21 Replies to "Crosswalk campaign"

• Sue July 12, 2007 (1:34 pm)

  This city is becoming increasingly less pedestrian-friendly. I tried contacting DOT about getting a crosswalk or light put in at Fauntleroy & Dawson and was told that statistics show that a regular crosswalk is actually more dangerous than not having one – more accidents occur – so they will not put a crosswalk there. Meanwhile, this intersection has a bus stop for the 54 Express bus, and trying to cross this 4 lane road every morning is a nightmare – it’s part of the straight-away where everyone picks up speed to make the light at Alaska. No one stops for us, and when we try to walk out, we have drivers cursing at us, yelling out of windows, beeping their horns, as if we’re jaywalking. All we’re trying to do is cross the street at a legal (but unmarked) crosswalk! The nearest light is 1/4 mile away in either direction.
  I was just up at that intersection at Avalon/Orleans last night. I can’t imagine how it will be “safer” without the crosswalk. The only thing I can think of, in terms of their “more dangerous” statistics, is that some pedestrians just blindly walk out, thinking “they have to stop for me” without waiting to see that cars do. A crosswalk doesn’t take away personal responsibility and common sense. As my dad always said, “right of way doesn’t get you anything if you’re dead.”

• Agen July 12, 2007 (1:35 pm)

  As a frequent user of the Java Bean and a workday denizen of ActivSpace, I use this crosswalk quite a bit — and I see many others utilizing it as well. I’ll be adding my comment to the city momentarily.

• Sarah July 12, 2007 (1:43 pm)

  I just moved down into an apartment at Avalon/Charlestown last week, and use this very crosswalk every morning to get to the bus stop. Coming from living right at California/Fauntleroy with well-marked (if slow) crosswalks, it’s been hard adjusting to this area where the cars seem to pay no attention to someone waiting to cross. It seems the better solution would be to repaint it and install a flashing light, but that would cost money. Seems like removing it would, too.

• eric July 12, 2007 (2:20 pm)

  Meanwhile, at the City Palace, our council is worrying on about plastic water bottles!

• Michael July 12, 2007 (2:34 pm)

  I do have to admit that it is about an awkward place to find a crosswalk as you’ll see in town. On a downhill slope, in the middle of a block, immediately south of the connecting street from Admiral where many cars are looking south for traffic. When heading downhill toward the crosswalk, parked cars have blocked a waiting pedestrian from my view many times.

  Let’s not even mention that there’s nothing on the East side of the street at that crosswalk – anyone crossing has either parked their car or came from at least a block north or south and could have crossed at a safer area earlier.

  The only way I see this crosswalk working satisfactorily is to create a larger no-parking zone to the north of it (would Java Bean approve of that?) and add a stoplight (not flashers) synchronized with the one under the WS bridge. This would probably also entail a synchronized light for those coming down from Admiral as well.

  All this to help people to cross the street where it’s most convenient? Is it worth it?

• Jiggers July 12, 2007 (2:40 pm)

  California ave is the worse place for any pedistrian trying to make it across. Its very rare to see a crosswalk and everyone jaywalks across to the other side. What’s it going to take to add a few more dozen painted crosswalks down the stretch of California avenue? I guess it always takes a person being killed trying to get to the other side. Friggin city.

• Kevin July 12, 2007 (2:44 pm)

  Sue and all of those concerned,

  It sounds like all we can do is keep nagging the city to take a realistic look at pedestrian safety. It seems for as much rhetoric as there is coming out about this issue from city hall the actual people doing the studies are more focused on vehicular safety than anything else.

  I have been in contact with Joeseph Couples at SDOT Signal Department regarding the same intersection at Fauntleroy Way and Dawson Street that Sue mentioned for about a month now. The last result of the contact I had was SDOT sending out someone to survey the intersection for a two hour period. This was supposed to happen in the past two weeks.

  While this is progress it seems like a huge deal to try and get the city to look at an intersection from a pedestrian’s perspective. The funny thing about this process is that the SDOT Walk & Bike program does not make the final determination if the intersection is deemed not safe for a marked crosswalk, the Signal Department does. I could go on for quite a while about this, and since I already am, I’ll get back to the point.

  When I first called the response from Mr. Couples was that they had just done a study after receiving numerous complaints about the intersection. What they found was that the incident history showed that the intersection was “very safe”.

  It turns out this incident history over the past four years is based on the number of reported accidents at a particular intersection. It does not count the numerous close calls and high speed near misses that occur weekly. It seems SDOT is only convinced enough to do something if someone actually gets hurt. Or maybe they are not swayed by injuries, if the Java Bean case is any example.

  My point is that whether it is a crosswalk being removed and not being replaced for seemingly ridiculous reasons or trying to get a new solution at a dangerous intersection the Seattle Department of Transportation is not living up to their responsibility.

  Perhaps if enough of us keep bugging them we will make some real progress.

• Evan July 12, 2007 (2:59 pm)

  The practical problem with crosswalks is that they give pedestrians a false sense of security. Consequently, a significant number of people die in crosswalks when drivers don’t see them or don’t pay attention to right of way.

  There are a lot of strong pedestrian advocates working for the city, and of course they don’t want to make things harder for peds or reduce pedestrian options. It’s just that this is a critical safety issue that they can’t ignore.

  SDOT is stuck between a rock and hard place here: if they remove the crosswalks, people criticize them for making the city unfriendly to pedestrians; if they leave the crosswalks, pedestrians get killed, on top of which their families sue the city.

  It sucks, but I don’t know what else they can possibly do given the reality of the situation.

• Jan July 12, 2007 (3:19 pm)

  I agree that something has to be done with the crosswalk at Luna Park/Java Bean. I agree that sometimes the city doesn’t do the right thing. I also agree that pedestrians need to pay more attention, take more responsibility. Pedestrians don’t ALWAYS have the right of way no matter where they’re crossing. And sometimes they simply don’t feel like walking an extra 20 feet to the crosswalk. We endure a lot of construction in the Alaska Junction when they redid the road surface and installed the raised crosswalks to bring more attention to them. Just this morning I had to stop for a guy walking his dog who decided that he wanted to cross from Bikram Yoga to Petco, I’m assuming, without having to use said raised crosswalk. I wasn’t the only car who had to stop as he tried to weave his way across with a not so small dog – and the marked raised crosswalk not more than 20 feet away. It’s frustrating. We all need to take more responsibility…including the city…

• mrwillow July 12, 2007 (3:26 pm)

  It seems that the problem starts with the City, and its Police Department.

  I live on Alki Ave (and, yes I do have air conditioning), with a crosswalk right in front of me. I cannot tell you how many times that I have seen our loyal Blue ignore people in that crosswalk, and just whiz on by.

  When I try and cross to walk to the Point, or Starbucks, or ?, I usually have to wait 5-10 vehicles for someone to realize, or care, that I’m there, and am entitled to cross.

  Complaints to the City yield a response for a few days (increased Motorcycle Officers), but then back to normal.

  Perhaps a consistent, intense campaign to call and complain about this problem, in all sections of WS (especially to HIS Honors Office) might bring better results.

  And, don’t forget the ballot box.

• mrwillow July 12, 2007 (3:31 pm)

  Jan – I agree, and I stop for people in CROSSWALKS. That is where it stops. If they won’t walk the exrta 20-30 feet, they will stand in the middle of the road until I pass. They do not have the right-of-way in that case, and can (should) be cited for Jay Walking.

• Flowerpetal July 12, 2007 (3:45 pm)

  Perhaps someone should recruit the help of councilmember David Della. It was that council member who lost a friend on his staff when he was struck and killed by a car in a crosswalk in the Admiral District. Couldn’t hurt to include Jan Drago in the conversation either. Ms Drago chairs the transportation committee for the Council. City Departments really pay attention when someone from a council member’s office calls with questions.

• mrwillow July 12, 2007 (3:54 pm)

  TO ALL – Forgot, In the City of Seattle, ALL intersections are Crosswalks, whether designated as such, or not. If someone is at an intersection and is trying to cross “Or appears that they will cross”, you are required to yield to them.

  Your, and your heirs,use when you do not survive. Look, wait, and hope.

• Michael July 12, 2007 (4:39 pm)

  A follow-up here: as we can already see from this thread, people want lots of crosswalks, and they really want them to be clearly marked and protected.

  Here’s the challenge: if you worked for the city and had a limited amount of funds for crosswalks, how would you handle this?

• Bill July 12, 2007 (6:24 pm)

  This past spring our party of revelers left Cactus on Alki and jaywalked across the street towards tghe beach. A car was coming towards us, and I verbalized after we crossed, “Oh **** you guys…that was a cop!” His window was down. He hollered, “Yeah, I saw you. Watch it!” So we use crosswalks now. :D

• sass July 12, 2007 (10:10 pm)

  This is absolutely stunning to me. I live farther up Avalon, and have to say that it’s truly one of the most frightening roads in West Seattle.
  People speed like absolute maniacs, tailgate like nothing I’ve ever experienced.
  Just trying to cross the street in a CAR is not safe.
  I discussed the need for traffic lights along the road with 2 motorcycle cops taking a coffee break at Java Bean on July 1st.
  They completely agreed, but also informed me that it’s an uphill battle – since all decision making at the City Level is based on stats.

  They suggested when I witness something, even near misses, to report it so it gets logged. Maybe it’s time for a signature campaign for all of us that frequent, work and live in the area of West Seattle.

• chas redmond July 13, 2007 (12:49 am)

  In addition to contacting your favorite city department or council office, the city also has a Pedestrian Master Plan process underway. The website for the project also has a link for comments on the left side. I would suggest that folks who have ideas, comments, suggestions or criticisms make them known to the SDOT folks through the link on this page

  I’m not suggesting this will fix or immediately fix whatever the issue is, but it is a location for the entire city to send comments. Comments constitute one form of statistic, which presumably the city pays attention to.

• chas redmond July 13, 2007 (12:50 am)

  the link didn’t show – it is (“http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/ped_masterplan.htm”)

• Sean July 13, 2007 (3:36 pm)

  Whatever, I will be crossing there – with or without the crosswalk. Be told, the city and all you drivers.

• billy July 13, 2007 (4:23 pm)

  I own no car and commute by bike, bus and walking. What you folks are not getting here is that it is MORE dangerous to have a crosswalk here than to have none at all. The pedestrian friendly option (if by that you mean keeping pedestrians from getting killed) is to REMOVE that crosswalk and have folks walk down to the next light and cross safely. That way, you can even get in a little exercise to work off that tasty Mocha while you are getting back across the street to your gas guzzling, single occupancy SUV’s.

  Give me a break. Keep a dangerous crosswalk to make it easier for DRIVERS to get COFFEE?

• Steve E. July 20, 2007 (10:17 pm)

  Since the advent of incessant cell phone jabbering and other reasons drivers can’t seem to pay attention to one task, cross walks don’t work unless there is a traffic light with the deal.
  Face it. It’s either a traffic light to totally stop the cars or no crosswalk. You can’t have it both ways.
  Also, there are too many pedestrians who are naive enough to think that some paint slapped onto asphalt guarantees their security and gives them a cocoon of legal safety. Wake up, it doesn’t do ANYTHING.

Sorry, comment time is over.