Traffic Safety

Traffic Engineer Prerequisites

I am seriously considering applying for a job as a Washington State Traffic Engineer. I’m not sure what the requirements are, but if some of the new “improvements” are any indication, the prerequisites shouldn’t be too strict.

It seems a left turn is a hazardous maneuver, so Highway 195 just south of Spokane was modified to eliminate all left turns. The new design requires all motorists entering 195 from side streets turn right regardless of the direction you want to go. About half of all vehicles have no choice but to head in the opposite direction from what they intended. Those who are getting farther and farther from their goal have opportunities every now and again to pull a U turn across two lanes of oncoming traffic onto the shoulder on the far side then reenter traffic in the direction they wanted to go in the first place. I wonder if WSDOT checked to see if U turns are more hazardous than left turns.

WSDOT engineers must have also determined that straight roads cause more accidents than curvy ones. That is the only logical reason I can see for constructing a series of S curves on the Newport highway north of Spokane. As drivers approach the stoplight at the intersection of Day - Mount Spokane Road, they are required to negotiate several changes in direction before arriving at the crossroads. At first, I thought it was a test to see who was paying attention, but I have changed my mind. I now believe it is a kind of rat maze to discourage travelers from taking that route.

There seems to be no highway engineering challenge that can’t be overcome by adding traffic circles. If you don’t believe me, check out the labyrinth of overlapping circles that greets you when you exit off I-90 onto Medical Lake Road. In order to accommodate the expected traffic increase of the new Amazon fulfillment center, engineers constructed not one, nor two, but three interlocking overlapping circles. My daughter lives near there, and I attempted to navigate the new system and failed. Twice! No matter how hard I tried, I ended going out the way I came in without making any progress toward my daughter’s house. I ended up going back out to I-90, taking a different exit, and driving to her place via a less round-a-bout route. I hate traffic circles. Once while exploring my ancestorial roots in Scotland, I went through one the wrong way. I knew they drive on the left side of the road, but I never considered circles. I could tell I was in trouble by the terrorized look on my wife’s face. She got over it, but I find I can no longer avoid them. The new north-south corridor has a circle before and after each on-off ramp. I am still trying to figure out why. Except for looking cool from the air, I see no benefit.

I took a break from writing this and found there are no prerequisites to apply for a position as a WSDOT traffic engineer. No special training or aptitude is required. I can only assume they are looking for applicants with vivid imaginations and the ability to agree with the boss no matter how stupid his ideas are.

Frank Watson is a retired Air Force Colonel and long-time resident of Eastern Washington. He has been a free-lance columnist for over 20 years.