RIP, crosswalk; hope it won’t be RIP, pedestrians

Just went by to visually confirm a reader tip: The Java Bean/Luna Park crosswalk is gone.

6 Replies to "RIP, crosswalk; hope it won't be RIP, pedestrians"

  • Agen July 19, 2007 (11:01 am)

    Just rode my bike over the erased crosswalk and cried out in frustration. I do not know how this is going to be considered a safer alternative to having a crosswalk, no matter how much technical analysis they throw at me in their email response to my protest. This will just cause people to cross Avalon at their whim and not at a location that is expected by drivers. And I really really doubt that folks will walk all the way under the freeway to use the traffic walk signal.

  • Melissa July 19, 2007 (1:01 pm)

    Those putzes.

  • Michael July 19, 2007 (3:11 pm)

    Theoretically RIP crosswalk means avoiding RIP pedestrians. In its current state (i.e., without a full intersection with traffic light) it was a recipe for disaster to have a crosswalk there. Now if they can relocate the only real reason to cross the street there (the bus stop), that area would be much safer.

  • Mickymse July 19, 2007 (4:05 pm)

    The two problems that I attempted to point out to them were:

    1) A number of people park on the east side of the street, and cross to frequent the businesses on the other side since the parking lot is very small.

    2) There’s a real traffic danger there with the cars merging onto Avalon southbound from Admiral Way, which does not have completely clear sightlines.

  • miws July 19, 2007 (7:43 pm)

    I’ve been meaning to post on the threads regarding this issue for the past few days, but figured I didn’t have time to type the rather lengthy one I was conjuring up in my mind. So, I’ll keep this one relatively brief.

    They should NOT be removing crosswalks, they should be putting more in, and very strictly enforcing the laws of yielding to peds, and the law against speeding, with hefty fines!

    Now, I know, short on officers etc etc, but something needs to be done. “Education” (i.e. classes etc) is not the answer. You’re not gonna have people going to these classes and coming out saying “Jeepers! I didn’t know it was illegal to go flying through crosswalks, several mph above the speed limit!”

    Most drivers know exactly what they are doing, and are driving aggresively out of their own selfishness.

    /soapbox

    Mike

  • Sue July 20, 2007 (6:49 am)

    Mike, I had written in another thread how I have been dealing with SDOT about a crosswalk/light at Fauntleroy & Dawson. Another person here has as well. Unfortunately, I’m not going to hold my breath that it will be done, as I’m told they consider it a “safe” intersection (meaning nobody’s dead yet). So I’ve decided to go the route of traffic law enforcement instead and have emailed the Seattle Police about the situation and will follow up with them. If I can’t get a crosswalk or light there, then I want to make sure someone is enforcing the traffic laws that they yield to us and not treat us like we’re criminals when we try to cross the street. I am shocked when they curse and scream and beep at us as we try and cross. Because there’s no painted crosswalk they think we’re jaywalking when we’re not. So maybe we all need to be contacting the police about these intersections and their problems so they’ll see they’re not as “safe” as they think they are. And I think all of us here need to start planting the seed by being hyperaware of pedestrians when they cross legally and actually yielding to them. I’m much more conscious of them as a driver after my experiences as a pedestrian.

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