Avalon survival kit

From the Luna Park/Java Bean land of the former crosswalk (below left), we now have pedestrian flags (reader photo – thanks! – below right):

lunacrosswalk.jpgcrossflagsmaller.jpg

13 Replies to "Avalon survival kit"

  • Agen August 23, 2007 (8:54 am)

    Awesome! I’ll be using that this afternoon for my coffee break.

  • Delivery Dude August 23, 2007 (9:11 am)

    High-Larious! I can’t wait to see how long it takes for those flags to disappear. Bring out the flag squad for a march!

  • David August 23, 2007 (9:35 am)

    Not sure how that works, flags or not, if this isn’t a crosswalk anymore. Isn’t it technically jay walking to cross there, whether you’re carrying a flag or not? Or is this still a “legal” crosswalk, and all they did was remove the painted little lines?

  • Michael August 23, 2007 (10:08 am)

    There is a crosswalk – with lights that stop cars and everything – half a block away. I’m constantly amazed at the lengths people (most of whom DROVE there to go to Java Bean/Luna Park) will go to to avoid a half-block walk.

  • Bubba August 23, 2007 (10:41 am)

    there are cross walks (painted or not) at all intersections, this is an intersection of SW Orleans ST and Avalon. The flags are attached to a stop sign on that intersection. As drivers I would hope that some of you folks would be more aware of the traffic laws and attributes of the streets you drive on…but I’m not surprised as I drive the same streets with you every day and am amazed by the lack of awareness and common courtesy displayed.

  • Bubba August 23, 2007 (10:42 am)

    there are cross walks (painted or not) at all intersections, this is an intersection of SW Orleans ST and Avalon. The flags are attached to a stop sign on that intersection. As drivers I would hope that some of you folks would be more aware of the traffic laws and attributes of the streets you drive on…but I’m not surprised as I drive the same streets with you every day and am amazed by the lack of awareness and common courtesy displayed.

    And kudos to the owner of the Java Bean for making this effort.

  • David August 23, 2007 (1:10 pm)

    So it’s legal crosswalk, always was and still is? So why did the city actually go out of their way to spend money to come in and remove the crosswalk lines? Just to make it harder to see for fun? Or was the ‘up keep’ on those little painted lines too much of a burden?

  • Ron Burgundy August 23, 2007 (1:39 pm)

    I believe the reason for removing the painted crosswalk is that studies show that an unpainted crosswalk is actually safer because the pedestrians don’t assume that the cars will stop and are actually more cautious when crossing.

    I live by the crosswalk on Admiral where the the man was killed last fall. It now has flashing lights, a curb bulb and flags. None of these features seem to have slowed down the traffic. I feel like checkered flags are much more appropriate for this site and the cars come zooming down the hill past me and my 3 flag waving young boys.

  • Jumbojim August 23, 2007 (1:48 pm)

    Hey David,

    There was a long discussion on this topic a while back. My take on it was that the city is looking to reduce its lawsuit exposure. They’ve been sued in the past by people hit in crosswalks. The people suing claim (if memory serves) that the crosswalk was poorly planned, i.e. the spot doesn’t allow cars to see pedestrians well enough, or that the crosswalk should’ve been lit. I don’t necessarily support this approach, but I think that’s what is driving this.

  • m August 23, 2007 (4:10 pm)

    jumbojim, i am pretty sure you are right about the city’s reasoning. If you drive around and notice the painted crosswalks, they are typically in the worst spots (i.e. the crest of a hill, or around a bend in the road). Removing the crosswalks lessens the chance for a hit pedestrian to sue the city i’m sure. WHich ultimately is a lower tax burden for all. I like marked crosswalks, but some peds need to know how to look both ways before crossing (didnt’ we all learn that when we were four years old?), and drivers need to pay more attention and know the rules of the road, just like Bubba mentioned. Sure, accidents do happen, but many of these could be prevented if everyone took some responsibility for their actions.

  • Native August 23, 2007 (11:16 pm)

    You folks that decide to cross there please be careful, and don’t try to prove some point by crossing during traffic… flag or no flag. Common sense would suggest that you simply walk the half block down to the lighted crosswalk. It only makes sense.

    To me, it is really quite a stretch to even consider this a “legal crosswalk” anymore. SW Orleans street doesn’t even run trough to Avalon there. There is no intersection that I can determine. I’m not sure you can consider a parking lot for Java and Luna a cross street.

    http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=avalon+seattle&ie=UTF8&ll=47.570561,-122.370666&spn=0.001003,0.00294&t=h&z=19&om=1

    Personally, I will probably continue to cross there, but I will do so at my OWN RISK, without the use of flags, when there is NO TRAFFIC.

    Attempting to force traffic to stop for you on this busy street is foolish, and in my opinion, illegal. Just be careful.

  • Sue August 24, 2007 (10:14 am)

    “To me, it is really quite a stretch to even consider this a “legal crosswalk” anymore. SW Orleans street doesn’t even run trough to Avalon there. There is no intersection that I can determine.”
    Actually, I took a look at it last weekend and noticed what looked like a flight of stairs there up to the next street over, and a street sign that does say Orleans (the stairs are probably an extension of that stree on the other side). So technically it’s a crosswalk. Kinda like at Hudson & California, where there is a sign up that says Hudson in front of the flight of stairs heading east up the hill.

  • Eric B August 29, 2007 (12:11 am)

    Does anyone out there know where you can buy the flags, etc.? I would like to set them out at some other locations around my neighborhood where peds and cars often “interact”.

Sorry, comment time is over.