The following is written by Sumner Mayor Dave Enslow:

Have you ever taken your car into the mechanic only to have it run perfectly?  That strange noise you’ve heard for months just magically disappeared, and you’re left smiling sheepishly at the mechanic.

Last week, I was honored to have Amy Scarton, Assistant Secretary of Washington State Dept of Transportation (WSDOT) come visit Sumner for two hours.  I carefully planned how to drive her around to show her our worst traffic areas–the three interchanges with SR 410, Highway 167, 142nd Street, the Traffic Avenue overpass…you know them all.  I was surprised to find the lightest, emptiest streets I’ve ever seen in Sumner.  Where’d everybody go?!?

Despite this anomaly, Amy believed us that Sumner needs help to alleviate traffic in and around our city.  Of course, we’re not alone.  Many Washington cities are also burdened with traffic congestion.  I believe that having WSDOT come and see the challenges (even on the lightest traffic day imaginable) is a huge step in the right direction.  In other action, the City Council decided on Tuesday to ask Sound Transit to study a larger, four-story parking garage instead of a three-story garage.  This is not a final decision, but the difference would take 140 more cars off our streets.  And, later today, I will be updating the Pierce County Delegation in Olympia about Sumner’s traffic and flooding worries.  I really appreciate Senator Pam Roach for setting this opportunity up for us.

Altogether, none of these efforts will alleviate your commute and travels tomorrow, but I hope that they’re pushing toward better traffic management in the future.  I’ll be sure to let my mechanic know!