Lorraine Koch of Arlington writes: I would like to know when the state is going to get better signage for people traveling westbound on 172nd Street NE to the southbound I-5 ramp.

I am tired of being cut off by people who still think they must turn left to the on-ramp and then have to cut across three lanes to get all the way back to the right. Luckily I am a courteous driver and let them in, but road rage people would not.

There should be signs east of Smokey Point Boulevard that direct people to that lane. There should at least be signs on the signal lights at Smokey Point Boulevard and 172nd telling people which lane to be in for where they want to go.

Why can we not get an I-5 paint job in that lane like the one in Tulalip turning onto 88th Street NE by Wal-Mart?
Traffic is such a mess at I-5 and 172nd anyway, due to the Lakewood Crossing shopping center on the west side of I-5. Help!

Bronlea Mishler, spokeswoman for the state Department of Transportation, responds: We have good news for Lorraine and other Arlington-area drivers. As of Monday (June 13), we’ve installed two new signs on eastbound 172nd Street NE (Highway 531) to let drivers know which lane to use for the southbound I-5 on-ramp.

The first sign is just east of the I-5-172nd Street interchange and directs drivers to the right lane if they want to access I-5. We also installed a “No Left Turn” sign in the median of Highway 531 near the traffic signal on the I-5 overpass.

Earlier this year, we heard from several people who hoped we could install more signs on westbound 172nd directing drivers to use the right-hand on-ramp to southbound I-5.

When we redesigned the interchange, we gave westbound drivers on 172nd a new right-hand on-ramp to reach southbound I-5. Eastbound drivers also have a right-hand on-ramp to southbound I-5. The two on-ramps merge together before entering I-5.

Kenneth Gross of Silver Lake writes: Two questions. First, when exiting northbound I-5 at 128th Street SW, at the light there are three lanes of traffic. The center lane has painted arrows for travel to the left, straight, and right. If the light is red and I am in the center lane, may I make a free right turn into the inside lane of eastbound 128th if traffic permits?

Second, on a five-lane road with a center turn lane, I am in the inside lane following a school bus in the outside lane. When the bus slows to a stop at the curb and the stop paddle comes out, is traffic in the inside lane required to stop?

I say the paddle is mechanically linked to the door and has to flip when the door is opened. My fresh-from-college daughter says I am a doughhead and need to stop. (No, I have never blown through this stop sign). Who is smarter?

Trooper Keith Leary of the State Patrol responds: You may make the right turn on red after stopping first, then proceeding when traffic permits.

When you are behind a school bus and it puts its paddles out to stop, traffic going the same direction must stop. The applicable state law may be found here: http://tinyurl.com/4ym6nv7.

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