Signal timing in Bothell not the problem

Q: They are making some high occupancy vehicle-only lanes on Highway 527 near the I-405 interchange at the Bothell-Everett Highway and widening the bridge over I-405, which is excellent. I carpool five days a week so I am part of the solution, not part of the problem.

However, coming home in the afternoon, on the Bothell-Everett Highway, from I-405 to the Fred Meyer store on the Bothell-Everett Highway at Thrasher’s Corner, traffic gets so backed up that it takes us more time to go that three-quarters of a mile than it does to get from Redmond to Bothell.

The main problem is that the lights are not staying green long enough and are not timed properly. The main problem is with the new stop light that was put in for the Fred Meyer store. Traffic got 200 percent worse once that was turned on. They could very cheaply increase the capacity of Bothell-Everett Highway by opening the third lane all the way from I-405 to Maltby Road. It becomes a turn-only lane and ends at 214th Street SE and begins again about a third of a block past 214th Street SE. If this lane was opened up for that one-third of a block, it would alleviate a lot of congestion.

People like me who are going to all the new housing developments in the Maltby area could take that lane all the way to Maltby Road on the Bothell-Everett Highway. It would also eliminate some of the idiots/road-rage people who wait until the last second to get in when that lane ends. This could be done with minimal cost, huge impact and relieve congestion in this growing area.

Can you find out when this will be done?

— Matt Moreno, Everett

A: Seyed Safavian, manager of the city of Bothell transportation division, said the city operates signals along Bothell-Everett Highway. The state department of transportation runs traffic lights on I-405 ramps.

"We take time and monitor our signals quite frequently to make sure that they are operating properly and efficiently," Safavian said. "Yes, we are well aware of the delays motorists encounter in traveling along the Bothell-Everett Highway, particularly in the northbound direction during afternoon peak periods."

There is not much more Bothell truly can do, from a signal timing point of view, he said, to make it easier or faster to commute along this heavily congested arterial. The assumption that those signals are timed poorly is far from the truth, he added.

"We make sure our signals are timed correctly for the prevailing conditions they serve. The signal at the entrance to the Fred Meyer was installed to serve the public who buy their groceries from that establishment. If there were no store, the customers would have either less choices to pick from or simply drive longer distance to another grocery store."

Safavian said they are hoping to construct the third northbound lane by the end of next summer and that would hopefully bring relief to the problem, he said.

Have a question about traffic or street rules around Snohomish and Island counties? We can help find an answer. Send questions by fax to 425-339-3435; e-mail to newstips@heraldnet.com; or address to Street Smarts, P.O. Box 930, Everett, WA, 98206. Include your name and phone number.

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