Stopping For Pedestrians!

[BunnyLynn]

Here is my rant West Seattle – Please STOP for Pedestrians in crosswalks! West Seattle drivers seem to be having some troubles in this area, especially (gulp) those drivers trying to catch the Fauntleroy Ferry (Black Toyota 4Runner who did not stop 12/26 at 4:00 p.m. you know who you are!) Now on to the Admiral neighboorhood, again, at a crosswalk in front of Spiro’s (Black Mercedes who did not stop 12/27 at 6:40 p.m. you know who you are!).

Please stop for pedestrains. Please. Please. Please.

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[Sue]

I’m right there with ya – I cross Fauntleroy at Dawson every morning for the 54X and it’s a miracle I haven’t been run down yet. Even my cane doesn’t deter them from threatening me. I’ve been spit at, screamed at, had middle fingers waved at me, all as if I’m jaywalking – which I’m not.

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[WSB]

Worst thing that ever happened to us on this front didn’t exactly happen to us – but to the person who stopped for us – We (child included) were at the bus stop across from the Fauntleroy ferry, waiting for cars to stop so we could use the crosswalk to get over to the dock. Someone heading southbound on Fauntleroy finally stopped. Just as we were about to step into the crosswalk, another car roaring up from behind them rear-ended the first car, pushing it right to where we would have been in the crosswalk. We called 911, of course, and others rushed over to help, but boy, that was too close for comfort. For some reason people are not interested in stopping at that crosswalk – we stood there just the other day, waiting for a chance to cross, and no one ever bothered to stop; we just had to wait till there was no one coming at all.

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[BobLoblaw]

Drivers don’t stop at ANY crosswalks in West Seattle, or downtown. This is a huge pet peeve of mine. I catch the bus at the park and ride below the West Seattle bridge and I always have a difficult time getting drivers to stop. The crosswalk I use was faded away and I called the city and metro. Within DAYS the crosswalk was repainted. However, drivers still do not stop unless I step into the crosswalk and force them to. Sometimes they just swerve around me into the other lane. Last spring my husband bought two buckets, put gravel in them, and made bright orange flags for me to use in that crosswalk. They’re gone now! The flags were taken and somebody dumped out the gravel and took the buckets. I have e.mailed the mayor about how to make our crosswalks safer, but got no response, other than my name was added to his monthly newsletter. His campaign to improve crosswalk safety needs to start with the drivers, not the pedestrians. Pedestrians in a marked, and unmarked, crosswalk at an intersection have the legal right of way, not the driver. What we need is drivers blowing through occupied crosswalks to be ticketed!

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[CMP]

I make every effort to stop for pedestrians since my brother was hit in an unmarked crosswalk a few years ago. Has anyone noticed that it’s nearly impossible to see pedestrians at crosswalks on California when it’s dark and raining though? If there were a pedestrian crossing, I wouldn’t notice until I was 25 yards away which is too close to stop safely. At least I learned in my defensive driving class 15 years ago to pay attention to EVERYTHING on the road, not just cars.

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[BunnyLynn]

I am almost tempted to have a nice sign made reminding folks that the speed limit really is still 30 (even if you’re running late for the ferry) and you should please always stop for pedestrians (even if you’re running late for the ferry)! And walk the ferry line parking route with the signs.

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[BobLoblaw]

BTW, the above post was by Mrs. Loblaw. Mr Loblaw does not have a husband (not that there’s anything wrong with that).

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[LauraLou]

I have to cross 35th each day at an intersection to catch the bus. This means I’m crossing an “unmarked crosswalk.” (FYI all intersections are unmarked crosswalks and drivers are supposed to yield to pedestrians.) I can’t remember the last time a car actually stopped for me, though. Last June or July, probably.

The City took away several crosswalks on 35th because they were unsafe. (??) Then said that in fact, all intersections are crosswalks so there should still be plenty of places to cross safely. Uh-huh, whatev.

I typically practice what I call “defensive crosswalking” when in a crosswalk. That means I wave to the oncoming driver, which tends to help get their attention, and even try to make eye contact, before venturing out.

I think some drivers don’t think they have to stop unless the ped is IN the crosswalk. That’s very untrue. If you are a ped and standing on the curb waiting to step out until it is safe, you absolutely have the right of way, and if the driver gets cited, the ticket is pretty steep.

I think Councilmember Richard Conlin is very tuned into pedestrian issues. If your email to the mayor was ignored (shocking!) I’d try Conlin’s office.

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[BlairJohnson]

Related to this topic is pedestrian right-of-way on sidewalks. Some people seem to think the sidewalks are their property. Maybe back before the area was platted and subdivided and annexed to the city it was. Now it is city property. Cars parked across the sidewalk can be ticketed. And property owners who fail to keep vegetation from growing over the sidewalk can be assessed a charge if the city has to cut it back. I suspect the people who block the sidewalk in front of their house are the same ones driving in front of pedestrians in the crosswalk.

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[BobLoblaw]

Yep. About once a year (or so it seems) parking enforcement scours the neighborhoods for these sidewalk stradlers. I think I recall fair warning on WSB.

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[pabloa3]

Here is the site for pedestrian laws:

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/walk/Laws.htm

I know I’ve been guilty of not yielding to peds at unmarked intersections on 35th…quite honestly, I’m sure everyone has been guilty of this. Drive down 35th at almost anytime and there is always going to be someone waiting to cross at some intersection…most of the time cars don’t stop. Not exactly the safest street for a car to just stop on. However, it is not always obvious that the ped is there to cross – many times I’ve seen cars stop only to have the ped just stand there.

My big beef are peds that cross against their light or in the middle of the block…I see this issue much more frequently as a driver. As a ped, I’m not often bothered by crossing fauntleroy, California, or 35th…there are always breaks in the cars (even by the ferry dock – I’ve crossed there many times)…no use risking your life attempting to get traffic to stop both ways when you can just wait for a break in traffic.

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[BlairJohnson]

The way I understand the law, drivers must stop for pedestrians if they step off the curb in a crosswalk (marked OR unmarked). If the pedestrian is standing up on the curb or sidewalk, drivers can legally drive in front of them.

So I wish more pedestrians understood that if they intend to wait for all the traffic to clear, they would stay up on the sidewalk, back from the curb. Sometimes I see a pedestrian up ahead standing off the curb in the crosswalk, so I come to a stop, only to have them just stand there. Finally, I have to gesture “oh well” with my hands and drive in front of them, risking a ticket.

When I am a pedestrian (and I walk frequently) I make sure I communicate my intentions clearly to motorists.

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[Sue]

As a frequent pedestrian, I sometimes have a driver stop for me on Fauntleroy, and then get upset that I don’t go. The problem is, I appreciate that they stopped, but usually it’s the other side of the street, and the car on the side I will first cross is racing towards me and I am not sure they will stop, so I cannot safely cross. Meanwhile, the nice person who did stop is pissed off at me because I’m not crossing. I can’t assume that everyone will stop, so I need to be safe. I may have right of way, but that doesn’t mean I should just start walking in front of oncoming traffic!

Then one time they did all stop, I started crossing, and someone decided to drive *around* the stopped traffic (in the parking lane) to blow through the intersection and almost hit me in the crosswalk.

I, and a few neighbors, were in touch with people about putting in a crosswalk or traffic light or at the very least some pedestrian crossing signs, but they gave us the runaround for a very long time and then didn’t get back to us. Then I tried contacting the SW Precinct, telling them what’s been going on here with no one yielding to us, and they emailed back saying that pedestrian safety was very important, and they were going to come out and take a look and start ticketing people who don’t yield. That never happened. I’ve never seen a cop car yet during my morning commute, nor has the situation changed. I don’t know what else I can do to get the rules enforced, other than praying I don’t get hit someday.

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[vincent]

I hate to be a party pooper, but given the reality of this situation this just sounds like a lot of whining. As someone who frequently is bus riding pedestrian (using crosswalks marked and not) as well as a bicycle commuter this whole discussion sounds *exactly* like when people complain about bicycles dart around and don’t obey traffic laws and adhere to all traffic laws. Except somehow its from the point of view of the pedestrian/bicycle. Stay with me for a second. 99% of the road using public are car drivers. Anything that is as restriction to people driving is a frustration and a source of aggravation, they don’t care why, all they know is your slowing them down the 15 seconds that might make a difference. Usually the people behind the wheel blame everyone but themselves, and insist on laws to keep peds and bicycles from slowing them down. Read the hate and vitriol that drivers have for bicyclists. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/soundoff/comment.asp?articleID=344924

now remember for a second, that if a ped or a bicyclist makes a mistake they fall down. If a car blows a crosswalk, someone dies.

Sorry to get in you face about it, but if you want people to care that your in a crosswalk, start treating it like its your life. Make a bigger deal about it, cause a scene, call the cops. because right now your just that 1% of people using the road that are easily dismissed. did we all forget that a rabbi on his cellphone hit his SECOND pedestrian in a crosswalk last summer? The gentlemen that was killed was a assistant to the city council. What did the driver get? NOTHING. You think emailing the council is going to do something?

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[grr]

when Pedestrians start PAYING ATTENTION and learn that a Flashing Red Hand does NOT mean (run like hell across the street), maybe that will make a difference. I’m constantly STUNNED how many peds DO NOT LOOK at the CARS or THEIR traffic signals, as well as the walk/don’t walk signs.

and,yes..I have plenty of Rants against bicyclist that think they’re above traffic laws as well.

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[kwhite]

To the woman who WAVED at us as she blasted past us as we crossed – in the crosswalk – between Petco and Mashiko tonight — YOU ARE AN IDIOT!

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[TheHouse]

I’m both a pedestrian and driver in West Seattle and Downtown Seattle. The fact of the matter is that there is fault on both sides of the coin on this matter. Yes, there are many drivers that ignore crosswalks but there are just as many pedestrians that either don’t pay attention crossing the road or dont pay attention to the crosswalk signals. When you’re driving 30-40 mph and don’t see a pedestrian until right before the crosswalk, you may be risking an accident more by slamming on your brakes (might get rear ended). The easiest way to avoid all of this is if we simply jail stupid people.

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[JanS]

hehehe…House…I’m afraid our prison system couldn’t handle them all. And I totally agree with you. I, too, am both. As a pedestrian I walk with a cane, hopefully temporarily. I’m a little slower than the average person, so really have to be heads up about where and when I cross. As a driver I try to pay attention, but we have to remember that we have a big hunk of metal (erm…sometimes plastic…hehe) around us, and it’s not always able to stop on a dime. There are times when drivers are damned if they do, and damned if they don’t.

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[westwood]

If you are on foot, you tend to feel cars are a menace. If you are on bike, you are annoyed with pedestrians and terrified by cars. If you are in a car everyone is simply in your way.

Stupid peds don’t excuse bad drivers. Most of us drive too fast, with too many distractions–stereo, cellphone, kids, etc. to really pay attention. The difference is that we are piloting a huge metal container around at high speeds.

We need to have better sidewalks, crosswalks, signage and sightlines for pedestrians. As Seattle becomes denser in the future there will be relatively more peds and bikes and relatively less cars. The time to plan is now.

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[grr]

..and if you’re a motorcyclist, EVERYONE is out to get you.

:)

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[granted]

I’ve been both a driver and a pedestrian and have felt the frustration from both sides of the issue. What I have to remind myself as a driver though is that I have the greater power over the pedestrians, therefore I also have the greater responsibility. A mistake I make as a driver has a much greater impact given that my vehicle weighs thousands of pounds and is typically traveling at speeds of 30mph or more. If I need to pay greater attention or slow down a little in order to spot and wait for pedestrians, then that’s a responsibility I have to accept. It’s the tradeoff I should be willing to make for the speed and convenience of personal motorized transportation.

That said, in practical terms everybody’s got a lot on their minds and sometimes people do forget to check every corner at all times for a pedestrian. One idea that could help is speed bumps. A well-placed speed bump can be just the thing to remind the distracted driver that they need to check their speed and watch for pedestrians. In areas such as 35th where people tend to drive faster (although the speed limit is 35mph), a series of the rumble bumps — not sure of the correct name for them — might be in order.

To me it seems like the least we could do when people are quite literally being killed in the streets.

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[TheVelvetBulldog]

And if you’re on a scooter (Vespa or Vino) even the MOTORCYCLISTS are against you! It’s a jungle out there – kind of amazing any of us are left standing at all.

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[Kata]

I have to say that I find this discussion pretty amusing, but then I’ve spent most of my life in Minneapolis, where the whole idea that drivers should yield to pedestrians in crosswalks is a strange and foreign concept. I am continually amazed by how easy and safe it is to get across the street here, by contrast, and how very deferential most drivers are to the rights of pedestrians. (Perhaps if one is used to more civil behavior by drivers, the exceptions stand out more glaringly and cause more anger.)

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[credmond]

One way I strive to be able to stop for pedestrians wanting to cross 35th is to go the speed limit on 35th. It’s 35 miles per hour, not 40 or 45 or 50. Of course, about two-thirds of the cars are passing me on the left. But those of us in the curb lane are at least in a position to slow down and stop, and since there’s usually at least two or three of us going the legal speed, that is a lot of cars to be stopping and drivers in the other lanes pay attention. I’ve stopped for any number of pedestrians in the area around Camp Long up to Morgan St. and had no problems and others eventually stopped to allow the pedestrians to cross. By not recognizing the need to stop sooner, others merely delayed the entire flow of traffic as the pedestrians weren’t going to cross until all 4 lanes were stopped – as it should be. We can subtly enforce the laws ourselves by actually abiding in them. Strange concept, I know. Oh, I also bike and walk on 35th – all the time, and ride the bus. So I do have a good feel for how traffic flows throughout the day and week. The alternative to not being nice, by the way, is to put 35th on a road diet – reduce it to one travel lane in each direction with a center turn lane. Which would be better?

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[hopey]

From the link posted above: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/walk/Images/CrosswalkLaw1.jpg

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/walk/Images/CrosswalkLaw2.jpg

Those graphics make it pretty darn clear: drivers are not required to stop for a pedestrian standing on the curb. You don’t even have to stop for a pedestrian not in your half of the roadway.

for the moderator: markup doesn’t work in these posts, even when you use backticks.

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