In perhaps the richest area of Washington state, a new type of road material is being tested.
the state Department of Transportation (DOT) is testing materials there designed to turn down the din of traffic.
The DOT calls them “quieter pavements.”
Those who drive the highway or live nearby call it a huge improvement: “People who live along 520 are like, ‘You are a godsend,’ ” Scott said.
Some folks complained about the proposed bridge replacement for 520, because it included a Mercer Island-style lid to shield the rich folks’ neighborhoods from the noise. “Blah blah rich people, blah blah fancy freeway” was the common refrain from my left ‘o’ center friends. Now I’m starting to hear “blah blah quiet asphalt.” Maybe with this new pavement we won’t have to spend so much on mitigation in the form of concrete lids and more on this new asphalt.
As an aside, I’m always amazed that this region is able to gin up so much general animosity from things. Should people in gigantic houses be subjected to freeway noise because they’re rich? Should anyone? Of course not.
The battle over the Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement will look like an Easter egg hunt compared to what’s in store on 520. The neighborhoods on both ends of the bridge have a lot in common- they’re rich, white, and can hire an army of lawyers. But I wouldn’t want the State of Washington forcing some awful freeway design through my neighborhood. (Oh wait, they already did try once already!)
I predict that this new technology is going to let a thousand flowers bloom. At least that’s my hope.
Will… but won’t those “thousand flowers” crack the new pavement?
(Or did you mean that metaphorically? I’ve been reading the wingnuts in my comment threads this morning, and I’ve temporarily lost the ability to abstract.)
Uhhh…it’s my understanding that in addition to being quieter, the new asphalt on 520 happens to be made largely from recycled tires.
It’s pretty nice to drive on. For that matter, it’s pretty nice to ride the bus on.
The problem, Will, with special noise reduction policies for ‘rich folks’ is that it is indicative of a system that is rigged from top to bottom in favor of those ‘rich folks’.
If you were joking, ha ha. If not, KMA.
The people on both ends of the bridge who are most likely to object to 520 improvements don’t have to hire lawyers. They are lawyers.
It’s about time for a WingNut™ to point out that Ted Kennedy was a NIMBY when it came to wind generators being installed within his panoramic view of Hyannis Port. He felt that placing them there would be ‘inappropriate’.
Iknow. I know. The strict interpretation is that the topic is noise reduction on roads.
But looking at it in the broader view, it’s about the political clout of the priviliged few against the relatively powderpuff clout of the rest of us.
Of course none of this will make sense, or matter all that much, until several years have passed. Then we will know whether the road-surface material can stand up to the tremendous use, whether it will default into “marbles” that increase accidents, whether it will get more noisy over time, and most importantly how much it will cost to maintain and resurface. By that time, most of those rich folks will be less rich at the expense of a few of their neighbors (you know those silly laws of economic theory regarding the need to concentrate more and more capital into fewer and fewer hands when there is less dynamic growth in an economic system– [check out the November real inflation rate of 3.6% of all wholesale price indices]), and the few that garner much of that wealth will have moved on, probably outside the US.
Over here on the eastern side of the Northwest, WADOT built a bridge that is singularly one of the ugliest structures imaginable. That left the City with the task of financing some sort of artistic retrofit to make it appear somewhat more aesthetically appeasing to all of the citizens. Unlike Tucson, that designs artistic components into all of their bridgework (including soundscaping), we end up with crap. One can only hope that those wealthy folks on each side of the 520 bridge have enough “juice” to pump some aesthetics into the new efforts.
Ummm….WSDOT tested out quiet pavement a year before the 520 overlay on I5 southbound, at lynnwood. So I don’t think it’s all about the rich people’s toys.
Oh, and on a per lane basis, the volume on 520 where this pavement was placed is probably the highest or 2nd highest in the entire state, but your probably right about all those rich people and their favorable treatment.
Further….it probably is an ideal second test spot as it is mostly commuter vehicles and buses, with lesser truck traffic density compared to I5 lynnwood…but that makes too much sense…so it’s probably those pesky richies!
Three points:
1. The people on the Montlake side of the bridge are certainly NOT rich .. at least by the standards of Hunt’s Point. They DO have a wonderful neighborhood and a legitimate concern that the neighborhood not be destroyed.
The genral public alos has its stake since 520 runs through the arboretum and the small park behind the Seattle Yacht club AND has an obvious impact on the UW.
2, I agree with Will that some compromises always need to be made. Personally I feel strongly that 520 should connect to a N-S boulevard (NOT a closed in Freeway) running from MLK to Lake City Way. That mitigation would be less serious than Montlake/Hunts Point because a huge part of the stretch is already public (UW, city– Dahl Field)) and not very usable because of the cliffs. Other parts of my MLK Boulevard go through commercial properties that I ‘spect would trade the traffic for a fee 100 feet of right of way (U Village), or urban redevelopment (near the new African American Heritage Museum cum I 90), The rest is relatively inexpesive housing that is already impacted by the huge flow of traffic on 23rd.
My MLK Boulevard might pay for itself by increasig commerce in the Central District, decreasing the need for traffic via Aurora/viaduct, increasing property values in Lake City Way, Done well, perhaps with the additon of light rail, the effects on the UW’s need to find lower cost housing would also be cool because MLK is adjacent to some of the best high density housing in Seattle.
All this would take is leadership!
3. I do not agree with Will that the rich get to much umbrage here in the Queen City. If anything they get away woth as lot more than what I sw as akid in Boston. Seattle … years after the end of restrictive covenants still has many gfated communities that occupy awesome property nin the city … Broaidmore, the Heights, private clubs (Seattle Yacht Club), Seattle Tennis Club, are built on land that amounts ot a private park for the very wealthy, downtown we is building ..AT TAXPAYER EXPENSE gated housing for the uber-rich … the 2200 is nothing compared to the 4 Seasons).
Bottom line, I don’t pity our rich.
Anonymous at 7: Well, people in Lynnwood are used to being the “beta subjects”. If it doesn’t work out well, and perhaps if it turns out the freeway is actually noiser with the new pavement, then heck – it’s just Lynnwood, its no big deal.
@9:
If you are referring to the park at the end of E Hamlin (referred to by the City as Montlake Boulevard Park), then you are definitely mistaken. The 520 freeway does pass nearby on Portage Bay, but does not pass through this tiny park next to the Yacht Club. It also passes near McCurdy Park (where MOHAI is currently situated), but not through. Yes, it does pass through the Arboretrum – that is something I hope can be fixed in the next iteration.
[Deleted- Off topic]
Oh, and yes, the folks who live in the Montlake neighborhood look pretty rich to me. Some of the residents have not one but two doctors or professors in the household, and the houses have been going for upwards of $800K. I would love to be able to live in the area in order to be close to work, but sheesh – can’t afford that, not in a bajillion years!
13 $800K? That’s expensive??????
Where the hell have you been?
That ride the bus into downtown Bellevue and back every day. That new road material is fantastic. The bus becomes noticeably quieter when it reaches that section of 520. This is not a have and have-nots issue. As they begin expanding the roads that have this material, anybody who uses the freeway in any sort of vehicle will benefit from this improvement.
This isn’t PC, but most poor people are poor because they are a littler lazier and a little dumber than rich people, so they are less likely to 1), be aware this “quiet pavement” exists, and 2) muster up the energy to demand that it be put in their neighborhoods, even if they were aware of it. That’s why the people at the east end of the 520 bridge got it. They simply asked for it. The article says so.
Yes those people in Montlake, near Greenlake, and by Capitol Hill are poor, stupid and lazy, they are meth heads, that’s why they suffer from noise.
this brilliant amagamation of sound facts, solid logic and genius insight is an amazing testimonial as to the superior wits of the writer. Certainly he or she must be in that top, top .0001%!!!!Bravo!!
Class rule is fully justified once again by the moral superiority of the upper class.
So…why allow anyone else to vote? Why not restrict the vote to those with over $5 million in net worth?
In fact, why not have rule of the very best — the aristocracy?
Ok, I’ll play along. I’ll spout the PC line…
Those evil, McMansion-living, Hummer-driving eastsiders got it the quiet pavement because they are rich and white. And even though the newspaper said they got it because they asked for it, that’s a lie. They got it because of the color of their skin and how much is in their bank accounts.
Montlake is rich. Not Hunts Point rich, but rich nonetheless. Houses START at $800,000k, that is far from the average. I think you may have a warped sense of what rich is from living in Seattle. Why the hell do you think working class people are moving to Auburn, etc? For the culture?
Too bad quiet pavement doesn’t really work all that well yet. Sure, it is quieter. But it also doesn’t last very long and is expensive. Is this where we want to spend our tax dollars when we have no mass transit and our infrastructure is crumbling? So the “not rich” can have a little more quiet? Perhaps the “not rich” could spend some of their own money on soundproofing their houses. After all, they did buy houses next to a freeway…
@19 @13 Tla^^^^
I do not live in Montlake, but I suspect my situation here on Cap Hill is similar. As for the 800k house .. we don;t have anyt that cheap, the land is worth that now. BUT, I am pretty sure the majority of my neighbors could not afford to buy their current homes, much less anything real “nice” over by Hunts Point, Clyde Hill, etc.
So ..bubbelah, yes there is a huge difference between the Republicans who dwell beneathe rising son amd the lesser humans of MOntlake.
Such fine distinctions aside, the idea that 520 does not affect the parks in the Montlake area is worthy of Bush. The Arborteum, cut entrance, parks along the cut entrance, etc are very much a PUBLIC treasure and yes ..even the really poor can benefit from a walk or row through the quiet of the wetlands. Try finding a place to walk near Lake W on the est side!
Personally,given the low density of housing in Hunts Point I think we should take it by eminent domain and get Steve Balmerto build a new basketball-arena-convention-center for the team he has not yet bought.
rhp6033 @ 10:
This is not necessarily directed at you…but you can’t have it both ways. Quiet pavement installed at Lynnwood supposedly because no one cares about Lynnwood….but when installed in Medina/Hunts Point: FAVORITISM.
Also, quiet pavement will at worst equal the noise generated level of regular pavement. The issue is how it will perform in the NW weather and traffic conditions and whether its cost effective.
Oh, and I’m as liberal as most people come. I agree with Will that this may open up some real cost effective measures to cut down on noise. I think quiet pavement is fabulous. I drive an older car that lets a lot of noise into the cabin. Quiet pavement is phenomenal and DRASTICALLY improves my freeway driving experience. Oh, and I ride the bus ~12 trips per week and only drive on the weekend.
Man, I’m tired and cranky tonight :)
The Times article left out some important points. These are only short test sections that will be evaluated for five years. WSDOT is also testing quiet concrete pavement designs, there is a section on I-5 southbound at the Federal Way exit. The two test sections in Lynnwood were part of a much larger project to resurface southbound I-5 from South Everett to Mountlake Terrace. Most of this was regular asphalt, but all of it was so much quieter than the worn out pavement it replaced that many people could not tell the difference between the regular and quiet sections.
Go to the WSDOT website and click on Materials in the lower right corner – Materials laboratory – and find the “Quieter Pavement” section. It’s also worth looking at the “Pavements and Studded Tires” section if you are wondering if these quieter pavements will last in NW winter conditions.
The legislature never would ban the use of studded tires here so I hoping the issue may be on the way to solving itself as new snow tire designs and more all wheel drive vehicles are becoming available. If that doesn’t happen I think that at least the asphalt quiet pavement designs are going to be toast in five years or less. They may not generate any more noise than regular pavement at this point but the ruts will certainly be deeper.
SeattleJew,
All I did was correct your statement that 520 runs through the park at the end of Hamlin. Certainly, I am correct in this, so your criticism (worthy of Bush? Puh-lease!) is off the mark. And really, you might as well complain that the poor people who belong to the Seattle Yacht Club are having their view of Portage Bay ruined by 520. Let’s focus on the Arboretum, which really is a great public resource and actually supports some wildlife habitat, shall we?
Speaking of studded tires, as far as I can tell, more than 50% of the people who are driving around on studded tires are little old ladies who have no intention of driving up to the pass to go skiing. So let me get this straight. These old women are going to drive around in studded tires for 6 months because we will statistically get a very light dusting of snow for a few hours on one day sometime during the winter? Studded tires should be banned. Snow tires are just as good, and don’t destroy the pavement.