Oak Harbor’s plan to build a mid-block crosswalk on Whidbey Avenue because of persistent jaywalkers took another step forward.

While pedestrian scofflaws will still risk getting citations, police officers won’t be emphasizing patrols in the area.

During Tuesday’s meeting, the Oak Harbor City Council approved the issuance of a “request for proposal” for a consultant to design the crosswalk on East Whidbey Avenue, between the Saar’s Marketplace parking lot and the area of the Roller Barn.

But first, Councilman Rick Almberg grilled Mayor Scott Dudley about whether the police department has increased enforcement in the area.

He pointed out that a traffic engineer recommended both “targeted enforcement” and signs in the area to increase safety.

“If they made that recommendation,” he asked, “if we paid for that recommendation, why aren’t we following it?”

Almberg added that the crosswalk won’t be built for months — which means it will be unsafe for months — and that the mayor has the authority to direct the police department.

Other council members said they agreed.

Councilman Joel Servatius referred to a January incident in which a woman was hit by a truck while she was walking across the road at the site of the future crosswalk.

“I wonder if that accident would have been prevented with some targeted enforcement,” he said.

Dudley said that he did not plan on asking the police to place an emphasis on addressing jaywalkers in the area.

He questioned whether it makes sense to assign “extremely busy” officers to jaywalking duty.

“I don’t think we want to be heavy handed … especially if a fix is coming forward.”

After the meeting, the mayor said he questions whether council members really care about safety since they have delayed the project.

The proposal to build the mid-block crosswalk has been controversial from nearly the beginning.

He brought the proposal to the Skagit-Island Regional Transportation Planning Organization, and the group ranked it as the No. 1 project for funding. The city received a $224,500 grant from the federal Transportation Alternative Program to build the crossing. The grant requires no local matching funds.

Almberg and other council members questioned the wisdom of building a crosswalk at the area, especially with two crosswalks at adjacent intersections and many ingresses and egresses on the road in the one-block area.

The proposal is to build the crosswalk next to the T-intersection with Northeast Barron Drive.

The council required that a consulting traffic engineer look at the area and write an opinion letter about the proposed project.

The engineer advised that there is a “demonstrated need” for a crosswalk at the site.

The letter cost the city $4,000.

After the pointed discussion about police enforcement Tuesday, the council unanimously agreed to issue the request for qualified firms to develop the design.

The council also approved the issuance of an RFP for a project without controversy.

The city also received a $224,500 grant from the federal Transportation Alternative Program to repair the city’s waterfront trail at the Veteran’s Park on Pioneer Way.

The section of the trail collapsed in a landslide in February 2013.