Traffic is a big problem in Issaquah. We all agree on that. It’s a problem that has been growing for many years. It’s caused by many things. Mainly, growth within Issaquah and growth beyond our city limits.

That growth has been fueled by a thriving local/regional economy, but one that has come with unanticipated growing pains. For me, the lightness of traffic during the recession years was a minuscule silver lining next to the worry and weight of those recession years. The nuisance of today’s traffic doesn’t dent knowing that I, my friends and colleagues, and my fellow community members are more secure in their jobs. A thriving economy has some huge benefits, but it comes with challenges.

The pass-through commutes of thousands of drivers (generally northbound in the a.m. and southbound in the p.m.) seems the biggest contributor to our current gridlock. Growth (inside and outside of Issaquah) has also outpaced the traditional approaches our local and state officials have typically applied to these types of challenges and also outpaced their estimates of the costs.

With the perfect vision of hindsight, historical city development traffic impact fees were almost certainly lower than necessary to cover needed improvements. The county appears to have minimal ability and/or interest in helping fix the regional elements of our city’s traffic problems, and WSDOT appears to have been caught flat-footed and lethargic to respond.

I think those opposing the city traffic bond are correct on a couple of issues. The proposed improvements should have been done long ago, and Issaquah can’t fix the entire problem alone. Hindsight is 20/20.

It was a courageous move and one that demonstrated a sense of urgency, when the council created a volunteer citizens task force to study the traffic problems and propose solutions.

The mayor and council members (who live in Issaquah, raise(d) families in Issaquah, shop in Issaquah, struggle to get across town in Issaquah, have neighbors and friends in Issaquah) could have just punted. They could have continued in “study mode,” examining the problems.

They could have only worked on the regional elements at whatever pace and urgency as the county and the state could muster. Instead, they appear to have listened to us citizens and opted for a more direct, grassroots-driven approach.

The task force should also be applauded. They had the courage to step up and try and tackle a monster of a problem. They had the interest of us citizens in mind when they opted to target the parts of the traffic monster that were local, and to not attempt to fix those problems that require regional, county and state involvement (dollars). They didn’t have to volunteer their time to help solve the problem, but they did.

I find it amazing that the pitchfork-wielding regulars have since taken after the council and the task force members, essentially because the news wasn’t good. Saying they didn’t listen, saying they don’t know what they are doing, saying that they are deaf.

Did anyone expect the council and the task force to come up with free money to fix all the problems overnight? The news wasn’t great. We knew it wouldn’t be. We knew there were problems, we knew we couldn’t fix all of the problems alone and we knew the fixes would cost money.

So how should we respond? Do we yell “NO!” stomp our feet, blame others, bemoan our situation and do nothing, or do we, as a community, roll up our sleeves, lean forward, dig in and work together to address our challenges? It’s the doing of nothing, the not acting, the not responding, the wasting of time complaining and the not digging in that contributed to our problems.

I’m not eager to pay more taxes, but I see this as a matter of a genuinely valid community need. The problems were studied by our fellow citizen volunteers, and our volunteers put forth the proposed fixes.

I see supporting this bond as similar to paying my taxes for more and better schools, for renewing our Eastside Fire and Rescue services, for paying for our police who show up in the middle of the night when we have an emergency, for paying for the parks we all say we want, for contributing to services for our seniors and our less fortunate members, and so on.

Sure, roads and sidewalks aren’t really “sexy” or inspiring at all, and they do cost a lot of money. Nevertheless, it’s worth asking where we might be without them and where we might end up if we don’t improve them.

To borrow a proverb that a wise friend recently shared with me: The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.

I thank those who put forth such an effort on our behalf, and I will be voting for the city traffic bond.

Chris Kovac

Issaquah