Everett, Wash.
Published: Wednesday, November 28, 2007

How a Web site could fix our traffic

UW researchers say getting people chatting online could point the way to alleviating the region's traffic congestion.

By Jeff Switzer
Herald Writer

 What if instead of politicians and engineers, everyday folks talked about what road and transit projects were important to them, and what taxes would be best?

The concept was part of a cutting-edge research effort that was under way online even as Puget Sound area voters mulled and panned Proposition 1, the $17.8 billion roads and transit measure.

The results, University of Washington researchers said Tuesday, show how grass-root, participatory democracy might point to a better way to solve the region's transportation debate.

"This is something new for the world, something new for the region," said Tim Nyerges, a UW geography professor. "It's basic research in participatory democracy that has a geographic focus to it.

"I think it's a good example of what future public participation might look like in regards to complex problems facing regions."

The university's effort drew on a $2.6 million grant from the National Science Foundation to create a Web site where people could anonymously debate the merits of road-and-transit projects.

Of 260 people who signed up, 135 stuck through the four-week process. Nine were from Snohomish County, the rest from King and Pierce counties.

Individually, they drafted their own tax packages and chose from menus of key projects.

A computer sorted their favorites, clustering five for a final vote.

In the end, 62 percent backed an $11.8 billion project list that leaned on several tax sources, including gas taxes, tolls on I-5 and I-405, a head tax on workers, car tab fees and vehicle license fees.

Don't draw any big conclusions from the positive vote, Nyerges said.

"We don't really consider ourselves representative sample," Nyerges said. "What we produced essentially is a Web site as a tool that could possibly be used for another round of public participation and insight about what the roads and transit project might mean to the region."

The research Web site was developed by a team of more than 20 researchers in the UW's departments of geography and civil and environmental engineering, plus the Information School and the University of Wyoming and San Diego State University.

The Web site's structure also could be used to discuss the cleanup of Puget Sound and habitat restoration projects, Nyerges said.

Researchers were barred from mentioning Proposition 1 because the electoral debate was raging, Nyerges said.

The people in the study posted comments online about the merits and pitfalls of tolls over sales taxes.

About 74 percent of participants were from King County, which might be why the final project list was predominantly projects for King County, such as billions of dollars for light rail, a new Highway 520 floating bridge and a new Alaskan Way Viaduct.

Snohomish County would have gotten about $431 million for bus-and-van fleets, Edmonds Crossing transit hub, and the interchange with U.S. 2.

Political leaders and transportation planners struggle and debate over years how to get major projects off the ground, and when they've agreed what to build, People want to participate beyond voting yes or no, but don't get a chance to get through the planner-speak or political roads-vs.-transit war, researcher Kevin Ramsey said.

"This was meaningful participation in a process that hasn't typically involved average citizens," he said. "It's not such a technical matter that they can't be involved.

"It's a nuanced conversation that average everyday people can participate in, not just planners and politicians in back rooms."



Reporter Jeff Switzer: 425-339-3452 or jswitzer@heraldnet.com.









On the web

To see the UW's research effort, go to www.letsimprovetransportation.org.
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