Passing Lane Update 11/02/2008
Some 100 local residents attended the second public meeting on October 13, 2006 to update information about the proposed Gardiner passing lane.
WSDOT officials indicated that the passing lane would be delayed indefinitely and that permanent resolution would be determined by the legislature in the coming session.
Representative Kevin Van De Wege told residents that the project was no longer a priority and that he would be talking with other legislators to determine how the monies might be redirected to other highway projects in the district.
Members of the Committee to Oppose the Gardiner Passing Lane will be monitoring the legislative session online beginning in January and will pass along any information as it becomes available. According to Representative Van De Wege, the topic would likely come up late in the session, most likely in March or April.
For more information,
e-mail
jalynndbr21@earthlink.net.
Passing Lane Update
GARDINER, WA - October 3 - A public meeting to present an
update on the proposed Gardiner truck passing lane will be held at the
Gardiner Community Center, 980 Old Gardiner Road, at 6:30 p.m. on Monday,
October 13.
The meeting, sponsored by the Committee to Oppose the
Gardiner Passing Lane, will give Gardiner residents an opportunity to hear
results of a review of the project that WSDOT Assistant Engineer David
Garlington promised at an earlier public meeting held in September.
Garlington and Kevin Dayton, WSDOT Region Administrator,
will discuss their findings and address specific safety and environmental
concerns raised by the committee and local citizens. State Representative
Kevin Van de Wege and Patsy Feeley, Assistant to Senator Jim Hargrove will
also attend the meeting.
Gardiner Passing Lane Project
New Information as of 9/12/2008
Below is an email sent to Jane Meyer from David Garlington 9/12/2008
"Jane,
I wanted to give you an update. The project's benefit/cost ratio is being recalculated using the most recent data available. As well, the siting criteria is being looked at again. The Department is also evaluating the priority of this, and all our projects, against each other. Transportation funds have tailed off at both the state and federal levels because of lower gas consumption. DOT is taking a hard look at which jobs deserve a share of the budget, and, undoubtedly, not all of them will make the cut. I hope that I will be able to report to you a final decision in the next two weeks. You know, of course, that with this particular job, being that it was specifically funded by the legislature, the politicians can override DOT's recommendation, though I think this would be unlikely.
On a couple of other points - I haven't heard anything from the fire chief about the helicopter landings. The drainage as we have designed it utilizes infiltration to a greater extent than previous designs and, if built, should improve the treatment of water before. I don't see anything wrong with the current drainage either, however. At the meeting, someone asked about "no left turn" signs. I have not been able to find anyone in DOT that has heard about that. I'm thinking that this might have been proposed by the county. No signs would go up on 101 right of way without permission of DOT following an analysis to see if they were justified. My feeling is that they would not be.
I appreciate it if you are able to disseminate this information to the community and will keep in touch."