Worth Checking Out: National Night Out Tuesday at Waterfront Park; City Planning Signal Light at Key Intersection to Ease Head of the Bay Construction

Bainbridge Island is joining 18,000 other communities in celebrating National Night Out on the first Tuesday in August – this year Aug. 5 from 4-7 p.m. at Waterfront Park this year.

There will be food, available for purchase, from Big Boys Filipino Food Truck and Harbor Haute Dogs, shaved ice from Kona Ice, and cotton candy delights from Bluetree Farm & Forest on Bainbridge.

Field games are back by popular demand this year where kids and adults can play fun games with the Bainbridge Police Department (BIPD) Officers, community members, friends and/or family (games at 4:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m., and 6:30 p.m.).

The event will also include a scavenger hunt activity where kids (and adults alike) can ask our BIPD and other first responders and community resource booths interesting and humorous questions for a chance to win prizes. You can pick up a scavenger hunt card at the Check-In & Prizes booth on Brien Dr.

Don’t miss our other activities like Touch-a-Truck, free face painting, the giant inflatable obstacle course, community booths, Coast Guard booth, Washington State Patrol robot demos, KidiMu activities, and more! See you there!

Traffic Signal On the Way to Help Support the Head of the Bay Fish Passage Project

To help manage increased traffic along the Eagle Harbor Drive Fish Passage Project detour route, the City will be installing a programmable temporary traffic signal at the intersection of High School Road and Fletcher Bay Road during the week of August 11.

Traffic monitoring has shown consistent backups at this intersection around 4 p.m. on weekdays, while traffic flows more smoothly during most other times of the day. The new signal is designed to respond to these patterns: it will flash red when traffic is light and function as a full traffic signal during peak congestion periods.

The temporary signal will remain in place for up to two months or until the Eagle Harbor Fish Passage Project is complete, whichever comes first. This timing was selected to align with the start of the school year, optimize traffic management, and control costs.

In the meantime, a uniformed officer will continue to provide weekday traffic control for two hours daily to help maintain flow and safety.

The City continues to work with local businesses in the area (which are open!) and is communicating with the school district on traffic flow prior to the start of school.

“Thank you for your continued patience as we improve infrastructure, restore salmon habitat, and support safe travel on Bainbridge Island,” says City Manager Blair King.

Source materials and photos courtesy of the City of Bainbridge Island.