The City of Medical Lake is preparing to implement a new street restriping project along a section of Lefevre Street, a move city officials say will improve safety, enhance mobility for pedestrians and cyclists, and reduce hazardous driving behavior along one of the community’s central corridors.
City Administrator Sonny Weathers said the project represents the next phase in the city’s broader effort to improve transportation infrastructure and create safer streets for everyone who uses them.
“The City of Medical Lake continues to invest in streets, sidewalks, trails and transit connections that improve safety, accessibility and everyday mobility for all users,” Weathers said via email.
The restriping effort follows the completion of a major improvement project along Lefevre Street last year that focused on pedestrian infrastructure. That project replaced aging sidewalks and filled several sidewalk gaps on both sides of the roadway. It also included the installation of new pedestrian lamps and street lighting designed to improve visibility and safety during evening hours and darker winter months.
City leaders say the upcoming restriping is intended to build upon those improvements by addressing traffic flow issues and improving conditions for cyclists and pedestrians.
One of the primary issues city planners hope to address involves left-turn traffic along Lefevre Street.
Currently, vehicles attempting to make left turns off the roadway often come to a complete stop while waiting for oncoming traffic. According to city officials, this has led to an unsafe pattern in which other drivers attempt to bypass stopped vehicles by passing on the right.
That behavior has resulted in several near-miss incidents involving pedestrians and other vehicles.
“Vehicles brought to a stop while making a left turn has resulted in other vehicles illegally passing on the right,” Weathers said. “This creates many near-miss situations with pedestrians and other vehicles.”
To address the problem, the city plans to install a center lane dedicated to protected left turns. The addition of the center lane will allow vehicles to move out of the main traffic flow while waiting to turn, preventing traffic backups and discouraging drivers from attempting unsafe passes.
City officials say the change should significantly reduce the risk of collisions and improve overall traffic flow along the corridor.
In addition to improving turning safety, the restriping project is also designed to slow traffic speeds along Lefevre Street.
Research in traffic engineering has shown that narrower travel lanes often encourage drivers to reduce speed. The redesigned striping will shift the travel lanes slightly closer to parked vehicles and pedestrian areas, visually narrowing the roadway.
The change is expected to naturally calm traffic without the need for additional signage or enforcement.
By bringing vehicle travel lanes closer to the parked cars and pedestrian spaces, city planners hope drivers will be more aware of their surroundings and travel at safer speeds.
Another major component of the project is the addition of protected bicycle lanes.
Under the proposed design, parallel-parked vehicles along Lefevre Street will be repositioned slightly farther away from the curb. This adjustment will create space for a protected bike lane between the curb and a buffer zone.
The bike lane will be separated from vehicle traffic by painted buffers and on-street parking, creating a barrier that helps shield cyclists from moving vehicles.
Weathers said this design has already been successfully implemented elsewhere in Medical Lake.
“This style of bicycle lane is the same as what was done in 2023 on Barker Street in front of the high school,” he said.
That project introduced a similar configuration with buffered bicycle lanes and adjusted parking placement, and city officials say it has proven effective in improving safety for cyclists while maintaining access for drivers.
The Lefevre Street design aims to replicate those benefits by providing a more comfortable and protected environment for people traveling by bicycle.
Pedestrian safety remains a major priority for the city as well.
The earlier Complete Streets improvements along Lefevre Street added sidewalks and new lighting designed to improve walkability. The upcoming restriping will complement those changes by slowing traffic and adding additional separation between moving vehicles and pedestrian spaces.
Painted buffers between bicycle lanes and parking areas also create additional distance between sidewalks and vehicle travel lanes, providing an extra layer of protection.
City officials say these combined improvements align with the city’s broader goal of creating streets that safely accommodate a wide range of users.
The Lefevre Street project is part of Medical Lake’s ongoing Complete Streets strategy, which focuses on designing roadways that work for drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and public transit users alike.
Rather than prioritizing vehicle traffic alone, Complete Streets policies emphasize balanced transportation planning that improves accessibility and safety for all modes of travel.
In recent years, the city has invested in a number of infrastructure improvements that reflect this philosophy, including trail connections, sidewalk expansions and improved lighting along pedestrian corridors.
The Lefevre Street restriping represents another step in that continuing effort.
Funding for the project is largely being provided through a grant from the Washington State Transportation Improvement Board (TIB).
The grant was formally authorized by the Medical Lake City Council through Resolution No. 26-791 during the council’s Feb. 3 meeting.
Under the terms of the grant, the Transportation Improvement Board will cover 90 percent of eligible project costs, with a maximum grant award of $767,700.
The project is also receiving financial support through Washington’s Climate Commitment Act, a statewide initiative that funds projects designed to reduce carbon emissions and improve sustainable transportation infrastructure.
By investing in pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, city officials say the Lefevre Street improvements align with those statewide goals.
City officials say the project reflects a long-term commitment to improving transportation infrastructure in Medical Lake while maintaining the community’s small-town character.
While construction timelines and final implementation details will be announced as the project moves forward, the city expects the restriping work to take place soon.
When completed, officials believe the changes will make Lefevre Street safer and more accessible for everyone who uses it — from drivers and cyclists to pedestrians walking through one of the city’s busiest corridors.
Weathers said projects like this are part of the city’s broader vision to ensure Medical Lake remains a safe and connected community.
“Investments like these help improve everyday mobility for residents while making our streets safer and more accessible for all users,” he said.
