Speed limit lowered on Olga Road

Be prepared to put on the brakes in the Rosario Road neighborhood.

County commissioners last week agreed to lower the speed limit near the west entrance of Moran State Park at the request of Rosario area residents.

The decision reduces the posted speed from 35 mph to 25 mph on a quarter-mile section of Olga Road, New signs should be in place within the next two weeks, county Engineer Jon Van Lund said.

On March 22, the Department of Public Works lobbied in favor of reducing the speed on behalf of numerous Rosario neighbors who petitioned the department for the lower limit. Van Lund said a combination of speed, poor visibility and curves along that narrow stretch of road is a concern for many neighbors. It is shared by Public Works. Ten traffic accidents have occurred on that stretch of road in the past decade, and four were multi-car collisions.

"This stretch of road has a fairly high number of accidents due to speed and limited sight distances," Van Lund said.

Still, not everyone was convinced that lowering the speed limit is the appropriate response. Prosecuting Attorney Randy Gaylord, although unable to attend last week's public hearing, suggested in a letter to the commission that warning signs and clearing the roadside of brush and obstructions might satisfy concerns about safety without disrupting traffic flow. Gaylord, whose letter was read into the record by Van Lund, raised his own concern about potential enforcement problems because of an increasing lack of uniformity of speed limits on Orcas Island.

Van Lund said increased maintenance would address only one part of the problem. He said Public Works and Rosario residents have already teamed up to clear overhanging brush and re-position a series of mailboxes further from the road. Drivers currently average 47 mph, and speed is the fundamental problem on that stretch of road, he said.

"A warning sign is not enforceable," Van Lund said. "The issues the prosecutor raises have merit, but we're concerned that people drive too fast."

Van Lund noted the majority of Rosario neighbors supported lowering the speed limit and that following their lead was good public policy and an appropriate response.

Commissioner Kevin Ranker acknowledged that the reduced speed will cause disruption in the current traffic pattern, and the lowered speed might catch some drivers by surprise. But, he said, speed is a legitimate and ongoing problem on that section of Olga Road, and the reduction will take effect only about one-quarter of a mile from its current location.

"Essentially, we're moving (the 25 mph speed limit sign) 950 feet up the road," Ranker said. "It's a small area being covered, but it's a significant amount of area because of the hazards."

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