I want to discuss the intersection of NE 137th St. and 100th Ave NE in Kirkland. It is by a , Dairy Queen, and McDonalds not to mention so many other businesses. On the east side the center and lane lines were not reinstalled after repaving a couple of years back. As if that weren't enough, the arrows on both the east and west side of this intersection seem to be all wrong. That is to say that there is a "right turn only" on either side of this location making the through lanes off-center from the opposite side of the street. Through traffic must take an "S" route across after waiting for the left turn traffic to clear. This congestion is unnecessary.
I haven't seen this arrow setup anywhere else, nor do I think it is normal to repave a street and not replace the center and lane lines. While the street on the east side leads into at least eight businesses, none of them claim the remarking of the street as their responsibility. So I contacted King County by mail as well as the City of Kirkland in person and email. I even included a hand drawn map of how I'd like the intersection to look. As yet I have not heard back. I wonder if someone thinks I am a "pesky citizen."
I would like to think that anyone in Kirkland upon reading of this intersection would investigate the location and followup with a letter or phone call of their own to whomever it takes to correct this problem. There is so much traffic and when streets are neglected (like not replacing the center or lane line after repaving) it doesn't properly address the pride that Kirkland can project to the Eastside community.
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Pat Bray is a retired, 22-year Kirkland resident who lives on Finn Hill, still has kids at home and is an ex-Marine who served in Vietnam.
