Been down this road before

Mary Powell

When the residents near Gardiner first made it clear they were forming a committee to oppose a passing lane on U.S. Highway 101 near their community, it appeared to be a questionable goal.

After all, safety issues on that highway are of utmost concern to all who live on the North Olympic Peninsula and to those who visit.

Plus, the proposed passing lane, referred to as a truck-passing lane, has been approved by the state and is ready to roll. 
But the Committee to Oppose the Gardiner Passing Lane, about 60 strong, considers this passing lane more a hazard than a deterrent to accident prevention on the highway.

To the group's credit, they asked for, and got, a meeting with a representative from the Washington State Department of Transportation. The power of a private group coming together to question a project paid off: The DOT listened and promised to reconsider the value and consequences of the passing lane at that particular location.

U.S. Highway 101, which runs north and south through Washington, Oregon and California, is without doubt, one of the more scenic byways in the country. In California, it's also known as El Camino Real, the Royal Road, and in Oregon, a drive down 101 is seldom without a view of the Pacific Ocean.

In Washington U.S. Route 101, which follows the Pacific coastline, leads to Olympic National Park, runs parallel to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and then along the western shore of Hood Canal, is called the scenic byway.

But the stretch of Highway 101 that bisects Clallam County has in the past decade gone from scenic to unsafe and downright scary to drive. To ease traffic congestion in downtown Sequim, in 1999 the bypass opened. It's been a safety concern since, with the roadway designated as one of the state's most dangerous.

Highway 101 from Discovery Bay to Port Angeles is heavily traveled and outgrew its capacity for the thousands of tourists almost from the moment cars began using it. It has caught the attention of state officials who have it designated as a safety corridor project, meaning there's an all-out effort to reduce accidents.

For those of us living here, we know by the number of times we hear sirens and read of gruesome accidents on our nearby highway, even with the decline in traffic accidents and fatalities, the rate remains too high.

Funding from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission has been earmarked for safety corridor projects, including Highway 101, and there are more passing lanes planned for the corridor between Discovery Bay and Sequim.

Considering the recent accident involving four vehicles after a driver was trying to make a left turn from Highway 101 onto Louella Road, and several similar accidents previously, perhaps more left-turn lanes would be more appropriate than passing lanes. Stopping in the middle of a 55-mph highway to make a left turn is nothing but dangerous.

That might be the ticket for the proposed truck-passing lane near Gardiner.

There are a couple of lessons to be learned from life - and death - U.S. Highway 101. First, public outcry can make a difference. The Committee to Oppose the Gardiner Passing Lane did it right by coming together to question the validity of the truck-passing lane.

Second - and this cannot be hammered home enough - drivers need to understand that no amount of added lanes or even extra patrols on Highway 101 is going to combat poor driving habits, including speeding, drinking and driving, or trying to make an unsafe pass.

A community that reads together
A few months ago, the North Olympic Library System staff came up with a great idea called Clallam County Reads.
What that means is everyone reading a book together, a gigantic book club, if you will.

The library system has selected the classic "To Kill A Mockingbird" as the book everyone will read and discuss. Even if you've read it before, it's a wonderful novel with a powerful message.

A recent study by the National Endowment for the Arts had some disturbing findings: The number of Americans who engage in literary reading has dropped at all levels. In other words, we don't read as much as we used to.

That includes books, newspapers and periodicals.

Some argue that reading anything is reading, however many popular, so-called entertainment magazines lack substance and often facts.

The same goes for watching television or surfing the 'net, both inherently passive pastimes.

Literature, on the other hand, allows a reader to explore feelings and abstract thought.

A population that is engaged in active literary exploration becomes more aware of itself and its viewpoints. With a more extensive literary culture, we can become a much more aware society.

So grab a copy of "To Kill A Mockingbird," jump on board the Clallam County Reads train and join one of the discussion groups. A trickledown bonus is that our children will see us participating in the adventure of reading and just may realize that good reading skills are not only a must, but important for their future success.

Mary Powell can be reached at 683-3311 or at editor@sequimgazette.com