New ferry run should ease trip to peninsula

Published 9:38 pm Sunday, April 26, 2009

The Big Closure is almost here.

Getting to the Olympic Peninsula will be more time consuming and involved for a while after Friday, when the Hood Canal Bridge is shut down for repairs.

The closure is expected to last six weeks, until about the middle of June. It will be a pain, but people who can’t put off their trips to the peninsula will have several options.

A temporary ferry run between Edmonds and Port Townsend will be added once per evening Sunday through Thursday. The boat will leave Edmonds at 8:40 p.m. and Port Townsend at 11 p.m.; the ride will take an hour and 45 minutes.

It’s not the most convenient time in the world, but hey, it’s a novelty and might be fun. Reservations may be made a week in advance but are not required for noncommercial vehicles. The fare will be the same as for Edmonds-Kingston.

Details on this and other options are available on the state Department of Transportation’s Web site on the closure. Go to http://tinyurl.com/9dcjdw.

Trip planning help is available at 877-595-4222.

Second turn lane?

Paul Anderson of Mukilteo asks: As you are northbound on 19th Avenue in south Everett approaching the overpass to go onto Highway 526 westbound, you approach a traffic light on south Broadway. Westbound, there is one left turn lane onto Everett Mall Way, which is two lanes that merge into one lane. It seems there could be a double left turn lane for traffic to go south on Everett Mall Way. Cars back up way around the overpass, forcing drivers in the left lane who want to get on Highway 526 to make a hurried, unsafe lane change. In addition, there are so many making this left turn that it holds up eastbound traffic on 526.

State traffic engineer Mike Swires responds: If we were to add a second left turn lane onto Everett Mall Way from 19th Avenue, traffic backups would significantly increase.

Currently at the intersection, there are two through lanes and a left and a right turn lane. Traffic data shows a higher number drivers are turning right from 19th Avenue to Broadway and southbound I-5 than those turning left on to Everett Mall Way.

The second through lane gives drivers turning right a better chance to bypass backed up traffic until both through lanes back up. By taking away one of the through lanes, all through and right-turning traffic will be combined in a single lane and backups would increase dramatically, creating more congestion affecting drivers in all lanes.

Too many street signs

Cathy Tanner of Mays Pond (near Mill Creek) asks: My question regards the multitude of street signs littering our neighborhood. Just after they installed the “traffic calming devices” they proceeded to put warnings of the bumps with speed limits within site of the actual bump, with more signs about upcoming stop signs within view of the actual stop sign. They put up 25 mph signs directly in front of a speed bump sign that reads 10 mph, new crosswalk signs and school speed zone signs.

I would like to know if there is a way to get some signs taken out.

Snohomish County officials respond: We will check to see if there is the conflict between the 25 mph and the advisory 10 mph for the speed bumps. It should be noted that the black-on-white, 25 mph signs are the actual speed limit. The black on yellow is an advisory sign warning the driver to take caution.

There are indeed a lot of traffic signs in the Mays Pond neighborhood but also a multitude of issues. This is especially true along Brook Boulevard and 23rd Avenue SE, where we have three speed humps, two raised pedestrian crossings, three all-way stops, a designated school zone, three bus stops, and a designated walkway along the east side of the road.

A few years back, “Stop Ahead” signs were installed to help correct the ongoing issue of vehicles not stopping. This continues to be a problem as reported to our office.

Also, we recently had to install additional “No Parking” signs, as requested by the sheriff’s office, because many of the residents along the east side continue to park on the walkway.

E-mail Street Smarts at stsmarts@heraldnet.com.