Making Silverdale pedestrian-friendly

Kitsap County Public Works officials hope new traffic lights will help make Silverdale safer for drivers and pedestrians alike.

Central Kitsap Commissioner Josh Brown and Public Works had a ribbon-cutting ceremony June 29 for the two new traffic lights along Northwest Bucklin Hill Road in Silverdale.

“This is a major accomplishment to help Silverdale become more pedestrian- friendly,” Brown said.

New traffic lights were installed near Hollywood Video and the pedestrian crosswalk at the Clear Creek Trail. Additional expansion was done for the light at the Bucklin Hill and Mickelberry Road intersection. There have been about 30 accidents in the past three years in that area, according to Brown, and he hopes the new traffic improvements help make the area safer and more pedestrian-friendly.

Randy Casteel, with Public Works, said the original cost of the Bucklin Hill Road signalization project was $719,000, but the department ended up buying additional equipment, bringing the total cost to $990,000.

“That’s a big investment for our local taxpayers,” Brown said. “It’s a big deal for the county.”

The Bucklin Hill Road project also was scheduled to be completed last year, but Public Works decided to hold the project until the spring.

“We bought the equipment and poles last year, but we had so many projects going this fall that we decided to hold this one until the spring,” Casteel explained.

Brown said he hopes the new traffic lights help residents feel safer when crossing the streets throughout Silverdale.

“It’s a really good thing, folks are using them already that’s for sure,” Brown said.

Darla Murker, executive director of the Silverdale Chamber of Commerce, attended the Bucklin Hill lights dedication ceremony Friday and hopes the new traffic lights make people feel safer while driving and walking throughout Silverdale. She hopes to see more people using the pedestrian signals and crosswalks along the local streets.

“It’s all about the pedestrian thing. This is helping that,” Murker said. “We’re building community, we’re not just plots of businesses anymore.”

Public Works is planning to add traffic lights along Anderson Hill Road and Silverdale Way in the near future to continue making the area safer for drivers and pedestrians.

“I hope it’s helping a lot of folks,” Casteel said.

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