‘Streets empty and clear:’ Everett drivers less selfish when dealing with its major road closures
Jul 30, 2024, 6:19 AM | Updated: 12:29 pm
The northbound bridge over the Snohomish River is closed for a four-month restoration project, causing major delays in Everett. (Photo courtesy of WSDOT)
(Photo courtesy of WSDOT)
The City of Everett, the Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and myself — your conduit Chris Sullivan — spent last week blasting a message to drivers on Broadway. Was it received?
I knew Everett was really watching the Friday afternoon commute when I received an email from the Public Works Director Ryan Sass.
“We’ll see how we do,” Sass wrote in a message at 11 a.m.
If you didn’t see my story last week, the city asked me to help spread the word about the congestion and bad driver behavior on northbound Broadway on most afternoons, but most importantly on Friday afternoons.
Previous coverage on Everett driving: Note to Everett drivers, stop being so selfish
The northbound bridge over the Snohomish River is closed for a four-month restoration project. Drivers have been clogging every street on the north end of the city to try and beat the delays, which have reached 60 to 90 minutes from Everett to Marysville.
“Drivers driving around ‘Do Not Enter’ signs, ‘Road Closed’ signs, taking U-Turns where they’re clearly signed not to make them to gain every advantage,” Traffic engineer Corey Hert said last week in reference to what drivers were doing in Everett. “We would just like to encourage drivers to stay on the signed detour routes and stay on Broadway whenever they can and stay out of the neighborhood.”
He also encouraged people who use Broadway to avoid backups on Interstate 5 (I-5) to stick with the freeway.
More from Chokepoints: Kirkland to be cut in half this weekend due to I-405/NE 85th Street Interchange
So how did it go?
I got his message on the text line from a north Everett resident.
“It was a non-event. I arrived home just before 5 p.m. and all the streets were empty and clear!” the resident told KIRO Newsradio. “A huge thank you to you and Corey Hert for taking care of business. There were added traffic control reader boards on the freeway and on E. Marine View Drive. Thank you!!”
“Efforts had a positive impact on travel time, safety and local street congestion,” Hert added in an email, citing vast improvements in the conditions. “My bus commute was improved through the work zone, travel time was cut in half. Dramatic improvement.”
More from Chris Sullivan: Going green isn’t what you think when it comes to WSDOT safety
I have reached out to Everett Police to see how the enforcement went. The plan was to have a few uniformed officers in the construction zone for the commute.
As of this reporting, Everett police issued 27 tickets during the emphasis in the construction zone.
Let’s make sure this isn’t a one-time deal. The northbound span of the Snohomish River Bridge is going to be closed into October. There are plenty of Fridays ahead. You did it one time. Let’s keep it going.
Check out more of Chris’ Chokepoints here. You can also follow Chris on X. Head here to follow KIRO Newsradio Traffic’s profile on X.
