Public works presents Old Highway 12 speed study; engineers recommend mix of 60 mph segments and lower town limits, public hearing set for Sept. 15

Walla Walla County public works staff on Monday laid out a traffic and speed study for Old Highway 12 and recommended a mix of restored higher-speed segments and targeted slow zones through hamlets. Public Works engineer Joel presented a corridor analysis produced by consultant DKS. The county took ownership of Old Highway 12 from the Washington State Department of Transportation about 18 months ago; county code sets a default 50 mph maximum for county roads, but the former state highway was historically signed at 60 mph on long rural stretches. Key recommendations and findings: - Western rural segments (near Nine-Mile Hill into the rural stretch) have 50th-percentile speeds around 60 mph and a significant share of drivers exceeding that; engineer and consultant recommended restoring 60 mph where geometry and visibility support it. - Short "step-down" 50-mph segments are recommended as transition zones into towns to avoid sudden drops from 60 to lower posted speeds. - Touchet (referred to in the study as "Tusche") had a 50th-percentile speed at roughly 53 mph and the top 15 percent at about 59 mph on the data sample; the consultant recommended a 35 mph town limit, plus additional measures such as speed-feedback signs, added lighting, and a lighted, push-button crosswalk near the school. - The Loudon segment has observed 50th-percentile speeds closer to the posted 40 mph and the study recommended leaving that segment at 40 mph. - Between Loudon and Frenchtown Road, higher density of driveways and businesses led staff to recommend keeping that corridor at 50 mph rather than restoring 60. Traffic volumes and measures: the study reported average daily traffic of about 1,600 vehicles on the corridor; staff proposed a menu of engineering and enforcement measures including speed-feedback signs, gateway signs, crosswalks and potential lane-narrowings or raised center medians as options to reduce speeds through populated areas. Commission discussion and next steps: commissioners asked for more local input in Touchet and noted enforcement options such as using a mobile speed-trailer. Joel and Dan from public works said they would share the data with the sheriff's office and that the county has arranged for a public hearing on the recommended speed changes set for September 15. Why it matters: Old Highway 12 is a long former state highway with segments of rural, high-speed travel and short town centers where pedestrians and schoolchildren cross; the study balances historical driver behavior, safety design and enforcement capacity. What's next: a formal speed-limit hearing will be held on Sept. 15 to accept public comment before commissioners consider adopting any changes to posted speed limits.