Need for speed signs? | Letter

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, September 10, 2025

I wonder what the cost would be for two (2) solar-operated speed signs. The kind that tells the driver how fast they are going. Should this be a county-funded or privately funded project? There is about a five-block area, from Mt. Baker Road to School Road in Eastsound, where there are 2 Churches, a Senior Center, three Schools, a Teen Center and an Opal housing project, that has numerous children who need to cross the road. I cannot think of any other place on Orcas that has a similar area. The posted speed is twenty-five miles per hour as you leave the Village (going North), on North Beach Road, just before Opal. There are no posted speed limit signs, from Mt. Baker before all the hazards areas. I can assure you that cars and motorcycles go well over forty miles per hour, or more. I realize that the Sheriff does not have the resources to monitor this small part of Orcas roadway, 24/7. There is always a chance that solar signs might slow folks down.

John Erly

Orcas Island