Followup: Stats on the California/Dawson “crosswalk sting”

(Monday photo by Kevin McClintic)
Thanks to City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen and his staffer Brian Hawksford (both West Seattleites, incidentally) for sharing a report they received on the Seattle Police “crosswalk sting” at California/Dawson yesterday (here’s our original report). Turns out it was one of two conducted in the city yesterday afternoon – the other one was earlier, on lower Queen Anne. Neither spot had been “worked before,” according to the report they forwarded, which includes this excerpt:

From 3 PM to 4 PM, the squad worked the crosswalk at California & Dawson. Here we wrote 16 pedestrian right of way citations, plus 7 proof of insurance, 3 expired tabs, 1 seat belt, 1 no front plate, and 1 green arrow, for a total of 29 citations. Additionally, we issued a pedestrian right of way warning.

As noted in yesterday’s report, 92-year-old Rosemary MacCorkindale was killed crossing at that same spot last fall. Between the two locations worked yesterday, the forwarded report says, 221 crossings were made in all — 133 by officers and 88 by citizens — and 14.5% resulted in citations. SPD says the operation showed a “need” for such enforcement at both locations, so they’ll likely be back.

39 Replies to "Followup: Stats on the California/Dawson "crosswalk sting""

  • Robert July 28, 2009 (2:20 pm)

    It easy to lapse on that proof of insurance documentation now since many of us getting our insurance “paperwork” via the internet now and you have to print it out and then get it in the car.

    BTW – What is a “Green Arrow”?

  • Shed22 July 28, 2009 (2:25 pm)

    what is a “green arrow” citation?

  • christopherboffoli July 28, 2009 (2:44 pm)

    Remarkable that almost half of the drivers couldn’t produce the required proof of insurance. I wonder if that means they just didn’t have the paperwork in the car or if they don’t have insurance at all. I’m surprised to hear that none of the citations included people talking on handheld cell phones.

  • kg July 28, 2009 (2:44 pm)

    Glad to have them here.

  • MrJT July 28, 2009 (2:51 pm)

    What a “green arrow” citation ?

  • AM July 28, 2009 (3:05 pm)

    what exactly is a green arrow citation?
    thanks!

  • datamuse July 28, 2009 (3:34 pm)

    I’m guessing it means someone made a green arrow signal-controlled turn at an inappropriate time.

    There’s no such signal at that intersection. There’s one at the intersection of California and Alaska, though, that I see people ignore all the time…

  • Bhp July 28, 2009 (3:43 pm)

    I’m glad I’m not the only one who doesn’t know what a green arrow citation is.

  • c.c. July 28, 2009 (3:50 pm)

    sounds like it was a money making day for the city

  • Smitty July 28, 2009 (4:01 pm)

    There’s an App for that:

    http://www.trapster.com/

  • Adam July 28, 2009 (4:05 pm)

    So, I raised a point in the other thread and was shouted down by people who as far as I can tell are more interested in car drivers “getting what they deserve” than pedestrian safety and traffic flowing smoothly.

    I’ll say it again. Uncontrolled crosswalks, especially those not at a 4 way intersection, are unsafe. I in no way implied that uncontrolled crosswalks are unique to Seattle. Patrolling dangerous crosswalks will not save lives like a traffic light would.

    From The Federal Highway Administration

    The study results revealed that under no condition was the presence of a marked crosswalk alone at an uncontrolled location associated with a significantly lower pedestrian crash rate compared to an unmarked crosswalk. Furthermore, on multilane roads with traffic volumes greater than 12,000 vehicles per day, having a marked crosswalk was associated with a higher pedestrian crash rate (after controlling for other site factors) compared to an unmarked crosswalk.

  • David July 28, 2009 (4:05 pm)

    What a complete waste of time and money.

  • Alvis July 28, 2009 (4:08 pm)

    There’s a good chance the city is actually taking count of problems at that particular intersection on California Avenue to establish if it warrants a half signal, which would be a green light that affects only arterial traffic and turns red only when a pedestrian has hand-activated the push button next to the crosswalk. Not as safe as a full traffic signal, but vastly more safe than a simple crosswalk and no traffic signal.

  • Sma July 28, 2009 (4:09 pm)

    I’m so happy to see SPD finally looking after the street-crossers! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been trying to cross with my two children and two dogs and nobody stops! We even try to inch our way out into the street to see if drivers can see us and stop, however most drivers keep driving as if to hit us!

  • lonelycrow July 28, 2009 (4:13 pm)

    29 citations only? They could make a killing there if they did it everyday.

  • coffee July 28, 2009 (4:18 pm)

    hey, this got mention in the Seattle Times on line!

  • sa July 28, 2009 (7:05 pm)

    I wish they would do this more throughout town.

  • Chris Bell July 28, 2009 (8:54 pm)

    I consider myself very aware of pedestrians and the cross walk laws. I often wait till a person is off the street before I enter with my car. But as careful as I am, I still got a stern warning from a cop who witnessed me not yielding to a pedestrian on Alki. I was looking the other way and I completely missed the person entering the crosswalk. Bottom line, it’s everyone’s responsibility to be aware of each other.

  • Kravitz July 28, 2009 (9:25 pm)

    What’s interesting to me is how many times I’ve seen pedestrians cross at that crosswalk and not use the bright crossing flags that are provided. It might be nice if these same officers that issue citations to the motorists for not yielding etc., could also warn the pedestrians that they, too, have a responsibility to ensure their own safety when crossing, and encourage them to use the flags. It’s in everyone’s best interest…

  • miws July 28, 2009 (10:05 pm)

    Another hint regarding the flags. If the side you’re crossing from has several, glance across the street to the other container. If it’s empty, or only has one or two, grab an extra flag or so to replenish the other container.

    .

    Mike

  • Kevin July 28, 2009 (10:40 pm)

    Seattle needs to take a hint from Kirkland, where they have crossing flags at almost EVERY cross walk from 520 through downtown Kirkland.
    .
    And people DO stop over there! The flags are very effective for both drivers and pedestrians.
    .

  • Stephen July 28, 2009 (11:36 pm)

    Please. We have real crime happening in this city and *this* is what our limited patrol force is spending our tax dollars doing? Not to minimize traffic violations but I’d rather they be apprehending burglars and thugs than jaywalkers.

  • PinkFeathers July 29, 2009 (12:20 am)

    Maybe the 3 expired tabs were going to pay for them at the license office there. I wonder if they cited the Pedestrians that don’t use the cross walk and walk between cars to cross the street to the license office?

  • Ian Page-Echols July 29, 2009 (12:49 am)

    While I was living in Boulder, there were many non intersection pedestrian crossings that were dangerous. What they did was to build raised brick crosswalks in a bunch of these spots. These went from being crazy death traps to places that you could walk near and people would start slowing down. Make it clear who’s got right of way in a real and physical way, and the drivers change their “habits”. As it is, we’re crossing “their” road, and not the other way around.

  • Ian Page-Echols July 29, 2009 (12:52 am)

    Oh yeah, and when I see that many cops, what do I think? Ooh, is there going to be a crosswalk sting? No, I think there’s been a multiple homicide and they haven’t caught the killer yet. I see these stings as entrapment.

    Also, I’d like to see them try these crosswalk stings downtown, during the business day.

  • Perry Wien July 29, 2009 (7:18 am)

    This is a really dangerous crosswalk. I live a block away and use it all the time. In addition to the elderly woman who was killed, I personally have witnessed a car rear ended quite hard when it stopped to yield to a pedestrian in the crosswalk, and another time saw a car swerve to the right of other cars who had stopped for two pedestrians in the crosswalk, zipping through it at high speed just ahead of the pedestrians. It’s just a matter of time until somebody else gets hurt or killed. And, try crossing California Avenue anywhere there isn’t a crosswalk. It’s very difficult and cars are ripping along. I’m delighted to see the police lend support to help people yield to pedestrians in this dangerous crosswalk.

  • ltarte July 29, 2009 (10:23 am)

    Adam – you’re misunderstanding the FHA report. The key word here is “alone”. What the study means is you can’t just slap down some paint at any old intersection and call it good. The city only marks crosswalks that have other factors that make it safe (or safer). The markings then indicate to both pedestrians and drivers that this is a preferred crossing location. I.e., peds should cross here rather than at the next intersection up, and drivers should expect pedestrians. What makes this crosswalk unsafe is driver behaviour.

    As for crossing flags….seems to me they work pretty well here, but I don’t know about every crosswalk in the city. Kirkland is very, very different from Seattle. I don’t think flag theft is as much of an issue there, and also my guess is people use them more in the burbs.

    I’m pretty happy to see this happening….not enough people know pedestrian laws. Like how any intersection is a legal crosswalk, even if there’s no crosswalk marked there.

  • M July 29, 2009 (10:44 am)

    SPD has too much time on their hands if this is what they are doing. I say time for a budget cut

  • Susan July 29, 2009 (10:46 am)

    I cross at this crosswalk fairly often and have appreciated the yellow flags. Unfortunately, we’re now down to only two there, and they sometimes aren’t on the right side of the street.

    In my opinion, the most dangerous pedestrian crossing in West Seattle is actually at a light in the Junction. Crossing 42nd eastbound on the south side of Alaska (heading to Jefferson Square), I’ve nearly been hit several times by people making left turns onto 42nd. They just don’t look. I’m so skittish now that I give the drivers the big stare-down before I cross.

  • d-san July 29, 2009 (11:02 am)

    Whoa – a woman was killed at the same intersection and some of you think this is a waste of time, money and resources? I doubt you’d be saying the same thing if you were related to the victim.

  • KBear July 29, 2009 (11:33 am)

    Yeah, to all those who think it’s a waste of money for police to enforce the law and promote public safety, that’s exactly what we pay them to do. I can only assume your selfish attitudes carry over to your driving, so I hope they catch you, too.

  • CJP July 29, 2009 (1:23 pm)

    Ian- you need to look up the definition of entrapment, because this certainly does not meet it.

  • wseye July 29, 2009 (3:11 pm)

    Gosh, no cell phone tickets?

  • JimboMeathooks July 29, 2009 (7:13 pm)

    Just put a Starbucks @ that intersection….problem solved! Hmmm.

  • Angelina July 30, 2009 (1:31 pm)

    Every corner to corner crossing is a unmarked crosswalk. It is the driver’s responsibility to stop for a pedestrian when they are crossing. That doesn’t mean slow down then speed up just as my butt passes your bumper, that doesn’t mean speed up to pass in front of me nearly running over my toes, that doesn’t mean to just ignore me as I stand waiting at the corner. It means stop. Pedestrians have the right of way at crosswalks. Most humans are a fraction of the weight of cars. So when a car slams into one the damage is catastrophic or deadly. So I have no problems when the police are out there policing people who have no regard for anothers life. The would just have to be out there to arrest the person for vehicular manslaughter after the fact anyways.

  • JAY PRIER July 30, 2009 (4:34 pm)

    I really feel sorry for those people who get “trapped” by the police because they are doing thier job. You are the same ones who believe the yellow light cameras are entrapment too. YOU BROKE THE LAW !! And endagered lives in doing so . Just because nobody saw you break the laws of the road does not give you the right to do so. Yes a tree that falls in the forest with no one to hear still makes a noise.

  • Pokey August 1, 2009 (1:01 am)

    Isn’t it illegal to have motor vehicles on the sidewalk like in this picture? Someone could get hurt.

  • Larry August 1, 2009 (10:52 am)

    I was there watching the circus. and BTW comment from Kevin “Seattle needs to take a hint from Kirkland, where they have crossing flags at almost EVERY cross walk from 520 through downtown Kirkland.
    .
    And people DO stop over there! The flags are very effective for both drivers and pedestrians.
    .”
    That crosswalk does have the flags installed for pedestrians to use and at no time did any of the undercover crosswalk cops use the flags.

  • §am August 4, 2009 (4:29 pm)

    This is the first time I’ve ever heard of flags at a crosswalk, I’ve never seen them before. What I don’t like about when I am driving is pedestrians who are starting to walk across the street from behind a car and you don’t see them till it’s too late to brake, or sometimes you are driving and you think someone is going to cross the street and you stop, just to find out they are hanging out and loitering on the corner, what’s up with that?

Sorry, comment time is over.