Street Smarts: Request for turn arrow is granted

Published 11:11 pm Sunday, May 10, 2009

Teri Anne Beauchamp of Everett asks: The intersection of Colby Avenue and Everett Avenue in downtown Everett is a very busy major intersection. There is a turn lane when heading south on Colby for a left turn onto Everett. So why is there no green arrow light that would stop northbound traffic, giving left turns the right of way? I have sometimes waited for two lights before I get a chance to turn left.

Dongho Chang, traffic engineer for the city of Everett, responds: We agree a southbound left-turn light will be helpful. We did not have the wiring needed for the left-turn light on the signal pole, so we will install new wires to support such a light. Please look for the new left-turn light to be working this summer.

Donna Johnson of Greenbank asks: With summer approaching and the traffic at Front Street next to the ferry dock in Mukilteo increasing, what are the hopes of getting the traffic moving? When the ferry is loading — the cars have to cross Front Street to do so — traffic waiting to turn on to that street backs up to and past the signal at Mukilteo Boulevard. The situation is just as aggravating to the ferry employees who are trying to load the ferry, as they stop what they are doing to try to reduce this line of traffic.

Would a “no right turn while ferry is loading” sign help? Of course, the ideal solution would be to build an overpass directly onto Front Street, but we all know that will not happen. Any other things in the works?

Mike Mansfield, traffic engineer for the state, responds: We know that heavy traffic can cause headaches for drivers in Mukilteo. Unfortunately, we can’t restrict right turns onto Front Street — this would create further hassles for drivers trying to move through this section of Mukilteo. Drivers wanting to turn right would have to turn left, turn around and then wait to go through on Front Street across the ferry traffic.

To help ease the congestion, the state ferry system is expanding the vehicle holding lane. When the job is finished in mid-June of this year, the lanes will be able to hold another 100 cars.

Howard Toburen of Lynn­wood asks: Southbound on 44th Avenue W. in Lynnwood, as you approach the southbound I-5 onramp, there are right-turn-only signs in the right lane onto 200th Street SW. It would make a lot more sense to use the two right lanes to feed into the two lanes of the freeway entrance. Watching cars at the intersection, one can see that most people are completely confused about whether they need to get out of the right lane, go straight or turn. Mostly there’s no way to merge left anyway if traffic is heavy. This seems like an accident-causing arrangement.

Bill Franz, Lynnwood public works director, responds: The right lane that enters the freeway is a carpool lane. The southbound right lane on 44th Avenue W. is a through lane for carpools only across 200th Street SW. All other cars must turn right at 200th if in that lane.

If all vehicles could go straight through, most cars (non-carpools) would have to quickly get out of the lane before it enters the freeway. The length of that lane is relatively short before it goes onto I-5.

To avoid excessive and unsafe weaving of cars into and out of that lane, the carpool lane was extended through the intersection of 44th Avenue W. and 200th Street SW.

Officials with the state Department of Transportation, who ultimately control all lane configurations on state routes (44th Avenue W. is Highway 524 at this location), cooperated with the city and approved the current configuration.

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