Letters to the Editor
Last weekend (Nov. 8-9), two accidents occurred on State Route 904. One of those was a head-on collision with multiple injuries. Accidents on SR 904 are not isolated occurrences. The last fatal crash on 904 was only three months ago; more than 65 accidents have occurred since 2009.
SR 904 from Four Lakes to Cheney is the main route to Eastern Washington University and the Cheney School District, with 17,000 to 19,000 vehicles per day forced into a two-lane, no-passing highway. Clearly, this is a highway with an antiquated, unsafe design.
While the recently released majority coalition caucus proposal demonstrated significant progress, we would like to express our concern on the absence of funding for the SR 904 project.
This undersized, inadequate road is chronically pushed beyond its capacity every day. EWU has record enrollment for the fifth consecutive year, and the Cheney School District is the fastest growing school district in Spokane County. Congestion on SR 904 and the resulting safety issues will only increase.
We are concerned that an essential safety project with a simple solution has been lost in transportation funding negotiations. We encourage Senator Baumgartner, Representative Parker, and Representative Holy to ensure the safety of our kids and students by securing funding to widen SR 904.
Tom Trulove, Ph.D.,
Mayor, City of Cheney
Debra J. Clemens, Ph.D., Superintendent, Cheney Public Schools
Rodolfo Arévalo,
Ph.D., President,
Eastern Washington
University
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