A new community organization called Vision Mercer Island has been created to educate residents about the complex transportation issues facing the Island.

Mercer Island is “heavily dependent on regional transportation infrastructure and disproportionally impacted by its development,” said Lori Otto Punke, the group’s executive director.

The group is conducting an anonymous online survey to identify concerns about the impact of planned infrastructure changes, including construction closures and route modifications on I-90, rerouting buses, Park and Ride traffic, Sound Transit’s East Link light rail expansion project and the Mercer Island Station.

The survey, which “is not paid for, sponsored by, or affiliated with the City of Mercer Island, the City Council, Sound Transit or any other government entity, official or candidate,” was sent out via email on Sept. 1. Many Islanders wondered how the group assembled its mailing list.

“We assembled the list from a number of sources with the goal of getting as many voices and opinions from Mercer Island residents as possible, and with the hope of ultimately reaching everyone who lives on the island,” Punke said.

The response to the survey has been “overwhelming,” but it’s premature to talk specific numbers as the group expects additional responses, she said.

“We look forward to finding the most useful way to share the information,” Punke said.

Punke, the spokesperson for the group, said she would prefer not to name other members.

“Vision Mercer Island was started by a small group of Mercer Island residents and is supported by others who share in the goal of educating the Island about pending transportation challenges.

“Vision Mercer Island is really about the entire Island community, and – at this time – we’d prefer to keep our focus on their voices instead of any one or small group of individuals,” she said.

“We need a transportation plan that benefits Mercer Island as well as the region,” Punke continues in a statement. “Traffic is bad and about to get worse, so we formed Vision Mercer Island to give Island residents a forum to share real concerns about how changes to regional transportation systems will impact our community.”

While the goal of these projects is to improve transit availability, the resulting traffic impacts will make it significantly harder for drivers to get on, off and around Mercer Island, according to the press release.

Vision Mercer Island is forming at a time when input from Mercer Island residents is not only needed, but requested by government officials and agencies.

Sound Transit approved a motion to seek more input from Island residents before moving ahead with existing plans for light rail, with King County Executive Dow Constantine and State Transportation Secretary Lynn Peterson, both Sound Transit board members, encouraging King County Metro and the Washington State Department of Transportation, respectively, to participate in the process.

The agencies plan to host a series of public meetings and drop-in sessions over the next two months to listen to residents’ concerns. The first will be from 5-7 p.m. on Sept. 24 at the Community Center.

“We like to say that sustainable transportation solutions start here on Mercer Island – and this is a distinct moment in time to highlight the challenges, opportunities, and impacts transportation has on our community,” Punke said. “Mercer Island has a proud history of creating extraordinary transportation outcomes that benefit our community and greater region alike, and we need to work together to keep that legacy alive now.”

For more, see www.visionmercerisland.org.