So, about those bus drivers …
Give ‘em a brake, say some. Get them off the road, say others.
“I have become very wary when a bus is near me on the road,” says Cindy Holler of Marysville.
She said she was nearly run off the road by a Community Transit bus earlier this month.
Jay Herrera of Lake Stevens has an entirely different view.
“I have seen very few instances where a bus is the aggressive or inconsiderate driver,” he said. “Buses have to slowly force their way over into the HOV lane because people will not yield and let them over.”
He suggests that there would be far fewer conflicts between buses and the rest of us if people would simply yield and let the bus get where it’s going quickly.
State stabilizing median
For those of you wondering about that green stuff the state is spraying in the median of I-5 in Everett, it’s a mixture of grass seed and bank stabilizer.
And it’s temporary, said Mike Cotten, project director for the state Department of Transportation’s Everett I-5 widening project.
He said the bank is too steep to leave it as it is.
Who pays for rock dings?
Question: Like most drivers, I’m happy to see the paving work happening on southbound I-5.
I’m not happy about the broken windshields in both my cars. In one trip, I collected two rock strikes.
Who’s responsible for the fixes when personal property is damaged because the grooved pavement isn’t properly swept before it’s paved?
Matt Shelton, Stanwood
Answer: It’s very frustrating to have your windshield cracked or chipped by debris. Our contractor is doing everything he can to keep debris off the roadway.
To repave a highway, crews must first use a grinding machine to scrape up the layer of old asphalt. This process creates a lot of debris.
Two street sweepers continuously follow the grinding machine as it moves down a stretch of roadway. Crews then sweep the roadway for an hour before opening it to traffic.
But, much like when you sweep your own porch or walk, some small pieces get missed no matter how hard you try.
We’re hearing small chunks of rock are still cracking driver’s windshields. Our construction engineers say it happens when drivers change lanes between the lanes under construction and those not yet under construction.
When crews grind off the old asphalt, it creates a 2-inch height difference between the lanes. When vehicles change lanes in that area, it puts pressure on the edge of the unground pavement and small pieces of rock break free.
While debris on our roadway is a high priority for DOT, crews are unable to close the lanes of I-5 to sweep up the debris generated during the day because this would create a substantial backup.
The state has processes in place to reimburse drivers for damage caused to their vehicles within our construction zones. Drivers can contact our Risk Management Office at 800-737-0615. We appreciate your patience as we finish this important project.
Travis Phelps, state Department of Transportation spokesman
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