House Transportation Committee Chair, Representative Judy Clibborn’s
response to the I-405 HOT imbroglio exemplifies the inability of those responsible for dealing with the area's transportation problems. Her recent comments in the Seattle Times that she had “acquiesced”
to changes to tolling “to show people we are hearing them” suggests she doesn’t
“hear very well”. Opening
the toll lanes “to general traffic during night, weekends, and holidays – for
free” will do nothing to ease their objections.
She refused to even allow a vote to
convert one of the two HOT lanes from Bothell to Bellevue to full-time
general-purpose (GP) use claiming it “would likely sabotage the whole program”. The added general-purpose lane
could accommodate nearly 5000 vehicles an hour substantially easing the
congestion on all the GP lanes.
Less congestion there would reduce the incentive to pay HOT tolls and
the HOV lane congestion. The single HOV lane would also likely ease the problem near Bothell where the two HOV lanes are forced to merge.
Clibborn’s veto “suggests” she was more interested in raising revenue rather than reducing congestion. (The fact her transportation committee allowed the WSDOT to spend $484 million creating the tolls “suggests” a lack of “financial acumen”.)
Clibborn’s veto “suggests” she was more interested in raising revenue rather than reducing congestion. (The fact her transportation committee allowed the WSDOT to spend $484 million creating the tolls “suggests” a lack of “financial acumen”.)
She criticized “the state’s past assurances that a
single toll lane in each direction would suffice north of Bothell”. Yet a PSRC “Stuck in Traffic: 2015
Report” concluded very little of the I-405 delay between Lynnwood and Tukwila
occurred before Bothell. Any increased
congestion there is likely due to more vehicles forced to use GP lanes because
of +3 HOV requirements.
Her support for spending $300
million for a 2nd HOT lane to meet “the humongous growth” there is
truly absurd. Use the $300 million
to add another GP lane. Everyone
would benefit. As with the
additional Bothell to Bellevue GP lane, the added capacity would reduce GP lane
congestion, reducing the incentive and congestion on HOT lane. . Until they do so they should open
the three existing lanes north of Bothell to GP use since it’s probably not
practicable to revert to +2HOV to avoid tolls for that portion.
That's not "likely" to happen with Clibborn.
The bottom line is Clibborn's support for HOT lanes rather than GP lanes is "unfounded". Like WSDOT Secretary Peterson, she needs to be replaced as head of the legislature's House Transportation Committee. While others on the committee may have initially approved HOT lanes she seems incapable of recognizing the folly of continuing to do so. Thus replacing her is the surest way of preventing the WSDOT from implementing HOT lanes between Bellevue and Renton and the other major roadways in the area.
The bottom line is Clibborn's support for HOT lanes rather than GP lanes is "unfounded". Like WSDOT Secretary Peterson, she needs to be replaced as head of the legislature's House Transportation Committee. While others on the committee may have initially approved HOT lanes she seems incapable of recognizing the folly of continuing to do so. Thus replacing her is the surest way of preventing the WSDOT from implementing HOT lanes between Bellevue and Renton and the other major roadways in the area.
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