UW campus will thrive if located in Everett

I urge the Site Recommendation Committee to strongly consider placing the new University of Washington campus at one of the two proposed locations in Everett the former Kimberly-Clark riverfront property or near Everett Station.

As we have seen this past year, high gas prices and fickle traffic conditions make driving prohibitively expensive in time and money for many, often the very people who need to be mobile due to multiple jobs and enrollment in school. More young people are waiting to buy their first car, and more homeowners, feeling the bind of high interest rates, are foregoing that extra car purchase. This means that driving is impractical for more people, and for those who do choose to drive, the conditions are miserable and costly.

Growing up in the Lynnwood/Mukilteo area, I witnessed the effects of rapid growth with little sustainable planning transit was added as an afterthought in a desperate game of catch-up, rather than integrated with the city's growth. This made transit impractical and arduous for many, necessitating the use of cars to move around the area. The same will happen with any developing community that does not already have an infrastructure established.

Meanwhile, Everett has numerous advantages over any other urban area in the region north of Seattle.

First, it has a large train station with commuter service to and from Seattle; with both the new Mukilteo station and the potential for light rail anticipated, it will become even more of a major transit hub in the next few years. Such a campus would be accessible to everyone and guarantee high enrollment.

Second, the Everett downtown area already has integrated bus route access, an orderly grid layout of streets (to maximize access and allow for traffic flow control), and room for local businesses to move in to support the demand of the university's students. The direct access to Boeing and the Naval Station would provide invaluable chances to integrate learning with local industry and employment. As a Naval officer, I know that many of our servicemembers would benefit greatly from having a polytechnic university so close to base.

The close proximity to the Snohomish County PUD offices, the marina and the county campus provide even more opportunities for students to incorporate hands-on learning. Additionally, the city of Everett is already taking active measures to increase population density within the downtown core having the option of living in the city, merely a mile or two from the campus, would reduce students' cost of living and commute time while increasing transportation options for students and facilitating their education.

Even with the campus located in Everett, every community in the region will benefit the main UW campus enjoys extensive bus routes to nearby communities (all of which have thrived), and we could easily bolster existing bus routes to support student commuters in the same way. This would benefit everyone in the area as we all enjoy the advantage of an extended bus system with more frequent runs reducing, rather than increasing, congestion in the I-5 corridor. Placing the campus in Everett would also allow the surrounding communities to keep their unique flavor and culture and more gradually acclimate to an environment with large numbers of students.

We are at a tipping point that will influence the social and economic development of the entire North Sound region for years to come, and it is our duty to think not just of what we will gain tomorrow, but of what future generations can reap from the prudent decisions we sow.



Sabrina Weiner of Everett is enrolled in the Alden March Bioethics Institute's Masters of Bioethics program, and coaches debate at Snohomish High School. She is also a Naval reservist, having been released from active duty in August 2004. Weiner earned a bachelor of science degree from Stanford University and was a National Merit Scholar at Kamiak High School.