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Three and a half years have passed since it was the site of a much-publicized deadly crash … but area residents say the Admiral Way crosswalk at 47th is still a place where you take your life into your hands just to cross the street. So the Admiral Neighborhood Association is leading a new push to get the city to install a pedestrian-activated stoplight. The crosswalk goes between two busy businesses – Life Care Center on the north side, Alki Mail and Dispatch on the south side – with residential neighborhoods behind each. Since the fall 2006 death of Tatsuo Nakata, “traffic-calming” measures have gone in nearby – in 2007, the intersection was marked by a “Crosswalk” sign with flashing lights overhead and narrowed by curb bulbs, while more recently, a radar speed sign was placed on the eastbound (uphill) side of Admiral at Garlough. The ANA says that’s not enough. Karl de Jong brought up the issue at last month’s meeting, and since then, a group also including ANA’s president Katy Walum and Jim Del Ciello has explored the concept, including talking with SDOT. Del Ciello said he’d also spoken with an Alki Community Council rep who suggested they’d be willing to partner on the safety advocacy too. Tonight Walum plans to be at the 34th District Democrats‘ meeting to make the case for a pedestrian-activated light directly to Mayor Mike McGinn.
Meantime, when this was discussed at last night’s ANA meeting, talk also turned to the study on eastern Admiral Way – where SDOT is looking at possible rechannelization, as first reported here May 21st. Walum says SDOT’s study will include measurements of bicycle traffic as well as cars, and then, she says they’re promising a “well-advertised open house” in “early fall” to unveil what the study revealed. She also said SDOT has assigned project manager Virginia Coffman to that Admiral Way study.
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