Street Smarts: What do we do after Proposition 1’s failure?

Published 11:32 pm Sunday, November 11, 2007

Voters have turned down Proposition 1, the apparently over-ambitious, road and light-rail tax package, and forecasters are calling for 20 years of road rage.

Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island, told reporters that there’s no Plan B after the most expensive tax package proposal in state history was rejected.

As Haugen, chairwoman of the Senate Highways and Transportation Committee, and others grapple with the region’s worsening traffic problem, commuters can count on spending more time stuck in traffic. Surveys by the state Department of Transportation show that all of the region’s major commute corridors are slowing, especially in Snohomish County.

It isn’t clear why voters turned down Proposition 1, but there are some likely possibilities.

Perhaps, as suggested by anti-tax activist Tim Eyman, voters rejected being forced to vote for something they didn’t want.

Because it was a “road and transit” tax package, people who wanted roads had to also agree to buy billions of dollars worth of light-rail tracks to get their new highway lanes. Transit advocates who wanted light rail to extend up to Snohomish County had to agree to buy more highway lanes.

Clearly the forced marriage — a failed attempt to get votes from both sides of the aisle — didn’t work.

It also could have been a case of belt-tightening for voters struggling to pay for the house they bought during the recent housing boom.

So what’s next?

Do we need more highway lanes?

Should Sound Transit make another run at light rail in 2008?

Do we need toll lanes?

Do we need to be paid to telecommute or to go to work at off-peak hours?

Should we plow under the road in front of Eyman’s Mukilteo house?

Send me your ideas and I’ll share them in a future column.

I’ll also pass them onto Haugen and the Legislature.

Or perhaps someone else in charge — maybe I should send them to Eyman.

Question: According to a recent story, speed limits can’t be lowered easily and it takes legislation to do it. If that is so, what does it mean when lower speed limit signs are put out at construction sites? Is that a speed limit restriction you can be ticketed for or is it a suggestion? What does “fines double in work zones” mean? Are construction zone speed limits in force during normal working hours or at all times?

In many areas there is so much road work that it would be nice to have an end of construction sign.

Elden Slade, Bothell

Answer: The state legislature establishes minimum and maximum speed limits for different types of roadways. The legislature also gives the secretary of the state Department of Transportation the authority to increase or decrease speed limits.

We make changes to speed limits for a variety of reasons, such as increased development along a route, or a change in roadway alignment because of construction.

Permanent speed limits, which are indicated by black and white speed limit signs, are enforceable. For most construction projects, we do not change the permanent speed limit, though we might for a long-term project.

Advisory speed limits are indicated by black and orange signs. We use advisory speed limits for a variety of purposes, including encouraging drivers to slow down and drive safely through an active work zone. We reduce the speed limit in a work zone where lanes have been narrowed or realigned to give drivers time to adjust to the changes. While these advisory speed limits are not enforceable, drivers can be ticketed for unsafe driving if they are driving too fast for the current roadway conditions. Find out more about speed limits on our Web site: www.wsdot.wa.gov/biz/trafficoperations/traffic/limits.htm.

The work zone designation is in effect at all times, regardless of whether a driver can see crews working. All construction sites should be marked with “End of Road Work” signs to indicate the end of the work zone. If you notice a work zone without such a sign, you can let us know by e-mailing our construction traffic office at naub@wsdot.wa.gov.

Rick Roberts, DOT traffic engineer