Followups: California/Dawson flag basket; Highland Park reservoir

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Couple followups. First – hours after our story last night about the long-trashed crosswalk-flag basket at California/Dawson south of The Junction, the couple who reported it, Kim and Efram – who said SDOT hadn’t answered repeated complaints – wrote to say, “This morning we woke up to…..FLAGS AT THE CROSSWALK!! SDOT must’ve come in the night and furtively put new flags in, like elves or something!” We went over to check and got the above photo at noontime (several flags were on the west side; the one in the foreground, east side, had just been carried across). They’re the orange flags that we’ve seen in private baskets, though, not the yellow ones SDOT had originally distributed … hmm.

Meantime, while looking up a link for the Highland Park Action Committee meeting report published this morning, we revisited this video from last fall’s underground tour of the West Seattle Reservoir-covering project:

At the time, Seattle Public Utilities told us the reservoir would be filled “next (this) summer.” Checked with SPU’s Andy Ryan today – and he says it’s actually being filled right now; they’re about two-thirds of the way done with filling the 30-million-gallon covered reservoir. It takes up half the space the old open one did – SPU said they didn’t need that much capacity.

Chris May 27, 2010 (5:51 pm)

Not for nothing, but how much does it cost to replace all of those flags all the time. Not just at California & Dawson, but every place else that SDOT has deemed to put them? Even with flag in hand more times than not, I’ve seen cars NOT stop for pedestrians. Why can’t we get the flashy lights? http://www.streetfilms.org/seattle-crosswalk-tap-foot-lights-blink-cross-street/ I’ve seen them in other parts of the city, and it never fails to get the drivers attention that there’s a pedestrian entering the street.

Rod Nelson May 27, 2010 (6:35 pm)

I have much respect for the oft criticized SDOT.

I walk down Jacobsen Way almost daily, and every late spring, I call the SDOT to please clear the sidewalk of “overgrowth”. It has always been cleared within a week of my phone call. This year is no exception.

Thank you SDOT! I also, incidently, call SDOT and thank them as well, as I have this year.

dude May 27, 2010 (10:15 pm)

why don’t cars just stop for pedestrians as is the law?

WSnewbie May 28, 2010 (1:16 am)

Yea, um people steal those flags and studies have shown that they DO NOT help at all. Also SDOT does not deemed them anywhere, its the community that just complains till they are put in.

Flashing light are also a joke, cars dont stop for school buses or red lights here in west seattle.

austin May 28, 2010 (8:31 am)

In my experience cars will give a pedestrian a lot of distance if the pedestrian has a three foot length of metal bar. You don’t even have to be carrying it as long as it’s visibly on your person. Drivers will usually try to avoid damage to their vehicle, and metal represents greater damage than a sack of meat and water (otherwise known as a person).

TK May 31, 2010 (11:26 am)

Here’s an idea. Don’t wear black at night when you’re walking!!! I once almost hit a person at a cross walk. It was the middle of the night and I was looking at a shop window display, the guy came out in front of me with his black dog too. I stopped in time, but he pounded my hood trying to dent my car. I have a feeling he ran out in front of me on purpose. I mean there was no traffic and he just HAD to cross in front of me. He could have waited one second longer and crossed after me. This occurred on Avalon, I was going DOWN the hill.

Sorry, comment time is over.