U.S. 2 Safety Coalition adding $58M State Route 522 funding to 2016 advocacy plan

The U.S. 2 Safety Coalition has been advocating for safety improvements along U.S. 2 ever since the group formed in the late 1990s. Now, the group is planning to start the new year with a renewed sense of purpose, aiming to also take on S.R. 522.

Coalition Chairman Fred Walser discussed the coalition's legislative agenda during the final meeting of 2015, on Monday, Dec. 21, at the Monroe Library. The group's primary goal is a $58 million appropriation that would complete the four-lane expansion of S.R. 522, which narrows to a bottleneck in between Paradise Lake Road and the Snohomish River Bridge.

Sky Valley commuters are all too familiar with the congestion that occurs on S.R. 522 north of the Paradise Lake Road stoplight, which becomes a sea of brake lights every evening.

Westbound congestion recently brought the Sky Valley to its knees, after S.R. 203 became impassable due to flooding from the Nov. 17 wind and rainstorm. This forced commuters over to S.R. 522, but high winds had knocked out power at the Paradise Lake Road stoplight. Massive slowdowns occurred on Nov. 18 and 19, as the entire approximately seven-mile stretch of roadway from Monroe to Paradise Lake Road came to a complete standstill.

Walser and U.S. 2 Safety Coalition board member and Sultan City Councilmember John Seehuus had planned a trip to Olympia on Thursday, Nov. 19, but were stymied by the heavy congestion, already backed up at 6:30 a.m.

"We pulled out onto Main Street and there was a big traffic back up. We got down to the roundabout and we sat and we sat and we sat,GÇ¥ Walser said. "We tried to get up onto 522, and to make a long story short, it took us one hour to go from that roundabout to the Snohomish River Bridge on 522.GÇ¥

The two had a 10:15 a.m. meeting with a senator in Olympia, which they missed.

"Because of the floods, 522 was the only viable route south,GÇ¥ Walser said. "And as Murphy's Law would dictate, the power went out at the traffic signal at Paradise Lake Road and there was a crash there.GÇ¥

Under ordinary circumstances, Monroe to Olympia can be accomplished in roughly one hour and 40 minutes. It took them four hours to get to Olympia, Walser said.

Monroe Mayor Geoffrey Thomas reported his recent efforts on behalf of traffic improvements and the proposed S.R. 522 expansion. Thomas has been advocating on behalf of the city, and also partnered with the Monroe School District Board of Directors to have them pass a formal resolution regarding S.R. 522. He has spent time in meetings with 39th District legislators, including Sen. Kirk Pearson, Rep. Dan Kristiansen and Rep. Elizabeth Scott, to discuss possible solutions to the problem.

"I told them, "Look, I don't care if you're a Republican or a Democrat, green party, tea party independent, nonpartisan; we're all sitting in traffic right now,' GÇ¥ Thomas said. "We just need to figure it out.GÇ¥ -á -á -á

In addition to the S.R. 522 expansion, the coalition will continue its efforts in pursuing safety improvements along U.S. 2, including solar-powered centerline lights and the construction of a cable barrier system.

"We've got to stop these crossover head-on crashes,GÇ¥ Walser said.

The coalition is currently fundraising to secure the services of a professional lobbyist to help advance its cause. The board has its sights set on Armstrong and Associates, a lobbying firm founded by former legislator Mike Armstrong, who has an extensive background in transportation. Walser plans on meeting with the Monroe Rotary Club, Monroe Kiwanis and other local service organizations to solicit donations to coalition efforts.

He is also working to get more of the Sky Valley business community on board.-á -á

"We need $6,000, plain and simple,GÇ¥ Walser said.

Armstrong served for 12 years in the state House of Representatives, was the ranking member on the House Transportation Committee and the deputy leader of the Republican Caucus. He served on numerous committees during his time as a lawmaker, including housing, state government and tribal affairs.

He also spent 21 years with the Washington State Department of Transportation, five years at the Chelan County Public Utility District and six years at Port of Chelan County. He started his lobbying and consulting firm in 2013.-á -á -á

"He is the best lobbyist that we could possibly hire,GÇ¥ Walser said. "He understands transportation.GÇ¥

Walser already has a trip to Olympia on the books, and plans to meet with Armstrong for a strategy briefing during the week of Jan. 11. Armstrong is willing to offer them a good deal, Walser said, as the $6,000 will cover a multi-year contract.

The U.S. 2 Safety Coalition was founded after the deaths of Sky Valley residents Donna and Robert Moore, who were killed in a head-on collision on U.S. 2 near Fern Bluff Road on Sept. 16, 1997. Donna was the administrative assistant at the Sultan Police Department, where Walser served as the chief.-á Walser and Startup resident Nancy Roesler began push for something to be done; Roesler circulated a petition and within months a large public meeting was held with local legislators.

The loss of Donna Moore and her husband was devastating, said Walser, who can cite the date of the accident without even pausing to think about it.

"We've been advocating ever since,GÇ¥ Walser said. "I'm selling safety, nothing else.GÇ¥

The coalition became an official 501(C)4 nonprofit in 1998. Since its inception, the coalition has helped facilitate the allotment of around $200 million in safety improvements along the U.S. 2 corridor through lobbying and various partnerships and collaborations. A large portion of the coalition's expenses have been self-funded; Walser and his wife, Donnetta, have paid for a trip to Washington, D.C., and numerous trips to Olympia in the pursuit of safety.

Former Monroe Mayor Donnetta Walser, currently the coalition vice chair, has greatly enhanced the coalition's efforts over the years, using her political acumen to secure results. In addition to facilitating the roadway's recognition as a federal highway, Donnetta lobbied federal lawmakers for funding to create a Route Development Plan (RDP) for U.S. 2, which it did not have. In order for improvements to occur, an RDP needs to be in place.-á -á

The coalition is governed by a seven-member board of directors. Anyone can attend coalition meetings, which are held every month at the Monroe Library. -á -á

To make a donation to the U.S. 2 Safety Coalition, send checks or money orders to: P.O. Box 237, Monroe, 98272. All of the money will be dedicated to facilitating the completion of the S.R. 522 expansion and U.S. 2 safety improvements.