Published October 2002

Snohomish County
to benefit from R-51

For years, Washington taxpayers have complained that they don’t know what their money buys once it goes to Olympia, particularly for transportation projects. With Referendum 51, that changes.

At first glance, the November ballot issue might appear to be just another tax-raising effort: hiking gasoline taxes 9 cents a gallon over two years, increasing weight fees 30 percent for trucks over 10,000 pounds (except for pickups and recreation vehicles) and levying a one-time, 1 percent surcharge on vehicle purchases, all unpopular options to people who already feel overtaxed.

But the referendum offers a unique opportunity to solve at least some of the major transportation crises that are crippling the state’s economy and maiming its quality-of-living reputation.

For the first time, safety improvements and traffic relief projects to be paid for by the new taxes are specifically named, so voters know what they’ll see happening if they support passage of R-51.

Although it funds a statewide roster of projects, Snohomish County will benefit significantly from R-51, including these projects:

• Major interchange improvements at Arlington’s Smokey Point joining with SR 531, including widening 172nd Street NE and adding a right-turn lane and a new ramp from westbound SR 531 to southbound I-5, plus noise barriers.
• Safety improvements on SR 531, adding a lane in each direction, with a two-way left-turn lane, from 43rd Avenue NE to 67th Avenue NE., near Arlington.
• I-5 safety improvements and seismic upgrades in Everett to address major traffic bottlenecks by extending HOV lanes in each direction between SR 526 (the Boeing Expressway) and East Marine View Drive.
• Building auxiliary I-5 lanes in Everett between 41st Street and the exit ramp to U.S. 2 to ease major traffic congestion, plus moving the Broadway off-ramp to the right side of the freeway to further reduce congestion near Everett’s downtown.
• Development of an overpass of the BNSF mainline tracks at 41st Street, replacing a grade crossing at 36th Street. The overpass would connect to a new road serving the Riverside Redevelopment area east of the freeway.
• East Marine View Drive would be widened from two to four lanes with strategically placed turn-pockets from SR 529 to I-5 to improve a principal arterial corridor along the waterfront and reduce congestion in the I-5 corridor between Pacific and Everett avenues.
• Installation of traffic lights, two new lanes and a two-way left-turn lane on SR 9 at 176th Street SE and 212th Street SE, both high-accident centers, plus widening of SR 9 from Woodinville to Lake Stevens to increase safety and reduce congestion.
• A new roadway, SR 96, to connect 132nd Street to SR 9 to provide a new east-west connection between I-5 and SR 9.
• Improved capacity and connections to transit, commuter rail and pedestrian networks at state terminals in Edmonds and Mukilteo.
• I-405 improvements: four additional lanes between Lynnwood and Sea-Tac, with more HOV access and reconstructing of interchanges at several points, plus improvements at the I-5 and SR 524 interchange in Lynnwood.

Still not convinced it’s time to fund transportation solutions in the county — and the state? Think about what’s really involved. If you drive 12,000 miles a year and your vehicle gets 24 miles to each gallon — according to Seattle-based Taxpayers for R-51 — passing the referendum would only cost average drivers $45 a year, less than $4 a month.

If that still seems to be too expensive for your wallet or budget, consider statistics that show rush-hour drivers in the central Puget Sound area, one of the nation’s most congested, individually waste $1,605 and 82 hours each year sitting in traffic as commuters, business travelers and shoppers.

Once the whole issue is put into perspective, it makes sense to vote for R-51. But it makes no sense to vote against it, or not vote at all. It’s not important now who has been to blame for 20 years of hesitation, procrastination and indecisiveness over finding solutions to this region’s traffic problems. What is important is moving ahead with the first of many needed projects to literally get our state — and county — economy back on the road again.

The idea of voting against R-51 because it’s too expensive reminds me of a popular bumper sticker that addresses another costly issue: IF YOU THINK EDUCATION IS TOO EXPENSIVE, CONSIDER THE COST OF IGNORANCE. In my mind, that applies to our current traffic situation. If you think road construction is too expensive, consider the cost of ignoring the problem.

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