Followup: Fauntleroy Way school-speed-zone light moved

| Fauntleroy | Safety | West Seattle news

Two weeks after a letter from the Fauntleroy Community Association (noted in our coverage of FCA’s August meeting), SDOT has moved the school-zone lights on southbound Fauntleroy Way, near Gatewood Elementary, to address visibility issues. (Compare the photo above to the one in our August 14th story.) This is the same area where a speeder-detecting camera is scheduled to be in operation this fall, as first reported here earlier this month. One glitch, though – Phil Sweetland from the FCA board, who’s been monitoring the issue, says the new location is, while more visible, is south of the old one – therefore closer to the school, giving drivers less time to react. He had suggested a change northward (further from the school) and even has put together a PDF with a montage showing the difference.

questioner August 31, 2012 (11:57 am)

Why do drivers need more time to react. The school’s location doesn’t change and the majority of us that drive past it should know it is a school zone by now.

Phil S September 1, 2012 (10:51 am)

I am responding to “questioner” The fact that we know, or most of us driving Fauntleroy, that there is a school zone ahead when the lights are flashing does not mean that we always remember the time that the lights flash. I have, and I am sure that you have too, been doing 30 mph and suddenly saw that the light flashing from behind the poles. The reason for the permanent radar camera is that this location generated a lot of violations. In my opinion, it is better to slow the traffic down than to increase the number of tickets. SDOT moved the beacon to the south instead of to the north where there is a better line of sight. The new location is better than the old one, but north would have been much better. One other point for a reason to move the light is that sudden braking for the zone could result in rear-ending by a commuter tailgating their way to the ferry. Not all users are law-abiding drivers.

Sorry, comment time is over.