Negotiating to maintain Mercer Island traffic mobility is clearly one the most significant issues our community will undertake for decades.

At risk is sufficient access to Interstate 90 and the ability for Islanders to easily get to jobs, schools, services and recreation around the region. Conditions around the current negotiations are also very complex. They involve multiple government bodies and jurisdictions — federal (the Federal Highway Administration), state (Washington State Department of Transportation), regional (Sound Transit) and legislative (state and federal delegations). Each of the negotiating parties is bound by different rules, has different objectives and feels different levels of urgency to find solutions.

These factors create an environment in which the City Council is balancing the community’s need for transparency while simultaneously ensuring Mercer Island’s strategy is not prematurely exposed to the negotiating parties. At stake is our ability to negotiate a solution that is significantly better than what the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) rendered in its Aug. 5 letter.

The default approach from FHWA means the loss of Island single-occupancy vehicle (SOV) access to the HOV lanes — impeding our mobility as hundreds of cars search for access alternatives to Island Crest Way, travel through our town center streets and detour to West or East Mercer Ways. With this as the backdrop, keeping all parties talking together is critical to our success.

The city has retained outside legal counsel; we are prepared to pursue all legal options that will help our case. While legal recourse may be in our future, now is not the time. Sound Transit and WSDOT are currently working with us to find solutions that are better than FHWA’s default, and that “do not adversely impact the safety or operations of I-90.” As long as all parties are at the table and making progress, it is in our interest to continue working closely. If and when the majority of the council no longer feels there is the potential to find a timely and acceptable negotiated outcome, we will be ready to take legal action.

Members of the community have expressed frustration with the lack of access to studies pertinent to negotiations. I appreciate the constructive intent to dive in and help problem-solve. An unfortunate reality has been the need for the city to undertake significant new research.

We have hired outside traffic experts to study the impacts different solutions might have on Islander mobility; their assessment helps inform our negotiating strategy. It would be risky for the city to release this data before it is thoroughly evaluated through peer review and the city’s legal counsel. Broad public distribution at this time would also provide advance information to all negotiating parties.

I am cautiously optimistic the agencies will soon have a defined list of what options are in and out of scope. The city recognizes some options may be more or less acceptable to the community. We will have a strong point of view about each based on our traffic studies and legal opinion.

Once the list of options is agreed to, the city will share the alternatives, the assessments and data with the public. We will engage in open discussions and community problem-solving. Together we will determine what will and will not be acceptable.

In the end, my goal is to do everything possible to preserve Islander mobility and to achieve this through negotiations; there is no certainty of a good outcome when pursuing legal action and this approach is costly. I deeply appreciate your patience now and look forward to a robust community discussion soon.

History shows, when Mercer Islanders work together, we benefit collectively.

Debbie Bertlin is the deputy mayor of the city of Mercer Island.