The following is written by Sumner Mayor Dave Enslow:
Sometimes when people ask me about fixing a road, installing a traffic light or adding a sidewalk, it’s not always easy to explain what is happening. Yes, we continue to have traffic throughout Sumner. The question is, what are we doing about it? Part of the answer is the annual Six-Year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). This tells you what we’re working on and what we want to be working on over the next six years. The list includes everything from the projects already funded and underway, like the replacement of the Bridge Street bridge, to projects we’re gathering funding for and want to get to as quickly as possible, like the Traffic Avenue/SR 410 interchange. But more than just a wish list of projects, the TIP is actually the means to getting projects funded without having to tax our citizens.
The TIP gives you a road map, literally, that tells you our priorities in order, how much they cost, and when we hope to get each one of them done. For example, did you know that we’re also working hard to replace the two-lane bridge over Stewart Road? The replacement is important for traffic flow, for flood protection and for adding a separated trail over the river to connect the Sumner Link Trail to the Interurban Trail. It’s an $18 million project that already has partial funding.
Click here to take a look at this year’s Six-Year TIP. But wait, there’s more! We continue to need your help explaining to potential funders how big of a problem some of these areas, such as the SR 410/Traffic Avenue interchange, are. Despite all our recent efforts, a lot of important people still see Traffic Avenue as a “Sumner problem,” even though I see how every morning, traffic is backed up to Shaw Road in Puyallup for this same interchange. So continue to let us know about your traffic challenges, even if you are a business or live in Puyallup. Please email us a letter or a few comments about how important fixing this interchange is to you! It’s a couple of moments that could help us all save hours in the future with an interchange that actually works in all directions.
