Given that widening the westbound U.S. 2 trestle between Lake Stevens and Everett is eons off, Street Smarts reader TJ McDermott chimed in with his own idea to help address congestion in the meantime.
“On I-5, there are several places where the travel time from one point to another is posted and updated in real time,” McDermott noted.
What if the Washington State Department of Transportation did the same thing at key points along the Lake Stevens commute? Say, on 20th Street SE and on Highway 204 where they each meet Highway 9, he proposed. And publish the information on the WSDOT traffic website.
“Then drivers could decide when they will make the crossing, or find other ways to I-5. This should not be a costly implementation (certainly not as expensive as a wider trestle),” McDermott said.
Great idea! Annnnd can’t do it. (Good gravy, this is way too familiar a response.)
Travel time signs like McDermott references are only for points connected by state highways and interstate freeways based on traffic flow information gathered at data stations along the way, said Tom Pearce, a WSDOT spokesman.
It’s a process that wouldn’t work on non-freeway roadways, especially where there are traffic signals involved.
“The data station would not record the time spent at a signal. If there are few signals on a given stretch of road, like on 20th Street Southeast, the travel time information could quickly become inaccurate,” Pearce said.
That said, McDermott’s idea has street cred.
So watch the blog in the coming days for readers’ tips on the best times to hit the trestle — and how to get there in the first place — with real-time hacks.
Have your own hints for the wrestle with the trestle?
Email me at streetsmarts@heraldnet.com. Please include your first and last name and city of residence.
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