ET,

I last rode a train and bus while in Washington D.C. last October.

More roads cure gridlock in theory only. We cannot build roads faster than the driving population increases. We cannot afford the expensive rights of way in the places where people actually want to go. Adding more lanes to freeways after a certain size is ineffective because the number of interchanges and associated traffic merges becomes the bottleneck causing gridlock. When the driving population passes a certain threshold, roads and single occupant vehicles are no longer an efficient means of transporting people to where they need to be.

We prefer roads and cars, but we're unwilling to admit that we've exceeded their limit of effectiveness in certain areas. The choice is continued gridlock or alternative transportation. I'm on that balance point that I'll choose whichever will get me where I need to go most conveniently (usually the fastest). We can choose what we prefer (and sit in gridlock breathing pollution), or we can choose what works. Is there really another choice?

HuntNfish,

I only suggested Oly to Everett because that is the most crowded section of I-5, altho I've been caught in significant slowdowns around Centralia and Vancouver, but far less than the Puget Sound metro area. Obviously, I-405 is also a good candidate for alternatives, as are some others. Ya' gotta' start somewhere, and I was just offering a conversation starter.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.