Data shows Snohomish Co. population growing too fast for road system

New data shows Snohomish County’s population is growing too quickly for its road system.

Community leaders are looking for a plan to keep commute times from getting even worse.

Related: Voters approve huge transportation packages

Snohomish County is expected to add 200,000 people in the next 20 years.

Officials say they’re trying to attract more jobs in order to cut down on commutes.

The population explosion expected by 2035 also means roads in Snohomish County could become severely congested.

Officials met with the Washington State Transportation Commission to tell them most of that growth will happen near Marysville and Arlington, the fastest-growing region in the state.

Currently, a commute from those two cities is an average of a half hour, but 20 percent of those people have commutes of more than 45 minutes.

Marysville is offering property tax exemptions and streamlining permitting to get more jobs in the city.

“We’re a city of 65,000 and you’re correct, as you grow you have more impacts, because more people are trying to get to and from,” said Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring.

Open space is also what makes north Snohomish County attractive for business. Leaders are expecting to lure more aerospace and advanced manufacturing on 1,200 acres of open land.