Bus stop frustrating Everett drivers stuck in traffic
Mar 23, 2016, 11:00 PM | Updated: May 6, 2016, 11:02 pm
Some drivers believe moving a bus stop might help reduce congestion in Everett.
KIRO Radio listener Gary Parsons believes the bus stop on westbound 128th in South Everett, just east of I-5, causes traffic to back up to the freeway exit and slow traffic on I-5.
The transit agency goes to the local jurisdiction with a plan for a stop. That city gets the final decision on where it goes. If it’s outside a city on a state highway the Washington State Department of Transportation makes the call.
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Barbara Briggs, the assistant regional traffic engineer for WSDOT’s Snohomish/Mount Baker region, says they need to meet several requirements. That includes being ADA compliant, having “sight distance,” lighting, and good crosswalk accessibility.
Another KIRO Radio listener asked if it’s possible to move the stop on 128th or to add a turnout to help traffic get around stopped buses. Briggs says moving it might improve things a little for drivers, but it would hurt the transit system.
“It is midway between the interchange and park and ride, and it’s near a crosswalk,” she said. “Moving it any distance away from that crossing, you increase the risk that a pedestrian jumps off the bus [and] doesn’t go to the crosswalk. And that’s just really scary.”
Briggs says building a bus turnout has been studied, but would be expensive.
It turns out that the bus stop isn’t a major cause of the congestion on 128th; it’s growth and increased traffic volumes. More than 40,000 vehicles use eastbound 128th each day. There is also much more northbound traffic on 3rd Avenue SE, which is just before the bus stop.
128th would be slow with or without buses. However, more buses are coming. Community Transit plans a rapid ride system that will link riders in Bothell to Paine Field, using 128th.
