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 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 6:27 pm |
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Local News 
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State plans to put a roundabout on Highway 9 It’s the best way to make the 172nd Street NE intersection safer, state engineers believe. ARLINGTON — The intersection of Highway 9 and 172nd Street NE won’t become a roundabout until 2011 at the earliest, but the state wants drivers to get used to the idea now.An open house about the roundabout is scheduled tonight at Arlington High School. Department of Transportation engineers recently decided that a $15.6 million roundabout is the best way to relieve congestion and improve safety at the intersection. After meeting with local drivers, business owners and truck drivers during the summer, engineers chose the roundabout solution over a new traffic signal there. “We really looked at the pros and cons of each option and found that the roundabout provides the greatest safety and congestion benefits for the longest period of time,” said Jason Koreski, project manager for the state. “It will provide the greatest return on our investment, working efficiently 20 to 30 years from now.” Beloved in some circles and scorned in others, roundabouts are fast becoming an alternative to traffic lights and stop signs in Western Washington. In the future, drivers traveling between I-5 and Highway 9 on 172nd Street NE may have to navigate roundabouts at as many as five intersections. Right now, though, there’s only enough money to make improvements at the intersection of Highway 9 and 172nd Street NE, which is also known as Highway 531. Daily, more than 16,000 drivers use the intersection. During the past five years about 30 people have been seriously injured in collisions there, most caused when drivers were turning left at the intersection, transportation officials said. With Arlington’s population expected to increase 75 percent by 2025, it’s time to make a change, transportation officials told the Arlington City Council earlier this year. Even if a lot of development occurs near the intersection, a roundabout there is projected to work efficiently for several decades, transportation officials said. The city doesn’t have much say in the state’s plans for the roundabout because it’s at the intersection of two state highways, public works director James Kelly said. Still, city officials are supportive of the proposal. Roundabouts keep traffic moving, and are the clear winners over traffic signals for fuel efficiency, pedestrian safety and fewer delays on the road, Kelly said. “This should be a good roundabout,” City Councilman Steve Baker said. “It should slow people down near the high school.” Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427; gfiege@heraldnet.com. |
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COMMENTS
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This is the same State thinking, that created entrance & exit ramps merging together. The same State that forced Mercer St traffic to cross I-5 to get to 520. The same State that can't figure out 172nd and I-5, so they change it every 6 months.(the same goes for 164th st from I-5 exit). The same State that closes lanes down to paint stripes during rush hour times. The same State that is in a constant state of catch-up because they can't think ahead of the curve. Remember, the brilliant minds who think up these great ideas are not actually using the roads they are changing. It's all done on computer models which are notoriously wrong. Do they think a round-a-bout system is going to change bad driver's habits? The same drivers who run the red lights, are not going to use a round-a-bout correctly anyway. Example being Arlington's. I never had any close calls when it was a 4 way stop, but now it's like russian roulette, not to mention the people trying to cross the street on foot. Round-a-bouts work in Europe, because they all drive like a bunch of maniacs anyway.
Mark Walker | Oct 29, 2009 11:07 am | 0 replies | Request removal
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I was just in Sedona Az. Where they put in roundabouts to save from having to put in lighted intersection. They are very dangerous, hard to merge into, and when the flood hit the emergency vehicles could not get through. There was nowhere for the traffic to go on the curve and the aide, and fire engines couldn't get past anyone. It was awful and rather scarey. Please do more investigation for the short term fix may cause long term problems and could endanger people lives in ways you are not thinking about.
Leesa Murray | Oct 28, 2009 9:18 am | 0 replies | Request removal
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Traffic delays have gotten a lot worse since they put in dedicated left turn lanes on highway 9- north and south with no option to yield to through traffic.
Pretty frustrating having to wait minutes before light to cycle through and no cars coming through intersection before then.
I would expect a large roundabout with several lanes would provide better traffic.
Also, when travelling Highway 9 and even when I have the green light, I always slow down at this intersection because of fear of someone running the red light.
ted trepanier | Oct 28, 2009 8:38 am | 0 replies | Request removal
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Roundabouts do not belong on Hwy's! Existing Roundabouts in Snohomish County are in residental area's, frontage roads and near exits off the hwy's. Roundabout were not used at any of the other Hwy 9 intersection improvement within the county, why Arlington?? 15.6 million dollars to improve and intersection that only needs a better metered light and additional right turn lanes seems a bit expensive. They state that the Roundabout will reduce accidents at that intersection & will improve traffic flow but it will also make it harder to enter Hwy 9 & 172nd from side streets because the light will not be making breaks in the traffic. Other improvements to Hwy 9 are taking forever to get completed is this project going to be the same way?? Travel Hwy 9 and look at the intersection at Frontier Village Lake Stevens or the Snohomish River area, those are intersections and access area with issues that should be looked at for improvement before you stick a Roundabout in Arlington.
Kristin Poyser | Oct 28, 2009 8:33 am | 0 replies | Request removal
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