Update: Fauntleroy ferry-idling signs are on the way

| Environment | Neighborhoods | Transportation | West Seattle news

The Fauntleroy Community Association sends word from FCA members Sherry and Ron Richardson that City Council President Richard Conlin liked their suggestion of “please turn off your engine” signs for the Fauntleroy ferry-queueing zone (first reported here a month ago), and asked SDOT to make it so. So we checked with SDOT communications boss Rick Sheridan today regarding a timetable, and here’s what we heard back:

SDOT did receive the request from Council President Conlin. Following the mayor’s lead on climate change, SDOT is very supportive of reducing vehicle emissions whenever possible. We recently installed signs reminding drivers to turn off engines while waiting for city bridges along the Ship Canal.

SDOT will install signs along Fauntleroy Way SW, near the Fauntleroy ferry terminal. (Though the signs will only be informational as there is no authority provided by the Seattle Municipal Code to force compliance.) We are working on the language and siting for them now, and expect that roadway users should see them within the next month.

Irukandji July 10, 2008 (8:38 pm)

Oh for the love…

Eddie July 10, 2008 (8:45 pm)

If their engines are off, can they use their cell phones?

MrJT July 10, 2008 (9:03 pm)

How arrogant is that response from SDOT ?

acemotel July 11, 2008 (1:18 am)

The tension between city council and mayor is palpable. It would be a breath of fresh air to get politicos who can work together, without fighting for credit for the good ideas.

WSB July 11, 2008 (1:42 am)

That’s actually routine, fwiw – it’s some sort of city mandate that every initiative has to be shown to meet the mayor’s goals of x, x, x, and y (I edit the boilerplate off the bottom of every press release that we post here). But there have been particularly jarring instances of the who-gets-credit duel: we pointed this one out last summer:
https://westseattleblog.com/blog/?p=2697
When it was announced that some city parks would get recycling bins, two press releases were posted (both linked in that WSB post), “Councilmembers Della and Conlin Lead Effort to Put Recycling at 106 Park Locations” posted on the city website in the 9 am hour that day, and two hours later, “City Council Briefed on Mayor’s Proposal to Extend Recycling to Parks.”
And of course, in this case since the request came thru Council President Conlin, there’s the undercurrent involving the possibility he may run against Hizzoner next year.

Alice Kuder July 11, 2008 (6:31 am)

Yeah! Now they need to post the same signs for the 1st Ave S bridge!

T. De July 11, 2008 (7:22 am)

I don’t think we need another sign by the ferry lines. With gas prices hovering close to $4.40 per gal., it’s unlikely there will be a lot of excess polluting going on. I was in the Fauntleroy ferry line last friday and didn’t hear many engines running. Perhaps in the winter, the City Council could post signs advising people to wear warm clothing, although they wouldn’t have enough officers available to enforce such a notice…

MAS July 11, 2008 (9:55 am)

Ever wonder why they have you leave your engine on while waiting to get your emissions checked? During the first few seconds of operating, the catalytic converter is essentially non-functional, and you’re kicking out more pollution than the next several minutes of operation (note the black smoke coming out of the tailpipe on startup.)

Obviously, idling for some length of time is worse than shutting the engine off, but I’ve never seen anyone show exactly what the cutoff is. Should I shut off the engine when the person in front of me at Burger King initiates a hostile takeover of the chain (from the drive through window – seems to happen a lot actually) ?? What about Bellevue at the 5 minute red lights?

Not being intentionally obtuse here, just honestly wondering what the right answer is.