Residents are fed up with the Mill Creek City Council’s perceived failure to address safety and traffic concerns on Seattle Hill Road.
Recommendations to reduce noise and improve traffic flow on the roadway were presented to the council months ago, but little has been done to implement those strategies identified in a study commissioned by the city nearly a year ago.
“All I hear is whining that the county is to blame for the problems on our roadways,” said Chuck Wright, co-chairman of the Seattle Hill Road Citizens Advisory Committee. “The problem is getting worse. Traffic is getting louder and nothing is being done to address it. This is our problem and it’s our responsibility to fix the problems in our own city.”
Among the solutions recommended to the city in December were: use of roundabouts, speed bumps, a concrete noise barrier, quiet pave asphalt and radar speed signs.
The City Council elected at that time to pursue the least expensive options and continue discussion on the big-ticket items, such as roundabouts and quiet pavement, which carry an estimated $4 million price tag.
Council members said the strategy would allow timely resolution to some of the problems.
Residents hoped a discussion on Tuesday, Jan. 22, would lead to action, but the council was not prepared to implement the less expensive strategies.
“It’s just another delay,” said citizen’s advisory committee member Fred Sandow. “They didn’t even make it past the first of four recommendations.”
Council members were hung up on a recommendation to reduce the roadway by one lane at 15th Drive Southeast to allow room for a future sidewalk and improve visibility for motorists.
Consultants said the action would not impact traffic flow, but council members disagreed.
“You’re going to have people speeding up to that merge point, that’s just the nature of the beast,” Councilwoman Donna Michelson said. “I worry that this is going to back up traffic.”
Those concerns were shared by Mayor Terry Ryan and Councilman Mark Harmsworth, despite data presented by staff and consultants that suggested otherwise.
“It amazes me how they all think they’re traffic experts,” Sandow said. “They completely ignore the information gathered by their consultants and their own staff. They need to make a decision.”
The council ran out of time to discuss the other recommendations: posting radar speed signs and installing pavement legends.
“We really need to get moving on this,” said Councilman Mike Todd. “We have other road projects that are backed up behind this one, and people are getting frustrated.”
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