Chokepoints: Sully’s top traffic and transportation stories of 2024

Sound Transit. Graffiti. Construction. It has been a busy year. Below are some of my top stories for 2024.

A terrific year for Sound Transit

Let’s start with a few successes. Sound Transit has had a good year. Even with the continued delays in some light rail extensions and continued budget issues, the agency opened service to Lynnwood and on the starter line through Bellevue.

I spoke with East Link Executive Project Director Jon Lebo as the line between Bellevue and Redmond opened.

“For the public, it’s the realization that we are going to have light rail on the eastside,” he said.  “I think the next step is to bring it across the lake, and it will be absolutely fabulous.”

The trains are scheduled to cross the lake next year.

For the first time in its history, Sound Transit reached into the suburbs, opening the extension to Lynnwood. Deputy CEO Russ Arnold told me this before the service started.

“Wait until people realize they can go down to a Mariners game or go to the Seahawks or the Huskies,” he said.

It’s a party: Light rail service begins in Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, Shoreline

But with the opening of light rail to Lynnwood, there have been big changes for bus riders. All riders out of Snohomish County that want to get to Seattle can no longer do that in one seat. They have to catch rides to Lynnwood and transfer to rail.

Western Washington transportation: Light rail to Lynnwood means big changes for Community Transit

Talking about tolls in Washington

Tolling was huge topic this year, and it continues to be so.

The state increased the max rates on Interstate 405 (I-405) and State Route 167 (SR 167) on March 1, and we were told that the rate would rarely hit that $15 max.

“It’s a reminder that it doesn’t get there very often and only when it really has to,” Washington State Transportation Commission Chair Debbie Young said before the rates went up. It hit the $15 max on Day 1, and the toll roads continue to hit that max over 70% of the time during the morning commutes.

And it’s expected that the rates will go up to an $18-maximum next year. The 3-plus HOV requirement will also likely be expanded.

Business is good: Tolling increases are generating big money for Washington

Prices at the pump

Speaking of dollars and cents, the tax on polluters, know affectionately as the Climate Control Act, went into effect this year and pushed gas prices through the roof, while doing little for the climate.

Prices at the pump jumped as much as 50-cents a gallon because of this tax. And while that tax had fallen through the year because analysts expected the CCA to be struck down by voters and the price at the carbon auctions fell.

Since voters decided to keep taxing themselves, the prices at the auctions are going up, and so will the price of gas.

Working to get rid of graffiti

Let’s wrap with a little fun, graffiti.

This year saw the debut of the anti-graffiti drone on the freeways around Tacoma.

What may be next: Are anti-graffiti drones the future of keeping Washington’s roads clear of the vandalism?

It’s packed with eight motors, 150 feet of hose, intelligent collision avoidance, two batteries and a 6-foot nozzle. If taggers can get there, so can this bad boy.

“This is not your average buy it at Costco drone,” Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Olympic Region Maintenance Manager Mike Gauger said.  “This is an industrial grade aircraft.”

Gauger liked the drone so much he’s asking the legislature to expand the program.

8,555 tags and counting: The unchecked graffiti problem on the Seattle freeways

And we found out that Tacoma has tried fake ivy to combat its graffiti problem. Rae Bailey is Public Works Division Manager in Tacoma. He said the city bought two types of fake ivy.  “We had panels, one-by-one foot panels, of ivy and we had individual strands of ivy too,” he said.  “We tried them in various parts of the city to mixed reviews.”

The panels were less successful than the strands.

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