Yesterday around 6:30pm as I was driving from Bothell back to Seattle I was caught in a huge traffic backup on Bothell way that started in Bothell and ended at the 61st Avenue light. It was a flashing red with two other flashing reds northwest of it [that would be at 68th and 73rd]. Because people drive so slowly through them traffic was backed up for miles in both directions—up to Bothell and down to Lake City.

I’ve been trying to understand two things and hope that perhaps you might know about. Why were there no traffic police to move traffic along? Also, if the lights were flashing red, why did the city not come out to reset them?

Personally it was an inconvenience. But I can’t imagine the people stuck in cars with children, old folks, people needing to pick up their children. It was not as awful as a freeway backup with nowhere to go, but still.

Might you have any ideas? A complaint dept. I can call for the city?

I also witnessed this nasty backup as I drove out of Kenmore toward Woodinville. It stretched from Kenmore all the way to about 180th St in Bothell when I drove by a little after 6:00.

It is surprising that no one thought to send a few officers out to direct traffic at the three broken intersections in Kenmore. However, I’m not certain that it is the City of Kenmore’s responsibility to deploy police to direct traffic on Bothell Way. Since it is technically a state highway (SR 522), I would think that the job would fall first on the Washington State Patrol and secondly on the Kenmore Police Department (which is really the King County Sheriff).

Here are a few numbers you can call if you would like to comment to any of these agencies about yesterday’s traffic mess:

• WA State Patrol: (425) 401-7788
• Kenmore Police: (206) 205-7656
• City of Kenmore: (425) 398-8900

I’m talking about BANNERS! That’s right, unless we’re just making a move for the title of “most pigeon-friendly town of all time,” I’m betting that those poles sticking out horizontally from the light posts are for a set of classy banners.

If you ask me, it’s about time this town got some banners. It is an obvious fact to anyone with a basic understanding of civics that a lack of banners is one of the top things that has been holding Kenmore back from actualizing its full potential as a premier destination.

If you tell me that you can think of something better than banners to spend limited city resources on during a severe economic retraction, you’re probably lying.

At right is a great example of optimal banner usage from our neighbor to the east, Bothell, who uses their banners to promote such unique and attractive local features as lady exiting building while talking on cell phone and wooden foot bridge (not pictured).

So what do you think we should put on our new banners? Construction photos? The shuttered card room? The gravel factory? Downtown Kenmore?

So many choices! If you’ve got any great ideas for what Kenmore should put on our soon-to-come banners, drop me a line and I may whip up some mock-ups to send over to City Hall.

I am your host, the Kenmore Crow. I have been living in Kenmore for an undisclosed number of years, have been blogging for an even larger undisclosed number of years. Finally I decided: why not combine two great tastes? And thus, Eyes on Kenmore was born.

These pages will be an outlet for my musings about anything and everything related to Kenmore, Washington, 98028. Politics, business, commentary, news, events, and plain old rants—everything is fair game.

If you’ve got something you think is worth sharing, drop me a line. Of course, I offer no guarantee that I’ll print what you send, but I would certainly enjoy seeing what you have to say anyway.

So kick back, relax, and enjoy your stay.

¹[as of today, July 26th, 2009]
²[as of forever]