Editorial
November 6, 2012
Shoppers deserve traffic solutions
There are two messy traffic jams that occur in Issaquah, primarily on busy weekend shopping days. With the arrival of the holiday shopping season, these locations will only get worse. While you may have others in mind, we think you’d agree these two are tops for driver annoyance.
Both spots are in the heart of shopping centers.
No. 1 honors go to the ingress/egress to Lake Sammamish Center near The Home Depot. The traffic signal and Interstate 90 Undercrossing help drivers move in and out of the area, but getting out of the parking lot from the south side is a lesson in frustration. Often the only option is to circle away from the exit and try again from a new angle. The only saving grace is that there are no pedestrians in the midst of this tangle of cars.
The intersection on Northwest Maple Street in the heart of the Issaquah Commons is the second-most hazardous traffic jam in town.
State allows studded tires as winter approaches
October 30, 2012
The change in seasons means motorists can again use studded tires.
In Washington, studded tires can be legally used between Nov. 1 and March 31. Violators face a $124 penalty during other months. The abrasion on roads caused by studded tires wears down pavement at a much greater rate.
The state Department of Transportation recommends motorists headed into higher elevations carry chains and use approved traction tires year round.
In addition to studded tires, the Washington State Patrol reminds all drivers and freight haulers to carry sufficient chains between Nov. 1 and April 1.
Under state law, commercial vehicles and combinations of vehicles more than 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight rating must carry sufficient tire chains.
Gubernatorial hopefuls support hatcheries, parks
October 23, 2012
Democrat Jay Inslee and Republican Rob McKenna clashed in a recent series of debates, but the candidates vying to serve as Washington’s next governor share similar positions on local issues, such as support for the state parks system.
Jay Inslee
Rob McKenna
The race at the state level is focused on the candidates’ policies on education and transportation — hot topics on the docket as Inslee and McKenna met in recent weeks.
The Issaquah Press asked the candidates about funding for state parks, salmon restoration and growth management — key concerns in Issaquah and the surrounding area.
Keep little ghouls, goblins safe on Halloween night
October 23, 2012
City officials reminded Issaquah residents and motorists to remain on the lookout for little ghosts and goblins on Halloween, Oct. 31.
Most neighborhoods turn into haunting grounds for dozens of trick-or-treating children on Halloween night, and safety is a paramount concern for parents and police.
Washington tops United States for seatbelt use
October 23, 2012
Washington topped the United States for seatbelt use last year, according to a recent federal report.
The report said 97.5 percent of Washingtonians buckled up in 2011. The release marked the seventh consecutive year the state’s seatbelt use rate exceeded 95 percent.
The national average for seatbelt use last year reached 84 percent.
Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center estimates wearing lap-and-shoulder restraints reduces a vehicle passenger’s risk of dying in a crash by 61 percent.
Issaquah motorist is injured in Interstate 90 crash
October 23, 2012
Police said a 45-year-old Issaquah woman sustained minor injuries in a major crash Oct. 19 along Interstate 90 near the Interstate 405 interchange.
Washington State Patrol investigators said a 57-year-old Renton woman speeding in a Mazda caused the accident on westbound I-90 in Bellevue.
The state patrol said she crashed into the back of a Toyota at about 5:30 p.m., sending the Toyota into the adjacent lane, where a pickup truck driven by the Issaquah woman struck the vehicle.
Department of Transportation hosts local meeting on Snoqualmie Pass project
October 22, 2012
NEW — 6 a.m. Oct. 22, 2012
The state Department of Transportation is at work on a major project to improve safety and meet traffic demands on the east side of Snoqualmie Pass, and local residents can comment on the project.
The project is on a 15-mile stretch between Hyak and Easton in Kittitas County. Improvements to the corridor include building a six-lane highway, stabilizing rock slopes, building wildlife crossings, reducing sharp curves and adding chain-up areas.
The 45-day public comment period for the draft environmental review on avalanche structures proposed for the project runs through Nov. 19.
The agency plans to hold a public meeting for residents to ask questions and discuss the project from 4-7 p.m. Tuesday at the Lewis Creek Visitor Center, 5808 Lakemont Blvd. S.E., Bellevue, near Cougar Ridge Elementary School.
Washington tops United States for seatbelt use at 97.5 percent
October 15, 2012
NEW — 4 p.m. Oct. 15, 2012
Washington topped the United States for seatbelt use last year, according to a recent federal report.
The report said 97.5 percent of Washingtonians buckled up in 2011. The release marked the seventh consecutive year the state’s seatbelt use rate exceeded 95 percent.
The national average for seatbelt use last year reached 84 percent.
“News like this makes me proud to be living in Washington,” Darrin Grondel, Washington Traffic Safety Commission director, said in a statement. “Safe roadways are a team effort that includes everybody using their seat belts because they know that seat belts save lives.”
Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center estimates wearing lap-and-shoulder restraints reduces a vehicle passenger’s risk of dying in a crash by 61 percent.
Issaquah mayor eyes property tax hike
October 9, 2012
Issaquah homeowners can expect to pay about $5 more in property taxes next year, if City Council members adopt a 1 percent rate hike to fund long-term projects.
The property tax increase, proposed Oct. 1 by Mayor Ava Frisinger, is not expected to generate much next year. If enacted, city officials expect to raise only $69,707 — a drop in a proposed $35 million general fund budget.
The decision to raise the property tax rate by the maximum amount allowed under state law, 1 percent, is projected to cost the average homeowner $4.75 per year.
King County executive proposes $20 fee to fund roads
October 9, 2012
Unincorporated King County residents could pay a $20 vehicle license fee next year to shore up road maintenance in rural areas.
Dow Constantine
King County Executive Dow Constantine recommended the fee in the proposed 2013 budget. The fee is projected to raise $4.5 million to fund road projects in unincorporated areas, such as Klahanie, May Valley and Preston in the Issaquah area.
The alternative could mean reduced maintenance to correct problems, such as potholes, and a slower response during snow and ice storms.
Still, county leaders need about $50 million to $65 million per year to maintain the 1,500-mile road network in unincorporated King County.
“The fee won’t be enough, not by a long shot. But it’s the only remaining authority left to counties by the Legislature,” Constantine said in a Sept. 24 budget address to the King County Council. “The system for funding local transportation in Washington state is broken. Everybody knows it. We have a 1930s revenue system to fund 21st century transportation needs.”
