In a high-profile meeting February 22^nd in Monroe, state and county officials met with members of the East Snohomish County Cities Coalition (ESCCC), to find a resolution to the problems of gravel transportation in Snohomish County. Specific concerns are safety and gridlock issues on U. S. Route 2, and the inclusion of a transportation element in the Snohomish County's Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (DSEIS) on its Mineral Resource Comprehensive Plan.

In an unprecedented meeting, which included Washington Transportation Secretary Doug MacDonald, District 39^th Representative Kirk Pearson, Washington State DOT and Dept. of Ecology (DOE) officials, mayors and personnel of five Snohomish cities, and Snohomish County Planners and personnel, an exchange of views identified and defined the problem of transporting mineral resources. The ESCCC, which was organized by Gold Bar councilmember Steve Higgins to urge the county to consider transportation in its mineral comprehensive plan, has recognized a further need to reach out to the state, legislature and gravel interests in order to craft a resolution to the thorny issue of gravel transportation over gridlocked highways.

As in WW II, where strange bedfellows combined forces to achieve a common objective, the cities of Monroe, Granite Falls, Sultan, Gold Bar and Index are united in their stand in urging the county to effectively address the problem of gravel transportation in the DSEIS and to effect improvements to Route 2, a major U. S. highway known statewide as the "Highway of Death."

Based on comments during last Friday's meeting, it's clear that achieving those goals will come dear. In an economic environment which has produced an estimated $2 billion-plus shortfall in state revenue, and a political atmosphere in which the governor and legislature are overly cautious due to negative voter fall-out, Transportation Secretary MacDonald did not hold out much hope for any near-term improvements to Route 2. He said that "Route 2 has really serious problems," but that funding of any major improvement to Route 2 "was not even on the radar screen."

Representative Kirk Pearson (R-39), in a response to a question about available federal funds to assist in improving Route 2, said it was possible that "It goes into a big pot. But there might be an opportunity work with Congressman Rick Larson" on this effort. The Route 2 Safety Coalition, has already successfully addressed funding issues with Larson, and plans are to ramp up for what will clearly be a legislative battle, marshalling all interests -- cities, taxpayers, gravel companies and the county -- in order to achieve a desired result.

Senior County Planner Tom Neimann, the county planner responsible for shepherding

the county's Mineral Plan through to a council vote, was a bit more hopeful than Secretary MacDonald, insofar as revising the county's approach to the DSEIS. He said the county will address -- at least partially -- the issue of transportation. He said, "We will be coming forward with a proposal to deal with transportation," but then quickly added, "It may not be to your satisfaction."

All of the cities' mayors were united in their condemnation of the negative safety and financial impacts to gravel trucks on their roadways.

Monroe Mayor Donetta Walser noted the enormous financial burden due to wear and tear on Monroe's internal roadways, not just on Route 2, due to gravel trucks, only a portion of the cost of which is borne by gravel companies.

Sultan Mayor C. H. Rowe said, "We need help bad [for U. S.2]. Take every gravel truck off U. S. 2 and we still have a problem."

Butch DeRosia, the mayor of Granite Falls, said the noise is so tremendous that he suggested that anyone thinking about building a home in a peaceful area, "should build a home in Seattle where it's quieter." Mayor DeRosia said that "You can't even have a conversation on the street," and that during the summer months, the windows of the school can't be opened up for the children because there's a gravel truck, on average, every 35 seconds.

One of the problems is that East Snohomish County towns will bear the weight for gravel extraction and transport for developments located in Western Snohomish County, and points distant, even into Seattle and construction for the Third Runway. Questions arise (which were not directed at Secretary MacDonald) as to the financial burdens being shouldered by taxpayers in East County cities for taxpayers who are using, but not paying, for the impacts to gravel extraction. Some think the ultimate answer is a Cascade Foothills truck-only roadway, located near where the gravel is located, and then transport via rail to points westward. Clearly, different or alternate methods need to be addressed, and done so on a statewide or federal level. Possible solutions go beyond our valley, but an all-out effort to shine a spotlight on our situation is required.

An excellent way of shining that light is through a media/legislative effort. It was clear from comments made at the meeting that if any funding for road improvements -- US 2 or otherwise -- can be broken loose, it will be the result of a well-coordinated lobbying effort, both on the state and federal levels. The Route 2 Safety Coalition is ramping up its efforts to assist in that, and is in the process of beefing up both its membership and informational website for that purpose, as well as reaching out to development and gravel interests in a true synergistic effort. But the answer, as usual, lies with the individual taxpayer and voter, who will need to provide the energy and "mass" by which a successful effort will be accomplished, similar to the Sultan community's effort in fighting the Department of Natural Resources' Powerhouse Project during 2001.

The ESCCC's fledgling effort to forge an "unholy alliance" to effect change for the greater good, will have to be extended into an all-out legislative blitz by which to wrest funding for Highway 2 improvements.

As Secretary MacDonald said during the meeting, "No one's going to pay any attention until you get some unified vision of what you want to do. I don't see a whole stream of people coming down to Olympia screaming about [the condition] Route 2."

The ESCCC, the Route 2 Safety Coalition, and perhaps other interests, intend to change that situation as soon as they can.

(The ESCCC's next meeting is March 29^th at 2:00 p.m. in the Monroe council chambers. The Route 2 Safety Coalition's next meeting will be March 18^th at 7:00 p.m. in the Community Room of Sultan's City Hall at 319 Main Street.)