Transportation agencies must coordinate better on Paine Field

Published 1:30 am Sunday, October 9, 2022

It is sad and frustrating to know that two major transportation infrastructure projects in Snohomish County have leaders that appear to not be communicating with each other. These are Sound Transit and the Commercial Aviation Coordination Commission. They are also doing a poor to moderate job in communicating to the public and likely other county/state leaders.

How does Sound Transit think that bypassing Paine Field is a good decision (“Snohomish County leaders reject light rail routes bypassing Paine Field,” The Herald, Sept. 29) when at the same time the CACC is considering Paine Field for expansion into a much larger facility more like SeaTac (“Paine Field development plan envisions an expanded terminal,” The Herald, June 5). If these groups are charged to look at growth over the next 20 to 40 years they all need to be communicating with each other in the planning phases. They also must do a better job at public outreach, especially the CACC. And soon, we will need to be talking with our state legislators over the airport expansion issue.

It is appalling that these two groups are not actively looking at the big picture of transportation needs of this regional area. If they consider expanding a commercial airport, there will need to be a ground transportation expansion, and built at the same time. Paine Field is already expanding commercially and continues to do so. It could get significantly bigger.

Both the CACC (who reports to the state legislature) and Sound Transit must actually really work at communication and true regional planning. Without this, we likely will continue with growing gridlock and the loss of quality of life in Snohomish County.

Martha Jordan

Everett