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NEWPORT - In a long-awaited workshop Tuesday, Sept. 8, the Newport City Council consulted a Washington State Department of Transportation representative about some transportation projects under consideration.
The workshop occurred after the council’s regular meeting Tuesday, Sept. 8, during which the council motioned to accept questions for WSDOT from audience members, per council member Nathan Weather’s suggestion.
“It’s gonna be a long process,” council member Mark Collins said. “And by the time we even get to change, if [we] don’t have the money, [we] can’t do anything.”
Council member Mark Zorica led discussion about South Washington and Union Avenues, which the city may convert from one-ways back into two-ways. Owner of Country Lane downtown, Zorica said the oneways caused customers to bypass Newport businesses downtown, causing closures and significantly reducing revenue.
Tim Curns, a traffic engineer for design in WSDOT’s eastern region, said the avenues did not have to remain one-ways. He recommended the city commission a traffic study identifying the impacts of converting the one-days into two-ways, as both configurations had benefits and downsides.
“It’s really just making sure we all understand, what does it look like if you do change it,” Curns said. “From both a traffic flow standpoint, but also a safety standpoint.”
Curns knew of some bigger cities that converted oneways into two-ways to slow traffic. At the same time, he knew of others that converted two-ways into one-ways, which lowers traffic volume and allows for the signalization and progression of traffic at more controlled speeds. He cautions that two-ways may slow traffic in Newport too much, especially during holiday weekends and similar time periods.
Still, Zorica requested administrator Abby Gribi contact the city’s preferred engineer and scope out the costs of a traffic study and additional steps in the conversion process. He said the two-ways worked, even when more logging trucks utilized the avenues. Later in the meeting, Zorica even mentioned transferring jurisdiction over the avenues to the city — a process Curns said has been underutilized.
“We know that we’re losing revenue by having some of those folks pass by,” Zorica said, adding that one-way signage did not prevent drivers from driving the wrong way, creating safety hazards. “I can’t see a downside of the streets changing directions.”
City and WSDOT officials estimate that the process will take several years, depending on traffic volume in Newport. Between 8,000–10,000 vehicles pass through Newport a day, which is a load two-ways can easily handle, Curns said. WSDOT could also collect data on traffic collisions or near-collisions rather than volume or speed, to account for varied traffic throughout the year.
A traffic light or roundabout, both which require high traffic thresholds, may be installed at an endpoint of either two-way.
Audience member Rob Owen, who owns Owen’s Grocery and Deli downtown, pointed out that converting the two-ways into one-ways did not take several years. In response, Mayor Keith Campbell said the state had likely increased transportation regulations over the last few decades.
“Anything takes time — it’s just how it is,” Collins said. “Because we’re gonna have to work with all these different organizations and get things reviewed, signed off before it can actually happen.”
Zorica also led discussion about Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible parking. Currently, downtown Newport is not ADA-compliant — an issue brought to council in May by one of many disabled residents.
Curns had not looked further at the state laws related to this issue, but he told the council he would before reporting back. In the meantime, he said the state designated parking restrictions to the city, and that WSDOT reviewed and approved the engineering for ADA compliance. The process may involve a State Environmental Policy Act review.
“It’s not as easy as just putting a handicapped spot and a cut in the sidewalk to do it,” Campbell said.
The state is considering Newport for an upcoming paver project that could support the two-ways and ADA parking, Curns said, and the city can pursue funding from the Transportation Improvement Board upon approval of a traffic study. To minimize costs, Curns advised the city to make as many transportation improvements as possible during one project.
Another such improvement would address the drainage around Fourth Street. Owen said storms constantly cause flooding on Fourth Street, including at Kelly’s Bar and Grill downtown.
Audience and council members also requested more crosswalk lights, flag-holders or signage at high-traffic intersections such as Third Street and Washington Avenue, the site of many traffic collisions. They praised the effectiveness of the Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons that Newport received from WSDOT, and Curns said the city would be considered for more.
“Those are kind of the lower level that meet your traffic thresholds here,” Curns said of the RRFBs.
Council member Jami Sears said she observes illegal parking on the shoulder by Pend Oreille Cannabis Company on Highway 20 and Larch Street, causing traffic near-collisions. Curns said the city could contact the Washington State Patrol about enforcing no parking there.
WSDOT is responsible for maintaining any curb-to-curb damage to the avenues and plowing snow. Any snow that piles up on sidewalks, creating safety hazards, is the adjacent property owner’s responsibility.
Among other things, snow plowing has been a point of contention between the council and state.
“You guys do great things,” Zorica said to Curns. “But there’s certain things that, I’ve been here for a while now, you guys really don’t listen to us.”
The two-ways and ADA parking are both included in Newport’s Transportation Improvement Plan, which was submitted for incorporation into the State Transportation Improvement Plan and a regional traffic safety plan, Gribi said. Some transportation improvements are also outlined in Newport’s Comprehensive Plan, due for adoption by June 2027.
At the end of the workshop, council members thanked Curns for his attendance.
During the regular meeting, Gribi announced Sears’ resignation from the council, effective Monday, Oct. 12. The council will interview and appoint her replacement soon afterward, inviting back the applicants for Collins’ position.
