Sequim leaders worried about pressure growth

Peninsula News Network

7/22/05

Sequim, WA - Consultants say they’ve finished their car counts… but have a lot more
analysis to do before completing a study that will determine how Sequim will
handle its growing traffic problem in the years to come…

Sequim has been making a lot of traffic improvements and changes in the past
few years… things like traffic signals, rebuilt roads and the much discussed
roundabouts… especially to meet the rapid commercial and residential growth
on the west side of town.

But Sequim leaders are worried about the overall pressure growth both
inside…and especially outside the city… is going to have on the city’s
traffic problems in the years to come. And not just on the arterials.
There’s also concerns about side streets, pedestrians and bicycle traffic.

Earlier this summer, the Sequim city council decided to seek the help of
specialized traffic consultants to analyze the present situation, and try to
project where the trends are headed in the next few years.

This week the consultants from Parametrix told the council they’ve completed
the first part of that work, by conducting traffic counts at key locations
around the city. Now, City Manager Bill Elliott says Parametrix will be
conducting additional field research and observation, and incorporating
other existing information, such as population growth rates and “build out”
statistics, showing how many more homes and businesses could be built inside
the city and in the surrounding area. Elliott says the report should be
completed in October and will give the city some baseline data to use in
making future decisions that could effect the city’s transportation system.