Monroe digs into traffic mess
Published 9:00 pm Saturday, September 24, 2005
MONROE – When your town’s population grows by more than 350 percent in 14 years, all that additional traffic can cause headaches.
That’s the case in Monroe, where the population grew from 4,278 in 1990 to 15,178 in 2004, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. And the growth isn’t expected to slow down.
Three highways – U.S. 2 and Highways 203 and 522 – carry thousands of people in and out of town every day. When trains pass through the city, vehicles jam up in long lines at the crossings.
But a plan is under way to improve traffic.
The city’s new transportation commission, an advisory board of five volunteers, met for the first time last week. The panel will meet at least once a month and work with a consultant to draft a transportation plan for the City Council to see by September 2006.
The plan will project the traffic situation through 2030 in the Monroe area; identify what needs to be done to improve roads, sidewalks and public transportation systems; and figure out how to fund those projects, said Hiller West, the city’s community development director.
The city has earmarked $150,000 for the plan.
“This is the most extensive effort in the city’s history for transportation planning,” West said.
The plan will be used to set traffic impact fees, which the city would collect to fund transportation projects.
In the city, people have complained about long lines at the intersection of Main and Lewis streets, the lack of a signal at 179th Avenue SE and Main Street, and the sluggish traffic on U.S. 2 between Old Owen Road and the Highway 522 interchange, West said. The plan will look at those issues, and others as well.
The state Department of Transportation will work with the commission, West said.
John Curtin, who moved from Bothell to Monroe in June, brings his expertise in transportation projects to the commission. Curtin, 61, has worked on transportation projects for Seattle.
“I have something to offer,” he said.
Commission member Steve Jensen, 40, said he has seen growth pangs in Monroe. His commute to Redmond used to take 25 minutes when he moved from Bellevue in 1997, but now it takes 45 minutes, he said.
Jensen, a computer programmer, said he decided to serve on the commission to offer the perspective of a regular citizen.
“I drive like everyone else. I think I can come up with good ideas,” he said.
The other members of the transportation commission are Carl Philip, Kimberly Reed-Olszewski, Mike Donow and planning commission representative Dave Demarest.
Reporter Yoshiaki Nohara: 425-339-3029 or ynohara@heraldnet.com.
