Lasher Street Improvement

Lasher Street is 0.2 miles in length and climbs 90 feet from Vancouver Avenue to its terminus (~8.5% average grade). At its terminus sits Cascade Village, a 36-unit affordable housing community. The people living there are underserved. Lasher contains 2 narrow lanes, no pedestrian facilities, no/limited shoulders, inadequate intersection sight lines, no/limited stormwater controls/treatment. On Upper Lasher, fire hydrant coverage is inadequate. Downhill speeding threatens pedestrians. Lower Lasher is crumbling.

This project will make life safer by transforming Lasher Street from its dangerous, undervalued condition into a Complete Street prioritizing pedestrians and safety. The project adds sidewalks, lighting, landscaping, and calming traffic features.

This project comes directly from our citizens. In 2022, the City surveyed the tenants of Cascade Village about the need for, and ideal location of, a sidewalk to serve them. They reported many concerns about pedestrian safety with no walk lanes. They overwhelmingly saw sidewalks as an improvement to this situation. They prioritized Lasher over 2 other routes.

The City has successfully secured funding from two different grant agencies (WSDOT & TIB) and are in the 2nd rounds of securing the final funding from a third grant(CDBG). The project design sits at 90% complete, and nearly ready to roll out!