Snohomish County is the second fastest-growing county in Washington, and the City of Everett serves as the engine of its economy. The Everett area is a regional growth center, with significant business, governmental and cultural facilities. As the City evolves from its former industrial roots, it is working toward expanding mixed-use development to increase housing and retail in the city center and around Everett Station. This development will support having walkable neighborhoods close to regional rail, local transit and employment.  

Based on planned growth, traffic forecasting and the expansion of the US 2 West Trestle, we anticipate higher demand for all modes of travel, including more traffic to flow through the I-5/US 2 interchange in the coming years. Morning traffic volumes on the I-5 corridor north of Everett are predicted to increase by 20 percent by 2040, while traffic on the US 2 trestle at the Snohomish River crossing will increase by about 35 percent. The I-5/US 2 interchange, which is already congested during peak travel periods, is at the hub of this growing demand. Alleviating this anticipated congestion is critical to meeting the City’s commitments to providing safe pathways for pedestrians and cyclists.