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Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com

Everett's I-5 lanes getting better

By Jeff Switzer
Herald Writer

The state finally tore out the temporary, funnel-tight merge from Everett's Broadway Avenue to southbound I-5 last week.

The state also opened up a few more miles of HOV lanes. Like a chiropractor adjusting the state's commuter spine, the tension appears to be relieved.

Send me an e-mail about how the morning commute to Boeing and into King County is treating you.

More I-5 expansion

Question: When is the state going to expand I-5 by the Everett Mall going northbound? What is the plan?

Chett Twitchell, Everett



Answer: The I-5 Everett HOV expansion project extends the northbound and southbound HOV lanes from 112th Street near the Boeing Freeway-Highway 526 to the Hewitt Avenue trestle and makes several other safety and traffic flow improvements.

Crews already widened northbound I-5 near the Everett Mall to include an HOV lane. The northbound HOV lane along this stretch was striped and open to drivers. We opened the southbound HOV lane to drivers in mid-April.

For more information, go to the WSDOT projects Web site www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/I5/HOVSR526toUS2.

Broch Bender, WSDOT spokeswoman

Restricted left turn

Question: There is a no left turn at 42nd Street from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. when traveling east toward Everett on Mukilteo Blvd. Just further down the road and hill a left turn is permitted on Grand View Dr. that requires drivers to travel back up the hill. For those who live in this neighborhood, this is an inconvenience.

The police like to ticket drivers who mistakenly make this turn as they do all the time during unregulated hours to get to their homes. From a safety standpoint as a driver, I find no difference in traffic flow from one turn compared to the other.

Todd Havener, Everett



Answer: The left turn restriction at 42nd Street was implemented to reduce the cut-through traffic in the neighborhood during rush hours. Large numbers of commuters were using neighborhood streets to avoid the traffic backups on Rucker Avenue.

Grandview Drive was not restricted to provide at least one access to local residents. The inconvenient drive back up the hill is one reason why cut through traffic is not using this street. We may revisit the turn restriction if drivers use Grandview as a cut-through route in the future.

Dongho Chang, Everett city traffic engineer

New Rucker Avenue lane

Question: I'm wondering why there is a new third northbound lane on Rucker Avenue from 33rd Street to Pacific Avenue. Is it because of upcoming SWIFT BRT (bus rapid transit) service or something?

Neil Pratt, Everett



Answer: The third northbound lane on Rucker Avenue is an attempt to improve traffic flow on Rucker Avenue during the evening commute. Traffic backups on Rucker Avenue is diverting commuter traffic to residential streets.

Improving traffic capacity and flow on Rucker Avenue will help keep commuter traffic on our arterial streets and lessen the impacts to our residents that have been dealing with the cut through traffic.

Dongho Chang, Everett city traffic engineer

Ask about traffic

Have a question about traffic or street rules? E-mail stsmarts@heraldnet.com.