Jan. 28 meeting.

BIFD chief Jared Moravec said after speaking with state Department of Transportation officials, several safety concerns arose, including: traffic flow, queuing of vehicles on intersecting roads, ferry line traffic, pedestrians, and proposed raised crosswalks, all of which he said could impact the department’s ability to respond to emergency calls.

WSDOT recently released its proposed design concept of the roundabout, which includes connections to the Sound to Olympics Trail; splitter islands intended to slow and direct traffic in the roundabout, as well as providing a safety refuge for pedestrians and bicyclists; separate crossings for people walking and biking; raised crossings with flashing beacons; a 70-foot center island and shoulder curbing; and one exit lane going north and a widened splitter island. If future traffic volumes require an extra through lane traveling north on 305, the part of the splitter island could be removed to add an additional exit lane.

An in-person open house will be held by WSDOT at the Woodward Middle School Commons from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Feb. 11. This is a drop-in style event and no formal presentation will occur. Project team members will be on hand to answer questions. There is also an online open house for community feedback that runs through Feb. 20.

Moravec said the primary funding objective aims to improve traffic safety and reduce accidents, but does not fund other safety issues. He said he supports sending a letter to state lawmakers, ensuring they receive the department’s safety concerns with the current proposed design, adding, “I believe that it is time to formally respond to WSDOT in writing and formally express our concerns with state representatives.”

Board members expressed support for Moravec’s proposal and the need to express the department’s safety-related concerns directly with state lawmakers. Another area Moravec said he’d like WSDOT to focus efforts on includes providing drivers with information on how to respond to traffic in the roundabout.

“So what we have to do is do our part to support the idea of reducing accidents, but in this particular case, we can’t be doing that at the expense of creating a bunch of collateral impacts to emergency services,” he said.

Moravec also provided the board with an annual review update. BIFD reported a roughly 50% decrease in shift overtime hours in 2025 compared to 2024. In 2025, BIFD responded to 3,781 calls, of which 71% were EMS and 29% fire/other non-EMS calls. The department provided 1,567 transports, 135 more than in 2024.