'I don't feel safe here:' City makes plans for View Ridge, Almira on Bremerton's east side
EAST BREMERTON — On Nora Norton's block, where Almira Drive meets Sylvan Way, the sounds of screeching tires and revving engines is commonplace. She's even watched cars collide while walking her dog, Ari, outside her home.
"There's too much traffic, and too many people don't know how to drive," she said. "I don't feel safe around here."
Bremerton leaders believe they have a solution to improve the safety of the intersection and the roads nearby. The city is pursuing a nearly $5 million project that will reconstruct Almira and create a safer route for pedestrians — including students at nearby View Ridge Elementary School — with new sidewalks.
New shared-use paths would be built on Spruce Avenue, from Sylvan all the way to the front steps of View Ridge. Another path would run on both East 33rd Street, and, with the permission of the Kitsap Regional Library, would turn through the green space of the Sylvan Way branch's backyard. And for Almira itself: a brand new street front would have smaller lanes and maybe even a traffic circle to slow down vehicles to go with new sidewalks, bike lanes and street lights.
The project is mostly funded with federal money, with more than $4 million coming from the Safe Routes to School program.
Mayor Greg Wheeler, who attended View Ridge, said he knows the dangers to both drivers and pedestrians in the neighborhood. While on the campaign trail, he heard the concerns of the area's residents.
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"I've crisscrossed the roads that don't have sidewalks, and I've watched a straightaway (on Almira Drive) that promotes speeding," the mayor said.
Construction is slated to begin in 2025, according to Bremerton Transportation Engineer Nick Ataie, who is managing the project.
There's a chance, Ataie said, that if the city receives more funding, a second phase could run sidewalks further north on Almira and connect with new ones that are being constructed as part of a 320-unit apartment project under construction on the road at its intersection with Riddell Road.
The city, with help from local bike and pedestrian advocates, is looking to create a path for walkers and cyclists that spans the entire east side of the city. The project on Almira is just a start, Ataie said. With a second phase of the project taking a new path all the way to Riddell, the goal is to also run it south through Bremerton School District property, near the East Bremerton Community gym, to Sheridan Road. There, it could also connect with the $26.5 million pedestrian improvements on the Warren Avenue Bridge.
Ultimately, the first priority is to help kids in their commute to View Ridge, Ataie said. That will include new crossings on Almira in which walkers can push a crosswalk button and activate flashing lights.
"The goal in all of this is getting kids to and from school safely," he said.
But with these first improvements, a wider plan for an East Bremerton pedestrian and cycling trail could also be taking shape.
This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: New road, sidewalks coming to Almira Drive, View Ridge Elementary
