All of the Bainbridge Island City Councilmembers wanted to improve Valley Road.
But three of them said the council, city staff and many others have worked for a long time setting priorities in the Sustainable Transportation Plan, and that work was ignored by the majority.
Councilmember Clarence Moriwaki, an active bicyclist, said he would like to improve any road on BI that doesn’t have shoulders. He added he would like to fix “all the main routes, like yesterday.”
But the community needs to be able to trust the council to follow the process. He said other transportation projects also have been waiting for a long time, and the city needs to deliver on those projects. He also mentioned residents can weigh in on the capital improvement plan which is a road map for the next six years, and this project wasn’t prioritized. However, he did say it is a very worthy project, and he’s not against it. “It’s all about process.”
Councilmember Kirsten Hytopoulos agreed that there were many hours of work and money spent on the STP. “We want to be able to do huge things,” she said. But the community has to have “confidence in us that we will deliver.” She said improvements are needed all over the island where people like to walk and bike. Projects went through a process and were prioritized.
Moriwaki said he understands why residents out there are frustrated. They were told years ago that area was a priority. “I don’t know why nothing was done, ” he said, adding that having four city managers in four years shows how the city was being run. He said in spending tax dollars they need to be responsible and predictable.
Hytopoulos said so many roads on BI are not safe, and people have been begging for relief for years. “But we’re going to ignore the plan and choose to push one of many projects to the front.”
In voting with the majority, Mayor Brenda Fantroy-Johnson said the council should not be stagnated by process. “I support safety on the island. That’s what this vote is for.”
Councilmember Leslie Schneider said she was “very, very torn” on the vote, adding she thought the neighborhood did a good job organizing to get council support.
Councilmember Joe Deets said he wants to “get things done that the community wants us to do.” He added that by responding to the Valley Road residents the council was following an established process.
Deputy Mayor Jon Quitslund said he respects the STP, but “this project is not a major deviation” from it. He added that somebody is always going to feel like “their needs are not being respected.” However, everyone needs to “recognize that STP is not designed to please everybody.”
During public comments, three people urged the council for support.
Els Heijne said discussing Valley Road improvements are not new. “I’ve been to 60 million meetings on this,” she said, adding Valley has been “next on the list” since 2005. She said over 100 people were at a community meeting at Rolling Bay in 2015. “It’s not a new thing.”
Dan Kowalski said, “You’re taking your life into your own hands, literally, if you’re walking on Valley.” He said he is a bike rider and has to hug the white line or he’ll go into a ditch or come within feet of being hit by a car.
Nick Snider said it’s a longtime issue, and it should have the same priority level as the other connecting centers.
As a result of the vote, Valley Road’s project will include up to $150,000 for a public open house, community input, negotiate right of way, develop preliminary designs, efforts to receive grants and if they are received a bid for construction for the third quarter of 2025.
The rest of the $350,000 in year-end excess funds, which amounts to $200,000, would go to Lynwood Center nonmotorized capital improvement projects starting at Eagle Harbor Drive.
