Home › Forums › Open Discussion › Sidewalk hogging; and Pedestrians vs Vehicles
- This topic has 3 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 7 years, 8 months ago by newnative.
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July 5, 2016 at 2:23 pm #849979
BookGalParticipantSchools are done with regular sessions, and summer is right around the corner. WS Summerfest 2016 is on the horizon. Here’s a bit of a reminder (especially for all you new residents)…
West Seattle is a very walkable neighborhood. Let’s all try to keep it that way by looking out for one another.
Please please SHARE the sidewalks. Walking two, three or four abreast is NOT sharing, and is inconsiderate and not neighborly. See someone ahead? Walk single file. Lots of folks out walk to/from and around the Junction, please be aware that someone behind you may be walking much faster than your leisurely stroll and trying to pass. And if you need to text, or check your device – step over to the side to let others pass, rather than suddenly stop in the middle of the sidewalk.
There is such a thing as Washington State Pedestrian Laws
Here is a summary of some of Washington’s pedestrian laws:Traffic signals –
Pedestrians must obey traffic signals and traffic control devices unless otherwise directed by a traffic or police officer (RCW 46.61.050).Sidewalks –
Drivers and bicyclists must yield to pedestrians on sidewalks and in crosswalks (RCW 46.61.261).Pedestrians on roadways –
Pedestrians must use sidewalks when they are available. If sidewalks are not available, pedestrians must walk on the left side of the roadway or its shoulder facing traffic (RCW 46.61.250).Bolting into traffic –
No pedestrian or bicycle shall suddenly leave a curb and move into traffic so that the driver can not stop (RCW 46.61.235).Drivers exercise due care –
Every driver of a vehicle shall exercise due care to avoid colliding with any pedestrian upon any roadway and shall give warning by sounding the horn when necessary (RCW 46.61.245).Stop for pedestrians at intersections –
Vehicles shall stop at intersections to allow pedestrians and bicycles to cross the road within a marked or unmarked crosswalk (RCW 46.61.235). See Washington’s Crosswalk Law for more information.Yield to vehicles outside intersections –
Every pedestrian crossing a roadway at any point other than within a marked crosswalk or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection shall yield the right of way to all vehicles upon the roadway (RCW 46.61.240).Pedestrians on roadways –
Pedestrians must use sidewalks when they are available. If sidewalks are not available, pedestrians must walk on the left side of the roadway or its shoulder facing traffic (RCW 46.61.250).Bolting into traffic –
No pedestrian or bicycle shall suddenly leave a curb and move into traffic so that the driver can not stop (RCW 46.61.235).Drivers exercise due care –
Every driver of a vehicle shall exercise due care to avoid colliding with any pedestrian upon any roadway and shall give warning by sounding the horn when necessary (RCW 46.61.245).See Washington’s Crosswalk Law for more information.
- This topic was modified 7 years, 8 months ago by WSB.
July 5, 2016 at 10:43 pm #850030
JanSParticipantand in reverse….if you are able bodied and are walking faster than the person in front of you because they may have a disability that doesn’t stand out, that slows them down, say “Excuse me”, be courteous, give them time to move over. Don’t just mow them down as an obstacle in your way, muttering under your breath. Some of us walk with canes and only have two speeds…slow and stop. Slow down just a bit until you can go around us. Thanks :)
July 12, 2016 at 8:59 pm #850748
ellipsesParticipantThank you for posting these rules! It’s very important that we all follow them closely.
July 13, 2016 at 9:31 am #850793
newnativeParticipantI travel abroad quite a bit and have noticed that other cultures have very uniform behaviors in regards to driving, walking in heavily trafficked places. Slow people stay to the side, fast people have space to run/rush and cars park the same way. There seems to be no agreement here as to where and how to walk/drive, add self-entitlement to the mix and there’s a lot of road rage. I have had men walk so close behind me that one guy fell when I slowed down (I was to the right, not hogging the sidewalk). I have had people stare right at me and walk into me (I had nowhere to go). People seem to think they are entitled to hog the sidewalk, weave. My biggest headache, though, is car drivers hogging the sidewalks and crosswalks. Rich people love to make eye contact and wave as they cut me off and/or block sidewalks when they pull in and out of driveways and parking lots. It’s weird and while it happens all over this country, Seattle car drivers are especially mean this way. I almost got hit in the alley by a speeding (yelling) driver this morning for no reason.
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