As a data analyst, I read about Redmond’s new project portal, now public on http://gis.redmond.gov/cpv/. I didn’t know what to expect, but I was interested to learn something about the large construction projects in full swing in downtown Redmond.

First off, I found the Nokomis demolition project was approved several months ago. My friends of Nokomis Club were surely disappointed by this revelation.

Next, I was curious about the underground parking facilities for each new tower under construction. This information was not readily available. I am thinking if a tower has 300-400 apartments, then there might be 300 parking spaces underground. With just three towers, downtown Redmond could easily be overwhelmed with up to 900 more cars traveling on the streets. Historically, the State of Washington Department of Transportation is very slow to build higher capacity roads. It took more than 10 years to improve the Redmond-Fall City Road. My friends and relatives who live on the plateau were frustrated by the lack of progress. State Highway 202 cuts through Redmond, connecting Woodinville, Redmond and Fall City. I am afraid putting 900 more commuters into the failed transportation mix will only lead to more frustration.

Richard Morris

Redmond