Re: Corridor/SR 270 etc.

[Tom Lamar <lamar@pcei.org>]

Vision 2020,

I was at the Quarterly Breakfast Meeting yesterday in which the District
Engineer for WashDOT, Jerri Lenzi, presented their plans for expanding SR
270.  This is the same meeting attended by Daily News reporter Steve
McClure.  I want to write a bit about it because I have seen some
contradicting posts today about this proposed project.  My first point is
that WashDOT only has very "preliminary design concepts".  It is mostly a
string of wishes at this point.  They are working on a footprint, but they
have held no public hearings and only have rough sketches.

Jerri Lenzi used the word "will" a lot in reference to the project, making
it sound like a done deal.  Bottom line is $20+ million to widen the road
to four lanes, using the existing road for the east bound lanes.  The west
bound section "will" be built to the north and "will" resemble an urban
highway on the city ends (up to the airport road on either end), with a
WIDE (60 feet) median strip between the two airport road entrances.  They
would (will) limit the access points to eight(from the current 45).  Four
of those accesses are: Airport Road east and West, Sunshine Road, and the
someday SR 276 (Pullman's North bypass near the existing Avista site).  The
other four points are not yet decided upon,  but imply a network of
frontage roads.  He said there will be some kind of tunnels or bridges for
the Chipman Trail to facilitate traffic (my example: maybe a tunnel that
would take the trail under the Sunshine Road).  It's a huge project. They
are scheduled to do this in 2002, but are preparing to do it earlier in
case the Endangered Species Act slows projects on the west side of the
state and releases some money.

On the subject of lights:  It is clearly the preference of WashDOT that
there will be no traffic lights on the highway, and it "will" be
constructed that way, but that doesn't mean there won't be lights in the
future.  He cited the example of highway 95 north of Coeur d'Alene as a
model that they wish to avoid.  The kinds of intersections would be more
like those found on 195 south of Spokane where people stop at signs (and
then dart out real quick to make it across the two lanes of traffic and get
into the median strip).  Now, if there was more development along the
highway, I suspect they would be forced to install either traffic lights or
exit ramps.

Several questions arose during the meeting surrounding the need of the
expansion.  I raised my hand and said I still need to be convinced that we
need this thing. I said that my biggest concern is making it even easier to
drive between the towns, and the subsequent implications for lifestyle and
parking.  I asked, what if we spent $1-2 million on the bus between the two
towns and ran it more frequently.  He said they are prevented by law to
spend any of this money on transit.   He suggesteed the local communities
start something.  I don't think he was aware of the existing commuter
service.

I guess I want to make a few more comments.  I do believe that if this road
is built, more people will choose or be forced to drive when traveling
between the two towns.   The conservative part of me thinks its crazy to
spend that much money moving people when we could move a good portion of
them cheaper and more efficiently with buses/transit.

I also question the DOT traffic figures.  Jerri Lenzi showed figures of
15,000 people a day driving that route, but last month other WashDOT
engineers in his office showed me figures lower and more varied than that.
Figures I have seen showed a range of  12-13,000 vehicles per day between
Airport Road and the state line.  Traffic between the two Airport Roads
were more on the level of 10,000 vehicles per day.  Furthermore, those
numbers have flattened out since 1993 (the same year that the Wheatland
Express Commuter started operating).  WashDot engineers are concerned that
UI football games played at WSU will push those figures higher, but the
word is that the UI will also operate a shuttle service to the football
games to help alleviate the problem.  Jerri Lenzi also made the case that a
four lane highway would reduce pollution, but again the expanded bus
service option was not shown as a comparison.

I would also like to say that before this thing happens, we need to have a
good community discussion on the need for this highway expansion.  I don't
believe we can even yet say that the proposed plan is an "improvement" over
what we currently have.  It may be, but it certainly doesn't help for us to
insult people if we don't think they have "their facts straight".  I think
all the people on this listserve need to be treated with respect,
regardless of what we might perceive their age to be.

Tom


Thomas C. Lamar, Executive Director

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