Spokane Valley roundabout sparks safety concerns for neighbors

SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — A roundabout in Spokane Valley is drawing criticism from neighbors who says it has made made the area less safe, despite the city’s efforts to improve it.

The roundabout was installed last summer at 16th and Bowdish to replace a four-way stop just a few blocks east of University Elementary School. It was originally intended to reduce crashes. However, neighbors say they hear frequent horn honking and see monthly car crashes.

“It worked fine before. I don’t know why they changed it,” said Irvin Groh, who lives near the roundabout.

Since November, the city has added several safety features, including a motion-activated sign, light-up yield signals, and white markers to slow traffic. Despite these changes, residents said they still don’t feel it is safe.

“It’s causing a huge safety issue,” said Carolyn Chandler, another neighbor. “I don’t like to drive through it. I have to sometimes to get home, but I avoid it if I can and I do not walk through it anymore.”

Some residents believe the added infrastructure is making things worse.

“Just make a simple sign in the middle that says it’s a roundabout. Don’t worry about the crosswalks or all the rest of the stuff that gets in the way, and people will be able to see everything going on and they won’t be distracted,” said Zed, a Spokane Valley resident.

The City of Spokane Valley said it is aware of the neighborhood’s concerns and is working to make changes.

“When the SVPD monitors the intersection, drivers operate at the posted speed without any issues. When police are not present, we see a pattern of drivers’ speeds increasing significantly. We feel additional modifications are warranted to control vehicle speed,” said the city in a recent statement.

City officials said they are finalizing plans to further improve the roundabout and will announce changes and a schedule for implementation in the coming weeks.

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