Burgeoning JBLM putting strain on roads, locals say
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LAKEWOOD, Wash. -- Lakewood residents say backups and bottlenecks are a sign their local roads are broken.
The population at nearby JBLM has nearly doubled from 22,000 to about 40,000 in the past 10 years, and Lakewood residents say it's putting a strain on their local roads.
The backups are particularly bad during the evening commute where those 40,000 people come and go from any of the base's 13 outlets. But near North Lewis, residents say the population boom makes for quarter mile backups during peak travel hours.
Lakewood city officials say when drivers see the traffic jam at North Gate and Edgewood, they divert through neighborhood streets -- and many are speeding. Although the speed limit is 25 mph, 85 percent of drivers go at least 40, officials said.
And those who do brave the traffic get stuck.
"I'm talking maybe 20-25 cars deep at times," said Marcel Sanpaga.
The city says additional signage and speed enforcement may be the answer. They also think removing stop signs and making the intersection free flowing could free up traffic.
A JBLM spokesman says you can just blame the traffic trouble on the base as local population has grown around the region as well.
The population at nearby JBLM has nearly doubled from 22,000 to about 40,000 in the past 10 years, and Lakewood residents say it's putting a strain on their local roads.
The backups are particularly bad during the evening commute where those 40,000 people come and go from any of the base's 13 outlets. But near North Lewis, residents say the population boom makes for quarter mile backups during peak travel hours.
Lakewood city officials say when drivers see the traffic jam at North Gate and Edgewood, they divert through neighborhood streets -- and many are speeding. Although the speed limit is 25 mph, 85 percent of drivers go at least 40, officials said.
And those who do brave the traffic get stuck.
"I'm talking maybe 20-25 cars deep at times," said Marcel Sanpaga.
The city says additional signage and speed enforcement may be the answer. They also think removing stop signs and making the intersection free flowing could free up traffic.
A JBLM spokesman says you can just blame the traffic trouble on the base as local population has grown around the region as well.
The military is bloated. The Fed admin gets into one conflict after another to divert attention from it's corruption.
They might try to remember that bases are good for the economy. How many of the rentals in Lakewood would be empty without these people and  how many local businesses would be able to survive without these people. They spend lots of cash into the local economy and that also generates taxes for the state. Lakewood would probably not exist long without them being there.
@Jatok Where do YOU think that money is coming from?
In this case it is what it is and where they spend the money determines who benefits.
The budget cuts will take care of some of this...
So they think that's the only place in the whole region that has seen an increase in population and back ups? HELLO! The whole damn region has gotten that bad! It's not just down there! The only difference is down there, it narrows down to just 3 lanes and that's really the only essential part of I-5 that I know of that has not gotten any improvements in at least the last 25, I'm sure that's being rather conservative. The problem they got down there that's different than most places is lack of road improvements, not population growth.
Battalions should have staggered work hours: 0600-1400, 0700-1500, 0800-1600, something like that. Ft. Lewis is a  city unto itself, and when EVERYONE starts and ends the workday at the same time, forget it! I usually just work out again at the gym or hit the pool waiting for the traffic to die down. Otherwise it can take 30 minutes just to GET to I-5!
I believe Microsoft and Boeing do this as well. I can tell when I get on SB I5 if I hit the wave or the lull
I like how I-5 narrows down at all the wrong places in WA state!
I'm sure it's only folks in uniform that are driving alone too. geez
I'm a native of Tacoma and all I can say is that this is the result of two things that everyone wanted:
A: Ft. Lewis and McCord AFB [and they'll always be known as such by natives] staying open and providing a large percentage of the local economy, and
B: The GWOT winding down to the point that all three brigades are finally home.
If the cost of either is a traffic jam twice a day, I'll gladly pay it. As a veteran, I'm kinda tired of looking at 20 year old faces that have the same look I do after a long night of nightmares...
Sounds like someone is looking for some cheese from the government to fix local roads.... whatever. Good luck with that...
I drive, carpool and bus between Oly and Tacoma Mon-Fri. In the afternoon, I'm heading NB and I'm guaranteed to be stopped or reduced to <10mph at 2 of the JBLM exits. A few times, I've looked at the line of cars waiting to get on I-5 and it's just cars with one person in uniform. Later, many sit in line to exit at 512 and, again, it's a line of cars with one person.Â
It'd be great to know of any efforts of JBLM to resolve this: do they encourage or reward carpooling? What about staggering times when people start work and get off? I believe the Boeing plant in Everett does this. I also know WSDOT has plans to make shoulder driving legal through there, but it wasn't until 2015 or something.Â
Same base that won't allow the building of the cross base highway (176th) that has been stalled for years now......would relieve a lot of traffic headaches on 512/Steele/Pacific as people would no longer have to go up and back down to get to Spanaway/Graham/etc.Â
@dg54321Â cross base highway will only add to congestion in another area. Â The base(s) need to provide more on base housing. Â They have the room. Â Build the housing and require military members to live in them.Â
@Murigen @dg54321 So what if they have the room. In case you wre wondering that cost money. And no you can not require them to live on base. Even if they were to live on base nobody can go off base? Dumb idea.
@Thepriest @Murigen @dg54321  Yes, it will cost money, and yes they can require enlisted to live on base IF there are quarters available.  Been there.  They stopped requiring that for some strange reason.  Â
@Thepriest @Murigen @dg54321 Actually, Thepriest, base commanders can 'discourage' families from moving off-post. They can ask commanders to declare 'x' percentage of  personnel 'essential to mission' so they have to live on-base, for example.
Happens at Ft. Campbell and Ft. Bragg all the time.
More on base housing.Â