Rerouting traffic only real solution

I read with interest your article “Hit the Brakes” (Enterprise, April 25), concerning the new speed limit on Seattle Hill Road (SHR).

As an active participant in the SHR Road Noise Committee, I did not favor the reduced speed limit. Thirty mph is a comfortable speed — it just needs enforcing. Five mph slower traffic has negligible noise benefits and increases driver frustration.

Those of us living along SHR have considered the county’s declaration of 164th to be at ultimate capacity and then allowing continued development east of Mill Creek, a hard slap in the face. It is an irreconcilable solution to a problem the county has created by overdevelopment.

Thanks to Senator Hobbs, we now have funding for correcting a long-standing issue of signal coordination at Mill Creek Boulevard and State Route 527. (“Mill Creek sneaks one past the DOT,” Enterprise, April 4) Those of us using this roadway from I-5 have long waited in line to cross Bothell-Everett Highway, while Bothell-Everett Highway traffic is seldom held up. Once there, most speed their way through the mile-and-a-half of uninterrupted travel along SHR, making up for lost time.

The Mill Creek City Council has missed an easy opportunity to both accomplish re-routing traffic and send this simple message to the county and the state: “We have had enough! Keep county traffic on county and state roads.”

Changing the eastbound lane configuration to two left turns onto Bothell-Everett Highway northbound, one through lane to Mill Creek Road/SHR, and one right turn lane onto Bothell-Everett Highway southbound is relatively inexpensive, re-routes traffic, and reduces noise by lessening traffic along Seattle Hill Road.

The traffic currently using SHR to destinations east of 35th will soon find it quicker to turn onto Bothell-Everett Highway and traveling east on 132nd and 180th than continue straight. Maybe the county and state will hear their complaints, as they certainly haven’t heard ours!

Howard Maxfield

Mill Creek