SR16 and SR305 are state highways and as such, the responsibility of improving traffic flow is solely the responsibility of the State Department of Transportation. The news item “West Sound Alliance aim to improve traffic flow” (CK Reporter, 3/20/15), therefore is misleading. The State DOT, moreover, was never mentioned throughout this article. It is hoped that the absence of the State DOT in this article does not mean that it is not involved in this undertaking.

The State DOT must exercise leadership in the efforts to “serve the greatest good to the greatest number” to the 19 jurisdictions and economic organizations in the three counties linked to these state highways. The West Sound Alliance should serve as the vehicle for these 19 entities in a unified effort by furnishing the State DOT with data and demographics of each group and work with the State DOT to achieve this goal. All the 19 entities must bind together as parts of the West Sound Alliance under the leadership of the State DOT and agree to be bound by the DOT’s decision as basis for the engineering design of these highways to achieve the goal of improved traffic flow, equity in access and serviceability and assure that the regional economy remain vibrant.

To improve traffic flow and effect equity among all entities in these roadway projects is a task only traffic engineers of the State DOT or private engineering consultants if need be, are qualified to perform, not public opinion where each group will naturally propose what is advantageous to them to the disadvantage of others.

– Noel C. Sim, Bremerton