I know a few graduates of Mercer Island’s public schools, and they’re pretty sharp folks. Which makes me wonder…are Judy Clibborn’s constituents really this dumb?
Given the pending removal of two I-90 bridge lanes for a light-rail line, “I heard people say I don’t use the 520 Bridge and you’re taking my bridge and making it have less capacity … and then you’re going to take that money and put it on a bridge that I don’t use,” said Rep. Judy Clibborn, D-Mercer Island, who said putting tolls only on the 520 span is an issue of fairness.
Transit is an ecosystem, folks. Tolling 520 but not I-90 would just increase the traffic on your precious “free”way.
But beyond that, pardon my French, but for fuck’s sake, you live on a goddamn ISLAND! You have a special little exemption to use the HOV lanes even if you don’t have any passengers. Where do you get the stones to demand perpetually free, state- and federally-funded access to your precious little mound of dirt?
Wow. Just… wow.
Aren’t they just moving those two lanes rather than removing them? Or did they plan to add those extra HOV lanes even without Sound Transit?
Hi Mark — no, I believe it’s all being done in conjunction with Sound Transit. by moving the lanes to the outside, traffic will flow more efficiently b/c there will be an HOV lane in each direction all times of the day.
There will be HOV lanes at all times of the day but the outer roadways will no longer have shoulders, which will significantly affect reliability. Just look at 520. If a car stalls on the bridge at 4 the bridge is congested for the rest of the day.
The difference being that there’s more than one path. It will suck for those stuck on the HOV bridge behind the accident, but everyone else will be able to drive past on the non-HOV section.