The Washington State Department of Transportation will host two open houses, one in Renton and Auburn, during October to get public input on transportation improvements for State Route 167.
SR 167 connects Interstate 405 in Renton with cities in South King and Pierce counties in an area that is experiencing rapid employment and population growth. It also serves as an alternative to I-5.
WSDOT is sponsoring the first public open houses to kick off the SR 167 Corridor Plan and introduce the SR 167 HOT Lane Pilot Project. WSDOT is conducting the SR 167 Corridor Plan to identify and prioritize projects that will relieve traffic bottlenecks, enhance safety, and improve the movement of freight and people through the corridor.
To improve traffic flow and provide more travel options on SR 167, WSDOT is also planning to convert the High Occupancy Vehicle lanes to High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes. SR 167 was selected as the best location to test HOT lanes in the Puget Sound region. The four-year pilot project is scheduled to begin operation at the end of 2008.
Like HOV lanes, HOT lanes will preserve fast, free trips for vanpools, carpools, and transit, but also will allow toll-paying solo drivers to access the lanes when there is available roadway capacity. Toll rates will be continually adjusted to ensure the HOT lanes keep traffic flowing.
WSDOT invites the public to learn more about potential projects for SR 167 and provide their comments about problems and solutions. Staff will also be available to discuss the HOT Lane Pilot Project – the first in Washington State.
Auburn – SR 164, SR 167 — Tuesday, October 4, 2005,6:00 – 8:00 p.m.,Chinook Elementary SchoolGym, 3502 Auburn Way S
Renton – SR 167, SR 169 — Thursday, October 13, 2005,6:00 – 8:00 p.m.,Renton Community Center,Banquet Room,1715 Maple Valley Hwy
WSDOT also wants to hear from people who cannot attend the open houses. The public can contact Project Manager Carol Hunter by phone at (206) 464-1209 or by e-mail at hunterc@wsdot.wa.gov. Project information also is available on the Web at http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/hov/sr167hotlanes/.
The open house locations are accessible to people with disabilities. Individuals requiring reasonable accommodations may request written materials in alternate formats, sign language interpreters, physical accessibility accommodations, or other reasonable accommodation by contacting the event sponsor, Renee Zimmerman, at (206) 464-1273. Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing may call the Washington State Telecommunications Relay Service or Tele-Braille at 7-1-1, Voice 1-800-833-6384, and ask to be connected to the event sponsor’s phone number.
