Letter: Avoiding gridlock in Tri-Cities

The evening commute through Richland is longer than last year. This minor inconvenience is another sign of our robust local economy. Tri-City residents do not want commute times like those in Seattle.

Forward thinking citizens have developed a brilliant alternative to counter these minor traffic delays. The group, “Bypass Around Richland Fast” (BARF) noticed that “Bertha,” the Seattle tunneling machine, is nearing the end of her journey. The plan is to bring Bertha to Richland.

Imagine high-speed travel that allows citizens to arrive home 15 minutes earlier. Drivers having business in Richland would stay on the surface roads. All others would take the underground route that completely bypasses the congestion on G-Way and at Queensgate.

To fund this inspired plan, an increase to the license registration fees of $100 for every vehicle in the Tri-City area is being proposed. This modest increase would likely be a hardship for vehicle owners, but future generations would enjoy the reduced commute time.

This story was originally published March 2, 2017 at 4:25 AM with the headline "Letter: Avoiding gridlock in Tri-Cities."