Early this morning, north end commuters will get to try something new.
If all went well, the new and improved Stanwood park-and-ride opened at 5 a.m.
The lot is located at the junction of I-5 and Highway 532.
The new lot has 49 more spaces, which judging by the packed parking lot, will be in high demand.
Construction in the area will not stop. The state is adding capacity to the interchange to improve traffic flow. The project cost $8.1 million.
Question: We have been looking at property in the Echo Lake area, and find that there is no good way to connect with property just south of there in King County.
Snohomish County road 131st Avenue SE reaches almost to the county line, and King County road 216th Avenue NE appears to reach the county line.
The maps show a gate on the county line. In this day of high gas prices, air pollution and concerns over conservation, this seems rather ridiculous.
Is this a political thing? Are there neighbors who don’t want through traffic? Or is there some logical reason, other than that the connection just was never made, because at a time in the past, the connection did not seem to be needed?
There apparently is a similar situation on a gravel road, 230th Street SE.
Pat Jacobs, Snohomish
Answer: 131st Avenue SE south of about 242nd Street SE (the county line is approximately 244th Street SE) is not public right-of-way. It is a private road.
From the King County Web site, it appears that the same is true for 216th Avenue NE north of 200th Street NE (the county line is approximately 204th Street NE). The northern section is a private road and not public right-of-way. So there are approximately six blocks, or 2,000 feet, of road that is not in the public domain.
While the connection mentioned would make it more convenient to travel between the two areas, given the other transportation issues in both counties and the low volumes of traffic involved, this is not considered a priority project.
Jim Bloodgood, traffic engineer, Snohomish County public works
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