Poll respondents want Rainier connector built

A majority of respondents to an online Argus-Courier poll said they want to see Petaluma build the Rainier crosstown connector, now that the freeway widening project is funded.

Here are some comments:

“Absolutely. Traffic seems to be getting worse every week. We have new housing and apartment complexes going up right now. I can’t imagine how much worse it is going to be when those developments are complete.”

“Absolutely not. It should be moved to the Corona and North McDowell intersection since it already has an existing overpass over Highway 101.”

“A Rainier crosstown connector is a fairy tale. It was never meant to be built. it was invented to artificially raise the value of floodplain properties.”

“If they want to even give the appearance of caring about relieving some traffic congestion, then they should build it.”

“It’s about time. Unfortunately previous city councils tried to kill the Rainier connector for their own personal minority views.”

“Not sure that the cross town connector will cause much traffic relief of McDowell and Washington Street traffic jams. If the connector included an interchange for 101, then there would some relief.”

“The city badly needs more ways to get across town. Rainer was built wide for the purpose of a crosstown connector.”

“The city needs to stop wasting money on road diets and get the Rainier crosstown connector built.”

“The Rainier connector is needed now more than ever. Traffic comes to a stop on Washington whenever the train comes through.”

“Yes, it’s time for this decades-long-promised construction to happen.”