A long wait at the light will have to continue, for now.
Cheryl Perhatch, of Everett, wondered if it’s time for a dedicated left-turn lane and left-turn signal for drivers turning onto westbound 128th Street SE from Third Avenue SE (which turns into 130th Street SE and Meridian Avenue S).
“There are currently over 200 apartments being built near the Swedish medical facility. At times the line to get onto 128th is several lights long,” she wrote. “With all the additional traffic that will be added once the apartments are completed, it will be very hard to make a left turn.”
Washington State Department of Transportation spokesman Tom Pearce responded: “WSDOT has wanted to add a left turn signal at this location, but it’s not as simple as hanging a traffic light.
“The existing signal mast arm at this location is too short to place a left turn signal for the left turn lane,” he said. “But the existing pole’s foundation can’t support the weight of a longer arm and signal. It could cause the pole to lean or even fall. That means we’ll need a new foundation, pole and arm. We are working with Snohomish County and developers in the area to get funding to add the needed improvements.”
Have a question for Street Smarts? Email streetsmarts@heraldnet.com or call 425-339-3432.
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