Question: Can you find out if Marysville is going to try and ban the use of train whistles like Mukilteo has? All five major crossings have flashing lights, bells and crossing arm barriers. Maybe there could be a no-whistle curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
| Have a question about traffic or street rules around Snohomish and Island counties? We can help find an answer. E-mail The Herald at stsmarts @herald net.com. |
Orlin Griggs, Marysville
Answer: Logically, if a train were to reduce the level or frequency of sound horns at road crossings, there would be a corresponding increase in train accidents with cars and pedestrians.
Local governments will have the opportunity to establish train no-whistle zones if they are willing to take remedial steps to address risk, according to a new federal rule that could be adopted later this month.
These steps can include closing railroad crossings, separating tracks from roads, installing a full-width divider to keep cars from crossing the tracks or building temporary night closures.
The significant costs of such remedial measures is to be borne by the local jurisdictions.
Jeff Massie, Marysville assistant city engineer
Question: When will Fourth Avenue NE off of Firetrail Road at the north entrance to the Aspen development open permanently in the area west of Marysville?
They’re starting to build homes and all of the construction traffic is coming in through the southeast entrance on 114th Street NE.
Don Hay, Tulalip
Answer: The developer plans to remove the gates and open the entrance onto Firetrail Road within the next two weeks. Construction traffic is being encouraged to use the Firetrail Road access and to avoid using 114th Street NE.
David Evans, Snohomish County planning supervisor
Question: Why is it that when I am the first person at the stoplight on the west side of I-5 on 128th Street SE that I can’t make the left turn light (going north on I-5) on the east side?
I always get there just as the light turns yellow and I have to wait through east-west traffic and then the offramp traffic from I-5. I don’t understand why the left turn light doesn’t coordinate with the traffic light on the west side of 128th Street SE to alleviate this bottleneck.
Lorraine Tyrrell, Everett
Answer: We coordinate the traffic lights on 128th Street SE with the heaviest volume of traffic. The heaviest traffic in the morning is heading from westbound 128th Street SE to get on southbound I-5. The traffic volumes for this left turn is more than twice the volume for left turns on the east side.
The traffic light is synchronized to provide the best flow for this movement during the morning commute. The east-west through traffic remains the highest traffic movement throughout the rest of the day. The traffic lights are synchronized to provide the best flow for the east-west traffic for the remainder of the day.
Dongho Chang, state Department of Transportation traffic engineer for Snohomish County
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