Published: Sunday, December 23, 2007
Giving in to gridlock can never be an option
Growing pains got a lot sharper last week for folks who live near or drive through the corridor between Mill Creek and Lynnwood.
The Snohomish County Council's unanimous decision to lift a building ban along congested 164th Street -- a move that was made possible only after the council declared that further widening of the arterial between Highway 99 and Mill Creek was off the table -- all but ensures gridlock there will get worse. Higher development fees will be used to encourage more people to take the bus. While we applaud efforts to increase transit use, it's no big fix for 164th.
Only in the sometimes exasperating world of growth management could the council's action be justified. The state's Growth Management Act requires the bulk of new growth to go into areas where urban services already exist. The idea is to make service delivery more efficient and to protect the rural areas and vistas we all value so much.
Great ideals -- until they put the squeeze on your own way of life. That's what's happening in this case.
State-mandated growth targets in the area north of Lynnwood and west of I-5 preclude a long-term ban on residential or commercial development. Further widening of 164th Street would cost an estimated $100 million and displace many existing homes and businesses along the road -- and probably wouldn't ease congestion for long. Given current and projected growth rates, and the need to protect our still-beautiful corner of the world from sprawl, there are no simple solutions.
One important step the county can take is to add capacity to roads that feed 164th, and to alternative routes. Toward that end, the council last month approved an additional $130 million for roadwork projects, on top of those already scheduled. One would widen North Road, which intersects 164th. Part of the $130 million would be borrowed against existing road taxes -- an acceptable plan because interest rates are low and the needs are so great -- and part would come from the sale of part of the county's Cathcart landfill property on Highway 9.
Other new projects have yet to be approved, but priority should go to those that can ease gridlock on 164th and other key urban routes. Every effort should be made to move ahead as quickly as possible, even if it means paying more for engineers, who are in short supply.
Growth will continue, and roads will get more crowded. But rather than raising a white flag, the county must raise its commitment to keep traffic moving.
The Snohomish County Council's unanimous decision to lift a building ban along congested 164th Street -- a move that was made possible only after the council declared that further widening of the arterial between Highway 99 and Mill Creek was off the table -- all but ensures gridlock there will get worse. Higher development fees will be used to encourage more people to take the bus. While we applaud efforts to increase transit use, it's no big fix for 164th.
Only in the sometimes exasperating world of growth management could the council's action be justified. The state's Growth Management Act requires the bulk of new growth to go into areas where urban services already exist. The idea is to make service delivery more efficient and to protect the rural areas and vistas we all value so much.
Great ideals -- until they put the squeeze on your own way of life. That's what's happening in this case.
State-mandated growth targets in the area north of Lynnwood and west of I-5 preclude a long-term ban on residential or commercial development. Further widening of 164th Street would cost an estimated $100 million and displace many existing homes and businesses along the road -- and probably wouldn't ease congestion for long. Given current and projected growth rates, and the need to protect our still-beautiful corner of the world from sprawl, there are no simple solutions.
One important step the county can take is to add capacity to roads that feed 164th, and to alternative routes. Toward that end, the council last month approved an additional $130 million for roadwork projects, on top of those already scheduled. One would widen North Road, which intersects 164th. Part of the $130 million would be borrowed against existing road taxes -- an acceptable plan because interest rates are low and the needs are so great -- and part would come from the sale of part of the county's Cathcart landfill property on Highway 9.
Other new projects have yet to be approved, but priority should go to those that can ease gridlock on 164th and other key urban routes. Every effort should be made to move ahead as quickly as possible, even if it means paying more for engineers, who are in short supply.
Growth will continue, and roads will get more crowded. But rather than raising a white flag, the county must raise its commitment to keep traffic moving.
Comments
(