64 mph on West Seattle's Admiral Way hill: Another SPD speed sting

JN February 10, 2011 (8:04 pm)

Wow, no proof of insurance, AND sixty-four miles per hour in a 30-mph zone? And people didn’t think that the city should have executed their original plan to slow down speeds on this road, why???

Twobottles February 10, 2011 (8:05 pm)

I’ll be the first to thank the SPD. I drive that hill every day and LOVE to see speeders getting ticketed

angelescrest February 10, 2011 (8:29 pm)

As a regular on that stretch, I have noticed that for the FIRST TIME ever, in the past two days I have NOT been tailgated as I attept to stick at 30 mph. The message may be getting through.
Thank you SPD!

CB February 10, 2011 (8:30 pm)

What a waste of resources. These stings are more about collecting taxes than safety. The real problem are morons driving 40 mph on the residential roads. I have called the SPD numerous times to complain about PAPA JOHN’S drivers speeding on SW Brandon St. SPD made it clear there would never be speed enforcement on residential streets, nor would they investigate the problem. They simply don’t care. Collecting taxes is their main concern and they get the best bang-for-the-buck on streets like Admiral Way.

Mack February 10, 2011 (8:38 pm)

64 mph? Must have been going downhill.

Cheryl February 10, 2011 (8:46 pm)

Wish they’d crack down on speeders & drag racers on 35th. If they did a “sting” operation once a day for a month, we’d have enough citation money to pay for more cops, the mounted police unit, our schools AND fix the potholes. Speeders need to quit that sh*t & the drag racing idiots? I say just shoot out their tires & be done with them.

64 in a 30? They deserve a ticket! And then some.

Mike February 10, 2011 (9:01 pm)

CB, having a cop sit and wait for a Papa Johns driver to speed by is like watching grass grow. You think the sting on Admiral is a waste, but call in a driver who is long gone. How about you video tape it, get a plate number and then give SPD something to work with instead of jamming up 911 with rants.

angelescrest February 10, 2011 (9:11 pm)

CB,
30 on Admiral has saved me…twice. You just don’t know when the idiot is going to make go-for-it across Admiral (on that lil jump up from Luna Park) or–like today–when someone heading downhill towards the bridge stopped! to pull a left turn onto one of those tiny streets. 30 was good; is good!
As far as idiots on the smaller streets: definitely an issue.

coffee February 10, 2011 (9:18 pm)

Now if we could just get them on delridge. And its not a waste of resources they are hired to enforce the law which is what they are doing, well I might add.

Citizen Sane February 10, 2011 (9:25 pm)

Kudos to the SPD for trying to restore sanity to the roads, and major boos to the whiny brats from ‘planet entitlement’ who think that speed limits shouldn’t apply to them. I’m all for generating some revenue by putting Speed Radar units on streets like Admiral, Delridge, 35th, Beach Drive, et al, wherever you find arrogant types who say, ‘I can drive safely at speeds over the limit, why do you DARE restrict ME???’ Let these chuckleheads pay a larger share of the cost of City Government, and give law-abiding good neighbors like me a break?

dsa February 10, 2011 (9:30 pm)

I’m glad they are after these outrageous drivers.

old timer February 10, 2011 (9:40 pm)

Speed cams.
Lots of revenue – and for the Vegas crowd,
they will only be on 75% of the time.
Are you feelin’ lucky?

Spank Them February 10, 2011 (9:46 pm)

One idiot drives his motorcycle too fast and we all forever more must drive 30. I think it should be 50 to 40 to 30 before the turn. I refuse to drive on 35th. I’m surprised we haven’t had a few head on accidents there with speeds in the 50’s.

NotMe February 10, 2011 (9:53 pm)

I think this is awesome. I have no complaints with SPD doing this, and I hope they keep doing it. This is how you make people stop driving like idiots on Admiral. I love that it’s happening in my neighborhood, and I also hope this starts to happen for 35th soon.
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Keep up the good work, SPD. It’s starting to make a difference!

Mike February 10, 2011 (9:55 pm)

Then we can post who slashed the tires and put that person in jail and fine them, imagine the money made on all that crime!

CC February 10, 2011 (9:57 pm)

If any of you had a clue how painful it is to drive so slowly when you a) have all your faculties b)have the agility to turn the wheel and c)are focused on your driving, you would feel yourself aging as you drive up Admiral hill at 30 mph. I am more aware of death as I see the seconds of my life slip by than I am worried about driving 35-40 mph on an easy thoroughfare with great visibility and few turn-offs. In my opinion, i.e., to me — a human of decent agility, eyesight, driving confidence and the need to actually get somewhere — it really is slow. It’s slow.

*

Now, that said, I’m not big on moving the speed limit over 35. It should be 35 with the reasonable assumption that if you’re going over 40 you can be ticketed. That seems rational. Rational.

Krystal February 10, 2011 (10:03 pm)

CB-I’m with you on the danger of the 40mph on side/residential streets. I swear they are the same people who drive 50 in the left lane on I-5.

Props to the SPD for doing their jobs with the speeding. Yes, speeding tickets generate revenue for the city, but don’t speed, and you won’t pay up.

My other issues with the traffic tickets is how easy it is to get it dropped or reduced. Our city needs the revenue, right? Basically, you just have to show up to court and you get it reduced. Nobody is going to take a speeding ticket seriously if they know they can get out of it by simply showing up. Reminds me of the convicted drunk drivers that get 365 days in jail with 364 days excused.

Bill February 10, 2011 (10:04 pm)

Just my 2 cents…I said it before, I think 35 is reasonable for all sides. Just cause I’m for 35 doesn’t mean I’m for 50 or 60.

I am curious what some of the lower speeds were on those tickets.

NotMe February 10, 2011 (10:05 pm)

Hey CC… I think you should do whatever you want. Heck, your time IS precious, and you shouldn’t let something as stupid as, oh… a SPEED LIMIT stop you! Come on! You can do more than that… push it, big guy… go FIFTY! Hell, you should go 65 and set a new record!
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But, you can’t b***h when you are given a ticket, deal?

CC February 10, 2011 (10:09 pm)

@ Not me: I’ll say it again: rational.

WS Dog Owner February 10, 2011 (10:10 pm)

This is great! Now they should move to South California Ave. between the Thriftway and the top of the hill just past Ladro…to about speeding!!!!!

How can we request?

Krystal February 10, 2011 (10:13 pm)

35mph is more than reasonable.

rhp February 10, 2011 (10:17 pm)

While I agree that these speeding “roundups” may send a message, I’m concerned as well. Why use this level of police force for a non-residential hill like Highland Park Way (location of a “roundup” last week), where there are no cross streets save one, and little to no pedestrians. The speed limit is also 30 mph for the arterial at the top of the hill (9th Ave), where there are plenty of cross streets, pedestrians, school bus stops, AND just as much speeding. I’d rather SPD spend their time ticketing there.

miws February 10, 2011 (10:21 pm)

I have called the SPD numerous times to complain about PAPA JOHN’S drivers speeding on SW Brandon St.

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Hello, Papa John’s? I’d like a large, dead horse pizza, extra dead horse, please.

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Oh, and I’d like it delivered Fast!

.

Mike

Two Wheels a-Go-Go February 10, 2011 (10:23 pm)

Suh-WEET!!! TAHNK YOU for keeping people on their toes, SPD! You can set up shop in West Seattle anytime you want! Next time give me some advanced warning so I can set up a lawn chair and enjoy the show.
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Have fun paying those ticket$ and insurance premium increa$e$ speeders!

JoB February 10, 2011 (10:26 pm)

one hour..
42 citations
that speaks to need

DP February 10, 2011 (10:36 pm)

Thank you SPD! Keep up the great work. I cannot tell you how many times I have been tailgated going up that hill. There is no need for excessive speed.

aw February 10, 2011 (10:40 pm)

its easy to hand out this many citations on a road that you have to ride the break on to stay at 30.. 30 is too low of a limit on this road.. guaranteed that a majority of the tickets issued were for people going 38. Every time I have driven on this road I have always thought that the speed limit is too slow. It not really a residential road. I am not saying people should be going 60, but 30 is reaaaaaaallllly slow on this road.

mnb February 10, 2011 (10:43 pm)

@Krystal: Try arguing to the judge that 35mph is “more than reasonable” and see where that gets you.
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I’d say driving the speed limit is more than reasonable.

NotMe February 10, 2011 (10:47 pm)

Hey CC… you tell that to the cop handing you the ticket. “But officer. I *know* that 35 mph is *rational* and I don’t deserve this ticket.”
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See how far your rational thinking gets you. Like I said, you should do whatever you want. Please do. But this whining and crying about how it is painful and irrational is getting old.

JN February 10, 2011 (11:00 pm)

@CC, so if you feel it is okay to break the law and go over a speed limit, why do you have a problem with people going under the speed limit? The speed limit is there to keep people safe, and it doesn’t matter that you feel that YOU can go faster. Is 15 seconds of your life worth killing another person?

Mike February 10, 2011 (11:10 pm)

Go get ’em SPD! Love it.

Carla February 10, 2011 (11:11 pm)

Thanks to the SPD. Keep Admiral safe!

Jen February 10, 2011 (11:24 pm)

miws –

I am crying laughing :-)

jeff February 10, 2011 (11:35 pm)

In my opinion, 30 is too slow for this road. Remember when it was 40 (not long ago). Then it was reduced to 35. I’m sure many of the commenters would have the same “way to go SPD” attitude even if the city reduced the speed limit to 20 on this roadway. As for me, I don’t believe that the city is correct in assigning a 30 mph speed limit here. It should be at least 35 mph.

KPM February 10, 2011 (11:36 pm)

Safe? What is safe about dozens of crosswalks so poorly marked they might as well not exist. Hopefully this B.S. at least raises money that will address real safety issues. I live directly in front of a digital speed limit sign on 35th and instead of hearing regular traffic, I now get to hear cars gunning it to see how high they can get the sign to read. But go get those guys doing 37 in a 30 going downhill on what is pretty much a freeway leading to a freeway leading to the interstate.. Safety on Admiral? Glad our priorities are in order.

Ws February 10, 2011 (11:41 pm)

That road is hard to do 30 on, it’s crap. No wonder they got 45 people in short order. They should have it upped to at least 35 like every other arterial in the city.

LAintheJunction February 11, 2011 (12:16 am)

Isn’t it about time someone threadjacks this to talk about off leash dogs or peeing in parks? Nah, we haven’t hashed out the speed limit issue on Admiral nearly enough.
Carry on.

austin February 11, 2011 (12:37 am)

Glad to see the city claiming taxes where taxes are due.

WSNative DimBulb February 11, 2011 (12:45 am)

Although I comply with it, I don’t care for the 30 mph limit (going uphill) for a different reason; it messes with my cruise control. 30 mph is the minimum speed at which my cc operates. At that speed, my car is constantly downshifting, accelerating, overshooting 30 mph; then it decelerates under 30 mph & starts the process all over again. I know my mpg is poorest at these times. When the speed limit was 35 mph, my cc had a nice steady pull up the hill. I’d stay in the right lane, and those who wished to go faster would fly by me. It worked well for me, and I hope they consider changing the speed limit back to 35 mph. Nonetheless, I won’t disobey the current limit just because I disagree with it.

Mary February 11, 2011 (2:49 am)

I also think the speed limit should be 35mph on Admiral Way, but am very glad to see SPD enforcement of the current speed limits. I have no problem with the city getting extra revenue from speeding violations. The digital signs that tell your speed are wonderful and I’d love to see more of them around the city. For the drivers who want to obey the law, it is a helpful reminder to slow down. Those who don’t care to obey speed laws get what they deserve when ticketed. They are fortunate to get tickets and not be injured in an accident or injure someone else.

Magpie February 11, 2011 (6:07 am)

My daughter and I started down the hill about 12:40 and I told her to keep her speed down as there had been a bunch of stings in the area recently. She’s not a speeder by nature, but you do have to pay close attention to keep your speed at 30.

At the bottom, she noticed the unmarked car right away and sure enough, just as we got off Admiral, there was the marked car and the policeman writing a ticket. The unmarked car was parked right on that road that goes down to Luna Park.

Now, if they would patrol the bus lane on the bridge a little more for scofflaws, I might be a tad happier. They are much more wanton than the driver’s who speed a little on Admiral.

CW February 11, 2011 (6:44 am)

CB

If you really want the speeding pizza guys to stop, I’d recommend contacting the pizza company and talking to the manager, rather than talking to the police.

While the manager probably wants the pizzas delivered quickly, I’d imagine they are much more concerned with their drivers behaving safely while advertising for the company.

CW

Dave C February 11, 2011 (6:56 am)

Why is the press referring to these operations as a “sting”? A sting is something where a person is enabled or duped into doing something that they shouldn’t. The SPD is simply enforcing the law vigorously to hammer a point home.

Waaaaaaaah February 11, 2011 (7:47 am)

Rational? Our speed limit signs are supposed to be rational? I think having to slow down to 25 in a school zone is crazy! It takes at least 10 extra seconds of my precious time and those kids that run out in front of me should know better anyway. If a few of them get hit it will just cleanse the gene pool. All streets should be at least 60 and I shouldn’t get tickets unless I am doing at least 80. Everyone else should just look out for me and then things will be fine. Coming back to reality. . . . . .how can driving 30 mph be any “harder” than driving 35 mph? You are pushing your foot on a gas pedal – how hard is that? In fact, just think how much less personal energy you have to exert on the pedal to go 30 than you do to go 35. I got a ticket 4 years ago on this same stretch of road and I find it very easy to do 30. I do it every day at least twice a day. I also find that it takes very little energy to press on the brake pedal when going down the hill. Pay the ticket, stop whining, drive the speed limit, end of story – worked for me.

Frank Furter February 11, 2011 (8:08 am)

While we all can agree 64 MPH is a bit much, it’s not represenative of all of us schlubs out here. In fact this city/county/state is broke. Why not lower the speed limits there and on Aurora to 25 and frigging give us all a “season ticket”? Then will mayor McFuzz etc be happy? What then will they do to get what’s left in our wallets? PC is sooo boring and predictable.

CMP February 11, 2011 (8:23 am)

Hey CC, I agree with your assessment completely. It’s slow. However, you won’t catch me speeding on Admiral (or other WS streets) b/c 1) I don’t want to get a ticket 2) my insurance rates would go up 3) I wouldn’t want to suffer the embarrassment of people driving by laughing at me. As I’ve said before, try driving on 35th where it’s 35 mph with jerks driving 45+ and see how you like it. There’s a lack of common sense at the SDOT for speed limits and traffic signals and a lack of common sense with about 85% of our drivers. If the DMV would implement retesting your driving “skills” every five years at renewal time, our roads might be a little safer. There should be a multi-tasking challenge and if you fail that, go buy an ORCA card!

shane February 11, 2011 (8:25 am)

Maybe 30 is too slow, but I hope they continue to ticket that road. I’m tired of getting honked at and flipped off when I come down Admiral at 40 by all the people pissed because they want to go faster.

DKL February 11, 2011 (8:32 am)

An earlier poster mentioned the left turns on the hill. As far as those that stop to take lefts onto or from the East side of the hill; they are illegal turns. You are not allowed to cross double solid lines.

SA February 11, 2011 (8:58 am)

Now I have heard everything. “WSNative DimBulb” uses “cruise control” in the city? At 30mph? Cruise control is useful on the interstate for long road trips, but utterly useless on any road or highway with even the slightest traffic. This would be a poor reason to raise the speed limit.

Kudos to SPD for cracking down here. I gotta say though that SDOT could save SPD the money and time by actually doing a meaningful redesign of this arterial. If you design the road so that it feels right to drive at 50mph, then you can’t be surprised when people actually do exceed the limit. Redesign Admiral please!

mpento February 11, 2011 (8:58 am)

I approve of enforcing the speed limit. But I wonder who is the important person that lives around there that was able to get the resources assigned. Now if only someone important lived on 35th :)

JAT February 11, 2011 (9:13 am)

I agree that it’s not easy to maintain 30 mph downhill; the power of gravity is strong, and on my bicycle it’s easy to end up at 40 mph by the bottom of the hill. In my car I’ve started shifting to a lower gear on click and clack’s advice (which admittedly doesn’t sound great) as it’s really no harder on the engine and much easier on the brakes (note the spelling, people!).

But uphill, (other than WS Native DimBulb’s problematic cruise control above) it’s easy as pie. Really, people. Lay off the gas pedal on the ramp and I’m certain you’ll be at 30 by the time you get tothe 30 mph sign a couple hundred yards up the hill.
It’s not hard.
Stop making excuses or relying on “logic” or mischaracterizing the road as a freeway.
64 mph in a 30 mph zone?!? That person should never drive again. When you defend speeding, you’re defending that person and that makes you a doofus.

JAT February 11, 2011 (9:13 am)

Hopefully 35th will be next.

james February 11, 2011 (9:47 am)

Let’s lower the speed limit to 20 on all roads. We’ll never have any accidents!

Mike Gain Jr. February 11, 2011 (9:49 am)

It is basically just a way for the City of Seattle to steal money from hardworking West Seattle people. They then take our money and go waste it like they do with most of our tax dollars. What a joke! Also, going 50 mph down Admiral is not that big of a deal. You have to ride your brake hard just to stay close to 30. So basically this is just more money for the City to flush down the toilet at the expense of hard working people who accidently went a little too fast down a speed trap. Total bs.

james1 February 11, 2011 (9:53 am)

The speed limit on Admiral Way from 63rd to Lander Street has been 30 mph for as long as I can remember. It changed to 35 mph for about 2 blocks southbound and then back to 30 mph half way down the hill. SDOT changed the 2 block stretch to 30 mph for consistency and the new bike lane. The uphill is 30 mph starting about 2 to 3 blocks north of the bridge. To say that Admiral Way is a freeway entrance makes no sense. The West Seattle Bridge is not a freeway. The entrance is over a 1/2 mile from the middle of the hill and merges with another lane coming from Harbor Ave! Perhaps the downhill should be 35 mph, but is not. So, until West Seattlites get together and ask SDOT to change it, I suggest driving the speed limit. I have never heard of anyone getting a ticket on Admiral Way for driving 5 mph over the speed limit. The cops are going for high speeds. Now, about the comment regarding Highland Parkway. There are houses on the west side of the hill and Pioneer Industries at the bend near the bottom of the hill. Try pulling out of your driveway with cars going 45 to 55 mph on that hill! Good luck.

EMS February 11, 2011 (9:57 am)

When was the last time a review of what an appropriate speed on this road was conducted? 1945?
30 mph is ridiculously low.

james1 February 11, 2011 (10:13 am)

How can people call this a speed trap? There are 30 mph signs all along Admiral Way, at least four signs going down the hill! Where’s the trap?

“hard working people who accidently went a little too fast down a speed trap. Total bs.”

Driving 64 mph is no accident….but it could cause one and kill people.

redfoxx February 11, 2011 (10:17 am)

@DKL. It is illegal to pass with double yellows, but turning left is ok under certain circumstances.
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From http://www.cityofseattle.net/transportation/sdotfaqs.htm:
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Two solid yellow lines between lanes of traffic means neither side can pull into the on-coming lane to pass another vehicle. However, you may turn left over a double yellow line that is less than 18-inches in width if you do not block traffic. If the yellow line is solid and wider than 18-inches, or if the space between double lines is crosshatched, it’s illegal to turn left.
.
And for those that think going 30 is too difficult on the way down, try downshifting. You can even do it with an automatic. I’ve been doing it for several months now and find that I’m able to keep it right around 30. Sometimes I have to tap the brake for a brief second, but it’s much better than riding them all the way down the hill.

cclarue February 11, 2011 (10:32 am)

30 is low but its the posted speed limit and if you are speeding you can get pulled over and ticketed. drivers ed 101.

KBear February 11, 2011 (10:40 am)

Wow, people whose driving skills are so poor they can’t maintain a constant speed, or think it’s ok to use cruise control in the city ought to turn in their licenses. Ditto for people who don’t know the rules of the road. (Double yellow lines have NOTHING to do with left turns.) SPD are doing a great job. I hope they keep it up.

Neighbor February 11, 2011 (10:46 am)

Thank you SPD!!!

My family’s safety is more important than people’s need to get to where ever!

For those of you who don’t get that Admiral IS a Residential street you need to unplug your phone, put away your selfishness and open your eyes. People live on this street. people have been killed crossing and accidents have caused lives to be ruined. How about a little concern for your community?

datamuse February 11, 2011 (10:48 am)

It’s not just the businesses, houses, or pedestrians on Highland Park Way–it’s the traffic itself. I will, admittedly, at times drive up that hill a little fast…and people will be tailgating, zooming past me, weaving in and out between cars, and generally doing everything they can to guarantee they’ll wind up in the ditch. Not to mention that visibility from the top is not the best, and I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve nearly been hit at the top of the hill by someone misjudging my speed. I can’t see that ending any better if I were going faster. I live not far from the top of HP Way and accidents at that intersection are not infrequent. You might assert that people will slow down when approaching it, but judging by many of the comments here, they won’t. Cause they can totally handle it at 50 mph, right?

visitor February 11, 2011 (10:51 am)

10 am Friday, they’re Baaaaack. (OK, just one that I saw) Thank you SPD

waldo February 11, 2011 (10:53 am)

Where are the statistics that show it’s significantly more unsafe to be driving 35mph in that stretch than it is 30? I live in a housing development and most of the area is 35 except for it drops to 25 in the school zone. How is it safe here but not on a 4-lane road such as Admiral?

Genesee Hill February 11, 2011 (10:54 am)

I like Mike Gain Jr’s comment: “ride your brake hard just to stay close to 30”. Really? You must be driving a Toyota that hasn’t had the accelerator fixed yet!

Lynn S February 11, 2011 (10:55 am)

If that stretch of road is about a mile long, the difference in travel time at 60 vs 30 is 30 seconds. Going 35 mph is literally a few seconds of your life. Speeders need to get some perspective. How many times have you caught up to a speeder at the next light? Speeding in an urban environment doesn’t save time, it just endangers everyone.

visitor February 11, 2011 (10:57 am)

It is basically just a way for the City of Seattle to steal money from hardworking West Seattle people. They then take our money and go waste it like they do with most of our tax dollars. What a joke! Also, going 50 mph down Admiral is not that big of a deal. You have to ride your brake hard just to stay close to 30. So basically this is just more money for the City to flush down the toilet at the expense of hard working people who accidently went a little too fast down a speed trap. Total bs.

Comment by Mike Gain Jr. — February 11, 11 9:49 am #

Please tell me I didn’t just read that.
I know where I WON’T be buying a house now.

spd himself February 11, 2011 (11:02 am)

42 citations in one hour? Way to make money, fellas! Stick it to the public everyday and watch the revenue comes in……cha ching!!

Monosyllabic Girl February 11, 2011 (11:23 am)

Yeah~! F U Speeders! 20 mph on ALL ROADS no exceptions. Listen to the city coffers go ca-ching ca-ching.

JAT February 11, 2011 (11:25 am)

It is basically just a way for the City of Seattle to steal money from hardworking West Seattle people. They then take our money and go waste it like they do with most of our tax dollars. What a joke! Also, going 50 mph down Admiral is not that big of a deal. You have to ride your brake hard just to stay close to 30. So basically this is just more money for the City to flush down the toilet at the expense of hard working people who accidently went a little too fast down a speed trap. Total bs.

Comment by Mike Gain Jr. — February 11, 11 9:49 am #

Sort of the way the city repaved California at great expense and then some developer cuts holes in the pavement for utilities access, patches them poorly and months later we have huge potholes – our hard earned tax dollars flushed down the toilet?

People who live in glass bathrooms shouldn’t throw stones.

Bill February 11, 2011 (11:27 am)

A question for WSB, since the SPD discloses the high end speeds that are cited, do they also disclose the lowest speeds they write citations for? Just curious…

I know, some people will say it doesn’t matter, 30 is 30. I get it.

Fiwa Jcbbb February 11, 2011 (11:30 am)

50 is way too fast for that stretch of Admiral.
30 is WAY too slow. As usual the correct answer lies in the middle somewhere, and as usual what becomes law is what the people with the most money want.

Danny February 11, 2011 (11:31 am)

30 is way too low there. 35 or 40 would be reasonable. However 64 is insane. I hope that’s a reckless driving ticket. These speed traps though are not intended for public safety, it’s purely for revenue. The police’s time would be better spent patrolling for break-ins and crackheads on Delridge, if they truly were in it for public safety.

While we’re talking speeds, can they put up a minimum speed on Delridge? Too many people driving 23 in that 35. If I was a cop I’d be more suspicious of someone driving 23 in a 35 than someone going 40 in a 35.

22blades February 11, 2011 (11:34 am)

C’mon people, you know who you are… While MOST of us play by the rules, you need to be THE crafty one. You zip around the right, then demand to be let in at the end of the hill. You race up the hill and when you hit those bumps near the top on the left lane, you almost become airborne. Relax and join the rest of us… gawking and laughing at the speeders getting ticketed. It’s just a downshift away.

One reason you think you’re not going very fast is because Admiral is so wide, you don’t get the sensation of speed with parked cars next to your lane. Width doesn’t justify dictating the speed limit.

Anon February 11, 2011 (11:38 am)

I for one applaud the speeders.
Obviously since none of them were in accidents, it is safe to drive at 60 on admiral.

I hope the SPD arrest slow drivers, for being a hazard on the road

Kayleigh February 11, 2011 (11:41 am)

That people actually feel victimized by Big Bad Goverment stealin’ yer money for nothin’ cause it’s just soooo haaarddd to go the speeeeed limit….is just….infantile. Grow up, people.

Genesee Hill February 11, 2011 (11:46 am)

JAT:

Who would that developer be?? Hmmm…Could it be…no! I can now see the anger at Seattle gov’t. The developer probably did not even want to patch the holes.

Wes February 11, 2011 (11:59 am)

Don’t trust the police unless you want to end up like John T. Williams. The police don’t care about any of you or any of your ideas. They want to promote themselves and sitting on their butts giving tickets is one way to do that.

Have you ever tried to call the police for help and they refuse to help you or they show up late and accomplish absolutely nothing. I am a law abiding citizen who has called upon the cops to serve and protect me, but all I have been is harassed by them. They have never been friendly to me. I don’t know what it is? Maybe they have something against minorities?

Obadalah February 11, 2011 (12:08 pm)

Hey DUH people!! That’s what the lower gears are for – especially UP HILL – even in an automatic. Gear down and slow down. Life is too short to speed through it anyway.

I’m am glad to hear of this ‘sting’. Sure wish there was the man power to do a city wide crack down on the idiots who put our lives in danger with the ‘speed limit does not apply to me’ mentality.

Happy Dean February 11, 2011 (12:23 pm)

There is NO “good” reason for a 30mph speed limit in this part of Admiral. They lowered it only as a money grab by the city. 35mph worked fine for years and years and then they saw the dollar $ign$ and easy pickins. Shame on the city once again.

BOOM! February 11, 2011 (12:39 pm)

To all my fellow posters who don’t want to get extorted by the boys in blue, and who also don’t want to get outrun by a snail while they’re driving, meet Trapster.

http://www.trapster.com/

The app that uses crowedsourcing to identify speed trap locations. More users means better results, so get started shining the light on the City’s little shakedown crew.

NoseyWSer February 11, 2011 (1:01 pm)

The portion of Admiral that really needs policing is between Starbucks and the crest of the hill. I routinely see people flying through that area, totally ignoring the posted speed limit. If there’s a problem with speed, it’s more likely to be there than on the hill.

As for the hill, I personally think 35-40 is very reasonable and not unsafe.

james February 11, 2011 (1:05 pm)

I’m confused. What’s wrong with using cruise control in the city? I do it, too. Using cruise control makes sure I don’t accidentally speed.

ADM February 11, 2011 (1:32 pm)

Would rather see the effort going towards cleaning up the streets in white center. Its is dicey even walking there after dark….

anette February 11, 2011 (1:51 pm)

I just got home via admiral way at the turtle pace of 30, got passed by a vehicle going 43, guess who I passed at the light @ calif and admiral (they were turning left). Speeding does not necessarily equate with getting there faster.

To those of you complaining about the speed limit being too slow, are you petitioning the city to change that or are you just whining?

MrAlki February 11, 2011 (2:57 pm)

I totally agree with CC’s comments. The city has a history of over-reacting to accidents caused by the mindless few…

We should start a campaign to get Admiral at least back to 35.

JN February 11, 2011 (3:04 pm)

The speed limit on Admiral Way is totally fine. They probably only lowered it so people would only go 35mph on average, instead of 40mph! Unless you are responding to an emergency and are driving a fire truck, ambulance, or police vehicle, you have NO reason to go even one mile per hour over the speed limit, thereby endangering others. Just keep the speed down.

chicago transplant February 11, 2011 (3:07 pm)

I feel that this is a money grab, true and true. I wish SPD could find some better outlet for police effort than writing tickets for rolling down a hill and burning up your breakpads. There are 8 officers on the internet crimes taskforce investigating exploited kids, we have robberies across town and they are worried about 5 people who speed “excessively” while writing 38 other tickets for people doing 5-7 over…come on. Taxpayers pay your salary, you don’t have to then harass us to justify your existance. You guessed it I HATE speedtraps and yes, I have had 3 tickets in 3 years, none for more than 10 over which, in my opininon is NUTS – I drove for 20 years in Chicago, didn’t kill anyone and got 2 tickets (1 @ 16 years old) MY OPINION is Police here need other priorities –

J February 11, 2011 (4:12 pm)

I’m also curious about the lowest speed for the tickets written; were any speeding tickets written for 35 mph or under?

james February 11, 2011 (4:30 pm)

chicago transplant,
where did you get your figures of 38 people getting ticketed for 5 to 7 mph over the speed limit? I bet you just made that up. Those cops are assigned to the Traffic Section to enforce traffic laws. Admiral Way is not a speed trap…..how many signs should someone have to drive past before they understand the speed limit? Is 5 signs enough? maybe 10 signs? Look up the definition of a speed trap! Simple fix…Drive the Speed Limit!

blander February 11, 2011 (4:31 pm)

All of you yahoo speed freaks should be ashamed! Everyone knows that driving slower is safer. How important is your time that you have to drive faster than 15 MPH anywhere? Every street from I-5 to a residential street should be 15 MPH. If you disagree you are selfish and don’t care about safety.

Blake February 11, 2011 (4:34 pm)

Most modern speed limits are drastically outdated. Speed limits were set years ago when cars’ handling were inferior to the average modern car. 30 MPH downhill? Is that really saving lives? Sounds more like a good source of revenue to me. 64 in 30 is definitely not safe, though.

I once listened to a podcast with Jay Leno when he described the history of speed limits and how they were determined back in the 50s. He blasts current day speed limits as unnecessarily slow for 99.9% of cars on the road. Should we really have to drive 30 just because of the other .1% ? Usain Bolt can run that fast for goodness sakes!!!

I do believe speed limits should be increased in certain areas (somebody above queried).

Also, has anybody watched police cruisers speed when they are traveling? They almost always seem to be going faster than the limit when they aren’t heading to an emergency. I watched a police car outside my apartment parked half way in the street on California. If it were my car, I get a ticket. For him, the law looks the other way. Why can’t police officers get tickets while on duty? Maybe I’m psychotic, but I can’t stand that police don’t have the same rules applied to them while on duty.

KBear February 11, 2011 (4:38 pm)

How is issuing fines when people break the law a “money grab”? You break the law, you owe a penalty. When police ticket speeders, they’re not “harassing taxpayers”, they’re confronting lawbreakers. If you’re a “hardworking citizen” and your money is precious to you, then don’t speed. It’s a very short stretch of road, and it will only take you a few seconds longer to obey the law.

chicago transplant February 11, 2011 (5:15 pm)

My figures were not made up, but quoted above, albeit my subtraction was a bit off (by 1)…see below:

“In the one-hour-long emphasis, 5 officers issued 42 citations. Among those…excessive speeds: 2 at 50 mph, one at 51 mph, one at 52 mph, and one at 64 mph.”

42 tickets less the 5 identified = 37 tickets

Logic determines the balance were less than “excessive”

angelescrest February 11, 2011 (5:15 pm)

Chicago Transplant–
5 tickets (for speeding, it seems) in 23 years?
Hmmm: that’s about a ticket every four years seven months.
Sorry, but it seems like sticking to the speed limit–following the law–is not your thing.
And you complain?
Mellow out and save your money–and maybe a life.
Drive the speed limit.

J February 11, 2011 (5:17 pm)

Blake, the limiting factor is not the handling of the car. Cars do handle better now than they used to, but drivers haven’t changed (except that more of them seem to be distracted by non-driving activities).

Speed increases the distance a vehicle travels from the time a driver detects an emergency to the time the driver reacts.

It increases the distance needed to stop a vehicle once the driver perceives a need to stop.

It increases the crash energy by the square of the speeds.

Does Jay Leno have some qualifications I don’t know about that make him a trustworthy authority on this subject?

Genesee Hill February 11, 2011 (5:33 pm)

chicago transplant:

Your math ain’t too bad, but I think your imagination is getting away from you.

Your quote: “while writing 38 other tickets for people doing 5-7 over”.

Where in the heck did you come up with that 38 tickets at 5-7 over? If they were doing 41, that would be 11 over, right?

james February 11, 2011 (5:34 pm)

Whose going to start the 20 MPH citywide speed limits campaign!? I’d do it, but I’m busy on Tuesdays and Wednesdays is Modern Family night.

Blake February 11, 2011 (5:57 pm)

J

Your statement that drivers haven’t changed strikes me as odd. Back in the day (50s) the government determined the speed limit based off of the average person’s opinion of what was “too fast.” They would cover the spedometer in a car, tell the driver to speed up until they felt too uncomfortable to drive faster on a straight, dry road. The result: 60MPH. I feel like today, if you put me in the average mid 90s-current model vehicle I can easily get up to 75 and feel just fine. The MPH are still derived off the basic results from 60 years ago.

I agree there are more distractions and I’m not opposed to the new cell phone law, though you can still eat a 3 course meal while driving and not get a ticket (seems odd).

I simply think SOME speed limits are too slow for the vast majority of drivers, especially in West Seattle. I’m originally from Bellevue and I don’t remember seeing such slow speed limits on such large/wide roads.

Jay Leno sure as h#ll is not a scientist, but the piece I heard on his podcast made a lot of intuitive sense to me (I’m easily persuaded though).

Drive Safe…

Born To Be Mild February 11, 2011 (6:20 pm)

Fauntleroy and 35th have 35mph limits. Admiral and Highland Park have 30mph limits. That seems a bit irrational. I suspect this isn’t a money grab but probably means some Admiral residents are being scared by aggressive drivers.

I think all 4 of these arterials would be safe with 35mph limits. What’s dangerous (and irritating) is aggressive driving. I’ve done some of that myself, it’s dangerous.

Born To Be Mild February 11, 2011 (6:25 pm)

Oh yeah, one more thing. If you move to the right when you can and let the speeders pass rather than blocking ’em and giving them the evil eye in the rear view mirror everybody has a better day.

Genesee Hill February 11, 2011 (6:28 pm)

Speeders will get tickets, non-speeders will not.

The speeders will moan and groan, the non-speeders will laugh at them as they drive by.

It is great that at least SOME things don’t change!

Been that way since I can remember, going back to at least 1957.

rob February 11, 2011 (6:54 pm)

i doubt they are going to tell us what the threshold for stopping someone was, but in my experience using admiral to get to/from work, they would need half the precinct out there if they were stopping everyone going over 35. stopping every car going over 40 would probably keep 8 of them busy nonstop.

JoB February 11, 2011 (9:48 pm)

Blake..
it’s too bad that the drivers haven’t kept up with the cars..

tonight on the way home from northgate 5 different drivers decided to stop and hold up traffic so they could cross 2 lanes to turn in the wrong direction…

and this wasn’t a particularly bad commute.

Civik February 12, 2011 (7:00 am)

If people think the speed is too slow, are you just posting it here on the blog or are you sending complaints to the Mayor, City Council, local legislators, etc?

If not, why not? Until you can get the city to change the posted speed limit, it doesn’t matter if it’s unreasonable or difficult… it’s still the posted speed limit and the law.

Eaglewatch February 12, 2011 (7:59 am)

I can probably support the idea of 35 mph on this street, but bear in mind that the traffic can stop suddenly at the bottom of the hill. I was rear ended some years ago by someone following too close.

On an icy morning, I don’t think anything faster than a creep is safe. I usually take westbound Admiral past Schmitz Park and the back way along the beach to get to the Spokane/W Marginal intersection to avoid a repeat experience.

Ricky Bobby February 12, 2011 (9:00 am)

I like to go fast. I also pay attention to my driving. To the self righeous and sanctamoneous I say, wave to me as I pass you on the right. I’m sorry that your moral development has never reached the point where you question laws or authority. Thankfully people like yourself were not in charge of things like the civil rights movement.

CarraignaSplinkeen February 12, 2011 (10:02 am)

So I guess the genetically superior speeding drivers will also be going at an increased equivalent speed on the interstate? Or just on city streets? Road speeds are: design speed, posted speed, and the speed people drive—they are often not the same. The 30 mph on Admiral is a product of more than just new car design and the heretofore unknown perfect drivers in West Seattle. Don’t like the speed? Then drive what speed you want—just don’t cause an accident that affects my family or friends, don’t back up one car in traffic…you get the idea.

Colleen February 12, 2011 (10:10 am)

You’d think they would learn :)

Colleen February 12, 2011 (10:12 am)

I wish they would come and do Fauntleroy hill next and the bridge for that matter. Regardless of whether you agree with the speed or not, it’s still the law. You’ve got a right to break it, but don’t be surprised with the end result.

Westside J. February 12, 2011 (11:46 am)

30 on admiral is awkward. Not that I’m trying to set speed records, but I personally own 2 modern cars and 2 50’s cars, and they all seem to “want” to go about 35 up and down the hill. In fact, I’ve had conversations with a few cops and the ones I’ve spoken to agree 30 mph there is ridiculous.

miws February 12, 2011 (1:36 pm)

So can the highly morally developed speeders keep control of, and stop their vehicle in the same amount of time as a severely morally underdeveloped speed limit obeying driver can, should the unexpected happen, such as equipment failure, someone/something, suddenly and unexpectedly entering their driving lane, or appearing around a curve, or crest of a hill?

.

(Sorry for the run-on sentence. Part of my sanctimonious, morally underdeveloped mind.)

.

Mike

Paul February 12, 2011 (3:28 pm)

I think it is too slow also, but I don’t think it has to do with my civil rights or the government stealing my money. It’s just too dang slow period!
keep it 45 then about 20 feet before the top of the hill reduce to 30-35

Westside J. February 12, 2011 (6:37 pm)

@miws – Yep. Within reason… Say 35 mph or so. Don’t be so sensitive man. If your comfortable keeping it to 30, good on ya. Don’t get your feelers hurt over the people who would be comfortable at 35-40 there. And “something suddenly and unexpectedly entering their driving lane” is a little far fetched on that stretch of road, short of something falling out of the sky. It’s a clear line of sight throughout the stretch in question, specifically on the down hill slope. Up hill, yeah you’ve got a couple driveways and such to contend with, but I’d still be comfortable at 35-40 through there, with the “cusion” of the bike lane and the good defensive, predictive driving any driver/motorcyclist should be using at any given time. Around the curves, yeah 30 is cool. No big deal. Visibility is not the best there by a long shot.

Petunia February 12, 2011 (7:53 pm)

Wow..reading these comments is..scary. So many entitled, self-centered jerks. The reason for the speed limit is to protect the public, and I really doubt any of you are the fabulous drivers you think you are I’m glad the cops are out to protect the public…I realize more than ever we need protecting!

Neighbor February 12, 2011 (9:00 pm)

I believe this flyer which is currently being distributed all around Cairo today pretty much sums it up-

“Today this country is your country. Do not litter. Don’t drive through traffic lights. Don’t bribe. Don’t forge paperwork. Don’t drive the wrong way. Don’t drive quickly to be cool while putting lives at risk. Don’t enter through the exit door at the metro. Don’t harass women. Don’t say, ‘It’s not my problem.’ Consider God in your work. We have no excuse anymore.”

J February 12, 2011 (9:07 pm)

I think it would only be reasonable to raise speed limits if penalties for causing death, injury, or damage were drastically increased at the same time. The current laws that you can “accidentally” kill or maim someone, or cause major property damage, and not have to serve time–and even retain your license to drive!–doesn’t seem right. I suspect if people expected dire consequences for collisions, they’d likely drive 30 or even less on Admiral.

JN February 12, 2011 (10:48 pm)

@Westside J.

The bike lane is not a cushion! You are not supposed to drive even in the buffer, because that buffer is meant to keep cars as far from cyclists as possible for safety reasons, especially if people are speeding at 40mph! I guess you consider cyclists a “cushion” as well. If anybody is going to be involved in an accident, it should be the people surrounded by tons of steel, not the unprotected person minding their own business.

carljr February 13, 2011 (4:34 pm)

it really is this simple;

drive the speed limit = no tickets

get enough people to petition SDOT to change the speed limit, until then…..drive the speed limit.

It really is that simple!

Blythe February 13, 2011 (7:42 pm)

There’s generally a 5mph buffer, so if you’re going 35mph, you shouldn’t be getting a ticket. If the speed limit was lowered over time, it’s because the residents living on Admiral have sent enough complaints to the city. Think about that, speeders. The speed limit isn’t 30mph to make money, it’s there for the piece of mind and safety of those living on Admiral. There have been more than enough accidents to justify the speed limit. If it feels “ridiculous”, then perhaps you could try going door to door pleading with the residents to have it changed because you think it’s stupid.

Westside J. February 13, 2011 (10:14 pm)

No JN, I think you misunderstood what I meant. I was referring to the way the bike lane spaces the driving lane farther away from the parking strip and such.. I ride in that bike lane as well, don’t ruffle your feathers.

Kathy February 14, 2011 (1:18 pm)

@ DKL

Yes, you are allowed to turn left crossing a double yellow line when there is a driveway or road requiring access. I checked this out with the SDOT. I once asked them to put in a broken line for the monastery entrance on Rainier Ave and they said it was not necessary because crossing a double yellow line is not illegal when necessary for access.

Patrick Lajko February 14, 2011 (5:26 pm)

If the city really wants a cash cow, then start ticketing all the people that park the wrong way or park on and across the sidewalks. This is the only city I’ve been in where you can park anywhere and any direction. Parking on the wrong side is plain laziness. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been nearly hit head on when I pull to the right to allow a car to pass only to have them come right at me – head on – just to park on the wrong side.