Clinton traffic changes now in effect

Published 10:00 am Monday, April 30, 2001

“State Patrol Cadet Bill Smith, left, and Sgt. Jerry Cooper are satisfied that the Clinton traffic situation is clear enough, although the sign above confuses some drivers.Jim Larsen, staff photoHighway 525 in Clinton is now officially a single-lane road heading toward the ferry, with the old outside lane converted to a shoulder to be used only to wait in the ferry line.State Department of Transportation workers erected a scattering of new signs and finished painting diagonal lines every 100-feet on the new shoulder last week, and despite some residual confusion among motorists the job is considered finished.The striping and signing is done, everything’s in effect, said Susan Hill, DOT special projects engineer, on Thursday. The entire outside lane from Campbell Road to Humphrey road is now a ferry-waiting area only, and should not be driven in.The sign that sends the message states, FERRY SHOULDER: For ferry waiting when backup present. Translated, that means don’t use the shoulder unless there’s a ferry backup, in which case you can move over and scoot into the lane to join the wait.Hill reluctantly acknowledged that the sign could be interpreted another way, that when there’s no backup present, perhaps you could use the lane. She had already received several e-mails to that effect.But no immediate changes are anticipated. We don’t know of a better message without putting an encyclopedia out there, she said. We’ll see how it works for a couple of months instead of going out there and putting a Band-Aid on.Jack Leengran, chairman of the Ferry Advisory Committee attached to the Clinton route, is among the citizens not satisfied with the final wording on the sign, saying it likely won’t keep all drivers out of the shoulder lane. But they’re (DOT) convinced that’s what it’s supposed to do, he said Friday.Washington State Patrol Sgt. Jerry Cooper spent some time in Clinton on Wednesday observing the new system, which he said is supposed to mirror the approach to the ferry dock in Mukilteo.Cooper said the new diagonal striping in the shoulder lane, combined with the signs, should make it clear to drivers not to use the lane. To him, the sign means stay out of the lane unless waiting in the ferry line. It doesn’t mean to get in there and drive to the (ferry) back-up, he said. However, as he was speaking several cars did just that.With the new striping in place, Cooper said motorists could be fined for using the shoulder lane. Technically, yes, it’s illegal, he said. But he said enforcement will largely be educational for a while. It’s not like we’re coming over here with a hammer.Smaller signs say the shoulder is for ferry waiting only, and new, tightly-grouped cross hatchings more clearly mark areas near intersections that motorists must keep clear.In addition, new pictograph signs try to make it clear to drivers waiting in the ferry line that others on the inside, through lane may be turning right in front of them.Cooper expects it will take time to education the public about the changes. He said a State Patrol trooper was in Clinton last Sunday and noticed that in the off-limits shoulder lane there’s tons of cars coming down here still. Hills said an informational sheet explaining the changes is available at the ferry docks, and may be inserted in The South Whidbey Record in the near future. “