Liz Carrington of Mill Creek dreads the signal at Highway 9 and Lowell-Larimer Road (Broadway Avenue) in Snohomish.
“The speed limit downhill (northbound on Highway 9) with a red light at the bottom is far too high,” said Carrington, noting she witnessed one crash last year at the intersection when a northbound car ran a red light. “You can hardly see what color the light is from the top of the hill.”
The speed limit there is 55 mph.
Carrington notes there’s a blinking caution light for cars heading south on Highway 9 at Marsh Road. Could the same thing be added at Lowell-Larimer Road?
Tom Pearce, spokesman at the Washington State Department of Transportation, said the speed limit won’t change.
“Lowering the speed limit does not actually mean people will driver more slowly, just as increasing the speed limit doesn’t necessarily mean people automatically will drive faster,” Pearce said.
What about a warning light? There are several things the state would look at first, he said, including whether the signal is isolated, if there’s limited sight distance and if there is a grade or high truck volume.
“We are evaluating the effectiveness of this additional warning at a few locations in the region, including on SR 9 at 56th Street Southeast just south of US 2 in Snohomish. Based on the results, we will decide if this type of warning is effective, and consider expanding the program,” Pearce said.
That process will take a few years.
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