Months after the Coupeville Town Council approved an ordinance to change part of Front Street to a one-way road, city workers finally put up signs this month, causing some confusion for drivers.
The ordinance changes Front Street from South Main to Gould Street to a one-way road. The council members made the change as a way to mitigate a small landslide along the road that took out part of the pedestrian walkway.
The traffic revision wasn’t made until now due to the town’s limited staff and issues with getting all the necessary signs, said Coupeville Marshal Rick Norrie.
Signs are posted at intersections on Center, Haller, Kinney and Clapp Streets, which all connect with Front Street.
However, there is no one-way sign currently posted at Front Street and North Main Street.
This is causing some confusion for people, said Cindy Olson, who owns Aqua Gifts at that intersection.
Norrie said the absence of a one-way sign at North Main Street is being addressed and additional signage is coming.
Olson said she gets people stopping and running in specifically to ask her about parking in that area and frequently sees people parking in the wrong direction.
She said it’s been quite confusing for drivers, including herself.
The problem, Norrie said, is people are still making left-hand turns at Center Street.
Drivers can only park on the south side of Front Street from Main to Center and may only enter that portion of the road from North Main Street.
Currently people are still parking on both sides and sometimes in the wrong direction.
“You just can’t have a drastic change and have people understand it,” Norrie said. “You have to work with everybody.”
“We’re massaging it along, taking baby steps,” he added.
Norrie said his main focus in that area right now has been educating drivers about the changes. He said he does anticipate some revisions to parking on the one block in the future.
While approving the traffic revisions, council members discussed making additional changes to the area, including possibly continuing the boardwalk to connect with the pedestrian walkway.
Those projects are currently unfunded, said Coupeville Mayor Nancy Conard. The earliest she would expect any further discussion of funding those projects would be next fall.
