I don’t think most residents realize what goes on here on 21st Avenue S.W. or even in Federal Way.

When we moved here 50 years ago, we never dreamed that when we became a city, they would turn our street, 21st Avenue S.W., into a freeway. It was a quiet neighborhood, with a nice street and neighbors that respected each other. Then little by little, our city council allowed more and more homes to be built without anyone’s OK. And now the traffic starts at 6 a.m. with the big yellow school buses that do not pick up any students on our street, but come down to 21st Avenue S.W. at 6:40 a.m. We couldn’t sleep if we wanted to.

They did it to us, and they can do it to you.

Then one day a few years ago, they sent us ballots (which I still have copies of) and told us to vote for what we wanted (speed bumps or speed tables). We voted for two bumps and two tables. That seemed to be fine, until about a week later when they announced that we were to have only the lower tables that do absolutely nothing.

WHAT! They changed our votes???!!! I called the city and asked why they changed our votes!!?? They said, “Oh others complained!!! So they changed our votes????? I thought it was illegal to change votes!!! IT IS!! BUT, if that was legal, then it should be legal to change the votes from our last city election!!! Many people complained about those results also.

Now there have been at least two side-by-side car races coming down from the Adelaide area on 304th Street S.W. One of the races ended up in the next block, without stopping on 21st, tearing up a neighbor’s yard and into the next. If students had been walking there they could have been injured or killed. The next race went up the hill flying like a jet plane and around the Vantana homes. The noise was horrible.

There are no stop signs going east and south at 304th Street S.W., where residents should stop and look for at least a couple of minutes. I watch as residents come up from the end of 21st Avenue S.W. and down the hill from View Cliff. If one of them had been in that intersection when there were those speeding cars, they could have been injured or killed. I have been told by other residents that they have had close calls by cars flying down from View Cliff. Other neighbors have told me about hearing speeding cars on 21st Avenue S.W. They too are tired of what’s going on. One of our police officers told of giving nine tickets one morning, and also more on another morning. But now where are our police patrols?

The City Council member Jack Dovey said he thinks if they put in those two stop signs and someone gets hurt, the city would be liable. I would certainly think that, now when the city knows that there is a major problem that has been ignored for several years, even petitions have been signed by adjacent neighbors three times (10 residents or more) this would not be good for the city. They allowed a four-way stop up on the other side of Adelaide Elementary School, and also use crossing guards. But we can’t even have 2 signs for safety. There are 20 signs down the hill at Adelaide beach at the public parking. No, it may not insure that nothing will happen, but isn’t saving a life or even an injury worth a try? Why do other intersections have them? What is going on?

I hope for your support at 6 p.m. Monday, April 4, at City Hall (land use/transportation council committee meeting). Please tell your experiences in just three minutes. Yes, there is so much more that residents don’t know. I hope to see you Monday.

Nancy Combs, Federal Way