Time for Toll Roads in eastern Washington..... (Seattle, Spokane: living, gardens)

[Seacove]

Originally Posted by Diana Holbrook

Who said anything about increased capacity? Not the OP. 509 just wants to price people off the road...not build more road.

OP was complaining about the traffic. Toll revenue could go toward increasing capacity, thus solving the traffic jams. Unless the toll is outrageously high, a toll is not going to be limiting but could address the traffic congestion for those that do travel to eastern Washington.

[pnwguy2]

The issue is not "increased capacity". The issue is high peak traffic during certain holidays and/or seasonal increases. The roads in Eastern Washington generally don't need increased capacity. Tolls make no sense in this region.

[509]

Originally Posted by pnwguy2

The issue is not "increased capacity". The issue is high peak traffic during certain holidays and/or seasonal increases. The roads in Eastern Washington generally don't need increased capacity. Tolls make no sense in this region.

They do make sense.

They would lower holiday traffic significantly and provide revenue to increase road capacity.

Have you tried to drive in Wenatchee on a typical day....doesn't matter weekend or weekday.

Right now....Chelan County SENDS gas tax money to WESTERN WASHINGTON!!! While we are stuck in traffic in our own county.

There are also other issues......like 40% of Chelan county jail are residents of WESTERN WASHINGTON. 75% of the search and rescues costs are for WESTERN WASHINGTON residents.

Why as a retiree that has lived in the Wenatchee Valley for 35 years should I be paying for the rich kids that work for Amazon, Microsoft, Boeing, etc. etc. for their "entertainment".

BTW....get off my lawn!!.....even if it is sagebrush!! BTW...I actually had a rich, spoiled western Washington brat walk 10 feet from my deck to look at the view!! He said I was "rude" to kick him off my property since it was sage.

[rkcarguy]

I totally understand your frustration 509. I grew up here and now every camping/hiking/mountain-biking/boating venue is just stuffed with people. It's gotten to the point where if you really want to enjoy yourself, you take time off work and go after the weekends *around* the holiday weekends so you miss the secondary zoo of people that are also missing the primary holiday weekend zoo. Worse yet, everything from housing to groceries to gas is more $$$ because of all these people.

I don't feel that toll roads are anything good though, we already pay the 3rd highest gas taxes in the country. I do feel that the "newcomers" are not paying their own way nor is the state using the increased tax revenue they do get from the growing population to deal with the growth in a proactive way.(more roads, sewer, water, etc).

[Hemlock140]

This is no different than the summer and holiday weekend traffic in the scenic west part of the state such as the Olympic Penninsula, Ocean Shores and the San Juan Islands. When you live in a place that's a desirable vacation spot, you should expect inconvenience at times. Of course, some will benefit from the dollars spent by those tourists while they are in your area. The gas stations, restaurants, and motels will not be complaining about the traffic.

[Sockeye66]

When I first moved to Seattle I lived Queen Anne a couple of block up from Seattle Center. It was an older Apt building with street parking.

It was all good unless those hippie festival, sports crazed, rock-n-roll blaring concert entitled types flooded my neighborhood.

Wish I'd thought of adding taxes, fees and fines to all those festivities to keep my parking the way I liked it.
Damn hipsters- Keep off my concrete!

[pnwguy2]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

This is no different than the summer and holiday weekend traffic in the scenic west part of the state such as the Olympic Penninsula, Ocean Shores and the San Juan Islands. When you live in a place that's a desirable vacation spot, you should expect inconvenience at times. Of course, some will benefit from the dollars spent by those tourists while they are in your area. The gas stations, restaurants, and motels will not be complaining about the traffic.

Exactly. This is NOT an issue of road capacity. It is an issue of inconvenience at times. And this issue increases the profits of local industries. Much ado about nothing.

[PS90]

Originally Posted by pnwguy2

Exactly. This is NOT an issue of road capacity. It is an issue of inconvenience at times. And this issue increases the profits of local industries. Much ado about nothing.

Since most of Eastern Washington is not reliant on tourism as a major source of revenue, your point is only valid for a small number of people.

For example, telling a local Forest Service employee, or logger, or farmer, "Hey, all those Coasties bring a bunch of money to hotels and restaurants over here while they clog our roads!" is going to fall on deaf ears.

[pnwguy2]

Originally Posted by PS90

Since most of Eastern Washington is not reliant on tourism as a major source of revenue, your point is only valid for a small number of people.

For example, telling a local Forest Service employee, or logger, or farmer, "Hey, all those Coasties bring a bunch of money to hotels and restaurants over here while they clog our roads!" is going to fall on deaf ears.

I think your premise is a bit off. Eastern Washington is just as reliant on tourism as Western Washington. So my point is valid for a large number of people.

Forest Service employer, logger or farmer? Not sure I get the connection. If farming includes the billion dollar wine industry in Eastern Washington then you are certainly out of touch with what makes Eastern Washington tick. A blanket statement that "Eastern Washington is not reliant on tourism" is just plain incorrect.

[Thx-1138]

The toll booth is only going to slow things down MORE!


Thx