Opinion: Council has spent several sessions listening to staff's proposal to widen Red-Wood (202) from two lanes to five lanes. This five-lane "improvement" would extend from 124th St. south to 160th Ave for all of 1.5 miles. Two of the new lanes would be HOV. The third must be for bike lanes and sidewalks?
Now, how is this "improvement" supposed to help traffic? The HOV lanes end after only 1.5 miles! Commuters would find their movement constricted if not grounded in a "parking lot". Councilman Pat Vache called the improvement a 1.5 mile "boa constrictor". Councilwoman Allen agreed. I think most councilmembers felt the road should be expanded to three lanes, not five.
A juggernaut is the 109th Street & 154th Place intersection. Staff insisted the intersection was not up to standards, especially for the southbound right turn. Click link for map of Red-Wood Intersection at 109th St. and 154th
To expand out an additional 3 lanes would cause hardship to property owners near Gateway natural buffers of green trees and byrnes would be clipped and replaced with concrete sound barriers. So, staff was asked to go back to the drawing boards --I hope to design a 3-lane solution.
Councilman Hank Margeson in his ever-humble assessment recommended Willows Road as a better prospect for moving traffic. Transit uses Willows Rd. and and it's easier to enlarge than 202. Mayor Marchione wants to keep 202 a neighborhood road, though I think that's a council decision. How many want 5 lanes? Raise your hands!
I think you mean Red-Wood road.
ReplyDeleteThank you Calvin!
ReplyDeleteIt seems many of the improvements will be in vain without similar improvements on the County side of 124th. The fact is this is a major bottle neck for people traveling north and south and without some serious creativity and courage [like punching Willows north to connect with 202] improvements like this are basically exercises in esthetics. I personally enjoy the tall trees in this corridor and would be very disappointed to see them reduced.
ReplyDelete