James W. Nice’s letter of Sept. 6 (“Don’t think ISC will pay to improve roads”) does a nice job of stating our problem when it comes to roads. We are about a decade behind and we could use about $600 million to catch up.
We clearly need more lane capacity on both I-5 and Highway 9, and on the east-west connections. That includes more and better access like the improvements that are now underway on the 172nd Street overpass.
When it comes to recognizing solutions, however, Mr. Nice is confused. Extracting millions from the Boeing Co. to pay for public roads almost 15 years ago was a huge policy blunder. It almost led to the loss of every Boeing job in our state. We are very fortunate that in winning the 7E7, the governor and the Legislature dropped those job-killing tactics.
As for Mr. Nice not wanting to short other transportation projects around the state so that funds can be directed to solve our problems in North Snohomish County, I can only say, “How nice of him.”
I much prefer leaders like Becky Foster and all the others in our community who came forward when the Legislature did not fund the 172nd Street overpass. They fought for funding and got this badly needed project back on track by successfully competing for state and federal money.
If the North Marysville site is selected for a NASCAR track, it will mean several hundred acres that otherwise would be developed piecemeal will be master planned. Only on the three or four big racing weekends will we even notice it’s there. Its economic impacts will be huge. It will pay taxes and provide hundreds of jobs.
That, to me, is a nice part of the solution.
Bill Kazala
Arlington
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