West Seattle Blog… | Police nab alleged 55 mph driver on Admiral Way

NotMe February 3, 2011 (11:36 am)

Awesome.

CMeagh February 3, 2011 (11:38 am)

Good for the police. Too many people speeding on that street. Seems you have to be going 45 just to keep pace with traffic there are so many people speeding.

Eric February 3, 2011 (11:38 am)

THANK YOU, SPD!

drb February 3, 2011 (11:45 am)

I agree thank you SPD…and thank goodness that was the day I drove up the hill and was not in a hurry to get home… Does anyone else think 30mph is like 5 mph too slow?? I mean on that particular hill..I can see 30mph once you get to the top and have cross walks and lights..

RobertSeattle February 3, 2011 (11:45 am)

Another thank you. What’s the hurry people?

Yardvark February 3, 2011 (11:45 am)

44 speeding tickets in one hour and folks say that there’s no need for traffic calming there?
That’s close to a reckless driver every minute!

WestSeattleDrew February 3, 2011 (11:47 am)

Why is the speed limit only 30 on that stretch? California Ave is 35 in areas. Admiral is 2 lane each way, with no sidewalk on 1 side, and almost Zero pedestrian traffic on the other side.

Brenda February 3, 2011 (11:48 am)

Just this morning several people zoomed around me going down Admiral to the bridge. And I was going almost 40! It’s really really gotten crazy. They need to do another early morning patrol to scare people into doing 30 again!

KAH February 3, 2011 (11:50 am)

it would be nice if ppl would drive the speed limit on California. Everyone goes 20mph, it’s 30! 30 does seem slow on that hill, but 55 wow, that is aggressive.

datamuse February 3, 2011 (11:50 am)

I think the operational question here is why people feel the need to go 50. Good lord.

Mike February 3, 2011 (11:50 am)

I try to stay between 30-35mph on Admiral Way, I find even doing 35mph I have somebody so close on my bumper I can’t see their lights. Maybe people need to not tailgate those of us doing close to the speed limit?

CB February 3, 2011 (11:57 am)

Easy pickings for SPD on that hill. The speed limit should be 40 or 45 on the stretch. 30 is ridiculous.

george February 3, 2011 (11:57 am)

Admiral way was designed for highway speeds, We need to increase the speed limit to 45 going down to the freeway. If you want bicycle lanes, they should be removed from the car traffic. Screw u SPD

cclarue February 3, 2011 (12:01 pm)

That’s an 8.2 minute average per ticket.

drb February 3, 2011 (12:01 pm)

Oh well it is what it is but I am glad that someone else thinks 30 up the hill and down the hill (admiral) is too slow. Its hard to keep it at 30. Now 35 feels just about right. But I agree that some of those drivers are totally out of control..50 mph and driving in bus lane only in the morning,,like a maniac. Thanks for the warning though..I’ll make sure my speedometer doesn’t creep up to 35 mph tonight when I go home.

Dennis February 3, 2011 (12:05 pm)

25 would be even better. If you don’t like don’t come to WS. Another place that is my favorite is Fauntleroy Way. I have lived in WS all my 59yrs.I like it just the way it was/is.

SpeedyA February 3, 2011 (12:05 pm)

SPD had speed traps on Highland Park Way on that same day – got my first ever speeding ticket! Looks like SPD was out in force that day!
I agree with those who say Admiral needs a higher speed limit on the major hill part (I used to live up there, and took it all the time. 30 definitely feels too slow to keep the momentum needed to get up!) and would say the same thing for Highland Park Way.

dsa February 3, 2011 (12:05 pm)

I do 30 because I don’t want a ticket. My car looks like a cop car and usually nobody will pass me.

D February 3, 2011 (12:06 pm)

So what? This is news? Did the driver cause an accident? As the city has said, that road is safer than most. Forty-four tickets in an hour (with no accidents, I presume) only tells me that it’s a lucrative spot to make some revenue for the city. That and 44 people in one hour exceeded the speed limit on that road without incident (except to their wallet). I’ll scroll down now to see if I can find a post about a driver going 85 on the freeway! WOW!

Bill February 3, 2011 (12:06 pm)

I’ve always found the 30 mph limit odd and felt it was established just to write tickets. I agree that 35 feels way better and don’t see a safety issue with that number. Any idea what the reasoning is WSB?

BF February 3, 2011 (12:08 pm)

Speed trap anyone? I agreed with CB. Maybe its time for a revision. Hope they got their quota.

Mike February 3, 2011 (12:14 pm)

30 mph is just fine. Those of us living on sidesteets off this Admiral Way stretch live in fear of speeders as we pull in and out of our streets. And crossing to the bus stop at City View is even worse. If you need to drive faster, move somewhere else.

drb February 3, 2011 (12:15 pm)

Dear Dennis,,who has lived in WS for 59 years..I come to WS because I TOO HAVE LIVED HERE FOR 58 YEARS.. Doesn’t give me the right to be nasty to someone who expresses an opinion.

DRG February 3, 2011 (12:19 pm)

The speed limit is the speed limit and is posted for all to see. Speed if you so choose, but don’t complain when that choice results in a ticket. If you really want the speed limit raised, then get a group together and make your voices heard.

george February 3, 2011 (12:19 pm)

If you need to live on a slower street move somewhere else….
Why should the entire North Side of West Seattle, have to slow to a crawl for a couple pedestrians, and a few people that actually live on this freeway access?

Michael February 3, 2011 (12:21 pm)

Cops stalk people getting off the 45-MPH bridge who haven’t slowed down yet. Not news.
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Easy money for the City, but does ZERO to help.
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The speed limit should be 35 there, as it is on the other major arterials (Delridge, 35th and Fauntleroy, which all have actual pedestrians and much more side-street traffic!), but making it 30 immediately after getting off a 45-MPH freeway means more cha-ching for the City.

Genesee Hill February 3, 2011 (12:22 pm)

Keep nailing those speeders! The more the merrier.
Just wish I could have seen it!

Ricky Bobby February 3, 2011 (12:22 pm)

Seattle, and Ballard and West Seattle especially, could really use a driving class. 45 miles per hour on that stretch of road is not dangerous — and clearly a whole lot of people agree if you judge them by the speed they drive.

Seattle is the only city I have ever been to where people seem to delight in driving slow just to annoy other people or to “teach them a lesson”.

I’d rather have people going 45 and paying attention then go 25 while doing everything but driving their car.

The speed traps are about the money — the people who go 25 with attitude are just interested in feeling morally superior for no good reason. Lighten up and keep right except to pass.

westside February 3, 2011 (12:25 pm)

Admiral is a little over a half a mile. At 30 it takes you one minute to cover. At 40 you might shave 15 seconds. I don’t think anyone is that important that they need that time.

Deone Benninghoven February 3, 2011 (12:28 pm)

So, the majority of us are doing 40-50mph on the east end of Admiral Way when the posted speed limit is 30mph, right? Let’s be honest, right? I read several times in this thread that 55mph is reckless and egregious. What would the average speed then be if the legal speed limit were raised to 35mpg?

Looking at the underlying issues as responsible residents, this is our reality. There is a sharp narrowing corner at the top and bottom of the hill with a connecting 4-lane open stretch. Since we all have to navigate this, what can we do as responsible residents to make the outcomes more effective for everyone?

drb February 3, 2011 (12:32 pm)

Ah Gee,,this is what I love about good old WS …this great feeling of community!..comments like “move somewhere else”, “don’t come here”… It certainly isn’t because of people like you that I have lived here my entire life. Mike and Dennis calm down and don’t get your knickers in a twist because we all have different opinions. I even support Keep nailing those speeders…but to be nasty and tell people to move elsewhere or stay away. Get a grip!

Smitty February 3, 2011 (12:32 pm)

15 seconds each way times 2 times a day time 260 workdays = 2+ hours of my life wasted every year because of a ridiculous speed limit.

Genesee Hill February 3, 2011 (12:33 pm)

Ricky Bobby:

If you want to see some low speed limits and police enforcement of these speed limits, I suggest you drive over to beautiful Bellevue or friendly Kirkland.

YC February 3, 2011 (12:35 pm)

Thank you! I live close to admiral and those drivers are always speeding through.

Paul February 3, 2011 (12:35 pm)

I suspect the reason it is 30mph down the hill has something to do with some back room deal with the brake parts companies

T-Rex February 3, 2011 (12:43 pm)

PEOPLE..speed limits are the law, we all have known that since we got our licences!
If there were no speed limits and people were dying everyday, you would be pointing your fingers back at the police and city for NOT enforcing the law.

We have become such an “entitled” society with a butt load of know it alls! GET OVER IT!

Todd February 3, 2011 (12:43 pm)

SPD, please come to Charlestown ST next .. between CA Ave and “the hill” :)

sks February 3, 2011 (12:44 pm)

@Ricky Bobby: any chance you are from California?

AJL February 3, 2011 (12:46 pm)

The self-riteousness and justification that people use for speeding is shocking. If you are operating a motor vehicle on a city street there are others that are effected by your driving, whether you like to acknowledge that fact or not. And yes, those one or two pedestrians you see during your 30 second traverse of the hill twice a day ARE more important than you, surrounded by steel, airbags and throttle control capability.

sal February 3, 2011 (12:50 pm)

Screw the SPD is right. 30 mph is ridiculous. Hope it gets changed soon.

JAT February 3, 2011 (12:51 pm)

I love the divisiveness of the commentary here – two camps: either About time, let’s nail those bastards! or 30 is way too slow – Speed Trap!

As has been discussed here before they fairly recently lowered the limit on that stretch from 35 to 30 – probably because everyone is going to go 5 mph over anyway and 40 is clearly too fast.

(Well clearly to me, anyway…) The fact is that for most of us operating a motor vehicle is the most dangerous activity we engage in and we do it so blithely it’s appalling. The City said slow down and some people are apparently refusing to do so. Boo Hoo.

As for momentum, SpeedyA, during the recent snowpocalyse I poodled up Admiral in my little front wheel drive car past jackknifed buses and abandoned semis and sideways AWD SUVs and pick up trucks nice and steady – the radar speed sign clocked me at 12 and I made it up fine. If you’re counting on momentum you might need a tune-up; besides as my high school physics teacher used to say “Momentum only counts in collisions.”

D February 3, 2011 (12:54 pm)

So, JAT, you’re proposing 12 mph on that stretch now? Sure, if 30 is safe, 12 must be safer.

sal February 3, 2011 (12:56 pm)

Great comment Rick Bobby. I agree completely with you.

wha? February 3, 2011 (1:01 pm)

The speed limit there is too low. Obviously if practically everyone is speeding then the speed that feels right is higher. Also, watch a cop sometime. Most every time I do they are speeding, talking on the phone, running lights with lights flashing just because they can (lights off as soon as they are through), and no seatbelt either. And people who try to block those who want to go the speed limit are the biggest danger of all. They go 20 miles an hour in a 30 zone? 15 if it’s 25? And don’t get me started on I-35 S.W.

Carole February 3, 2011 (1:03 pm)

As for nailing people who have come off the bridge and not slowed down yet, that’s becuase practically everyone crosses that bridge at 60mph or more…even though the speed limit is 45…

Try driving 599 northbound at rush hour – cars fly by at 70-80…even the big trucks..

2wheels a-go-go February 3, 2011 (1:07 pm)

RickyBobby needs to take a driving class himself. The posted speed limit on Admiral is 30mph. He may think it’s “not dangerous” to drive 45mph there, but that doesn’t change the fact that it is against the law. The only lesson that people driving slow(er than RickyBobby) on Admiral are trying to teach anyone might be to drive the freakin’ speed limit. How hard is that?
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Thank you SPD! Feel free to hang out on Admiral anytime!
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And as a side note, to all the people who didn’t believe my previous comments (in other WSB posts) about how fast people drive up Admiral, “I told you so.”

DK February 3, 2011 (1:07 pm)

That’s great….all that ticket money to the city instead of being spent at the small businesses in West Seattle that are struggling to survive. Another fail City of Seattle…

Why don’t you try your money traps after 2AM when they will be more effective.

maplesyrup February 3, 2011 (1:10 pm)

I’ve almost been hit by speeders while trying to turn on to Admiral from SW 30th (or SW Manning – whatever that small side street near Luna Park is called). Although I agree that 30 feels too slow heading down the hill, that intersection at the bottom is good enough reason for me to keep the limit. It’s hard to judge the speed of cars traveling down the hill and I’d hate to see accidents there.

Besides, we all know that if the official limit were raised to 35, the norm would move up to 40.

2wheels a-go-go February 3, 2011 (1:13 pm)

@Smitty: 16 waking hours per day times 260 days = 4160 hours waking hours per year. Your precious extra 2 hours of obeying the law is costing you 0.05% of your life. I suppose that’s something… unless of course your reckless driving should cut your life short.

56bricks February 3, 2011 (1:17 pm)

If they would only reduce the speed limit on the WS bridge to 30 in both directions, especially eastbound. Problem solved. There,all better now?

coffee February 3, 2011 (1:20 pm)

For those of you who dislike the law, then start taking the steps to have them changed. We all elect officials, contact them and see what can be done. I hope one of those was the blue honda that rode me within 5 feet of my car flashing his lights and hoking at me 2 weeks ago, AND I was on the outside, or slow lane, and I was clocked at 32. How about Delridge next where the idiots, including the busses come off of the bridge at 45 to 55 MPH.
The other one that needs to be checked more often is the passing that happens in the turn lanes on Fauntleroy, California and Delridge. The inside turn lane is not a passing lane.
Ever been standing on the sidewalk over there when a 120 comes roaring by? You almost get blown over, and yes I have turned every bus number into Metro when that happens.

Dave February 3, 2011 (1:22 pm)

That’s what I would like to see changed, that intersection near Luna Park should be a right turn only as if you turn from there to go up the Admiral hill you cross several lanes of two-way traffic with at least one blind spot of cars coming off the bridge.

I love how Seattle people are the most passive-aggressive in the world until they get in their cars. I’m sure the extra 30 seconds you “waste” driving the speed limit you would normally spend washing beggars’ feet in Calcutta.

Ty February 3, 2011 (1:24 pm)

Thank you SPD!!!

This stretch needs serious traffic calming installed but SDOT balked.

NicePerson February 3, 2011 (1:26 pm)

Sorry — I have to thread jack here. What is it about people in the NW that they think they can drive slower than the flow of traffic in the LEFT LANE. I learned to drive in a state (FL) where you would be ticketed for driving in the left lane slower than the flow of traffic, even if the traffic was speeding. When I have asked that before, I get the typical Pacific NW response — because we can. I have lived here almost 2 decades and find the NW the most polite place in the country, except for the use of the left lane. And yes, in keeping with the rules of a rant — I try to tell drivers to get over (flashing my lights, which is a courtesty move encouraged in FL). WTF?

West Seattle Art Attack February 3, 2011 (1:31 pm)

West 5 used to have a great bumper sticker posted that was significant for West Seattleites only. It said “It’s a bridge, not a freeway.” Just a point of clarification.

Wes February 3, 2011 (1:35 pm)

Admiral Way was originally designed as a freeway access road for a speed of 45 mph. It is not reckless to be travelling 40 mph on a freeway access road. The only people affected by cars driving by at 40 mph are the people who decided to buy an overpriced house on a freeway access road. If you didn’t want to worry about pulling out of your driveway on a freeway access road then you should think about that before you buy.

charlabob February 3, 2011 (1:37 pm)

Thank you, SPD — Tuesday I notice people whipping by me at >40 on the hill and I was worried that they didn’t have enough money to put together a team of police there. I’m SO glad to hear they do.

I hope at least one of the folks who sped by me, making questionable gestures, got caught. I don’t drive in the middle lane so there’s really no excuse.

If they do it to make money, good for them — I anticipate social services bake and yard sales as the weather warms up.

NotMe February 3, 2011 (1:38 pm)

Hey Smitty, I live here too, and I couldn’t give two poops how long anyone has lived here. There are speed limits posted, and that’s that. Try telling the officer when he is giving you a ticket that you earned and deserved your facts about how much time you are saving by going a little faster. I live near this location, and I can tell you, trying to turn onto Admiral up there is hard to do already without people speeding. This is a common occurrance each and every day, and frankly I am sick of it. It’s about time SPD came over to do this again, and I hope it happens every day for a while. THAT will make it go away.
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I am glad to see the “experts” read and comment on this blog on how things SHOULD be… I was wondering where all of the smart people went lately. Now, can you focus on what’s going on in the middle east and help solve that, too?
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Thanks!

CC February 3, 2011 (1:40 pm)

@Nice Person — yes — there should be amnesty for people who have to speed up to forty to pass on the right on Admiral, to get around the hand-wringers going 20 mph in the left lane, so you can get up to the 35-40 mph that the street should be marked at. That’s my biggest pet peeve — if I drive over and get nabbed, it’s on me — but why should I have to drive behind half the people on this thread who think the speed limit should be 15 mph?

Let’s face it — some people just have somewhere to be, and some people do not. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t. Just as the sneaky pass-all-the-waiting-traffic-and-sneak-in-line-to-the-99-ramp merge maneuver on the West Seattle bridge is viable for you once every 2-3 weeks (we should all take turns and use the honor system), so should be the I-am-late-for-my-kid’s-pediatrician-appointment fly-by on Admiral hill be excused.

The speed limit on Admiral is painfully slow, and anyone who can’t see a car coming down one of the best left-glance visibilities in town, needs to not be driving.

Oh — and nabbing people coming off the bridge just sucks. It’s sneaky and it sucks. Screw SPD is right for that one.

NotMe February 3, 2011 (1:41 pm)

I see that Wes is the expert on where people should not buy a house. Where were you about 12 years ago? Darn it! Well, now I know who to consult with before I buy my next house. Thanks, neighbor!

sal February 3, 2011 (1:45 pm)

Niceperson – yes! I have wondered this for years. Never understood why these people feel the need to be so rude and block the flow of traffic so EVERYONE has to get backed up and go slower then hell. It’s a bizarre thing out here. I also lived on the east coast and you would definitely get a ticket for pulling that move. LEFT LANE = FAST LANE. RIGHT LANE = SLOW LANE. Pretty basic simple rules of the road.

lenguamor February 3, 2011 (1:47 pm)

LOL @ the fuddy-duddies. What, city life moves too fast for you? Aw. Move to Cle Elum, idiots.
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However…I will say that 55 is insane. I am NOT in favor of speed traps, but I would be if they left the 10MPH offenders be while targeting the real menaces like this jerk going 50-55.
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If everyone would be more reasonable we could have 35-40MPH speed limits on the major thoroughfares without incident.

drb February 3, 2011 (1:53 pm)

56bricks..thanks for the funny comment. I think we all need to lighten up just a bit. And to niceperson…I agree with you about the passing lane thing. But since most of us in the PNW don’t get that..your just scaring someone or making them mad. You can’t win that one here. Oh well. Best drivers I’ve ever seen are in the UK (no I’m not from the UK)..two land road, one lane going each way..someone wants to pass, flashes lights and drivers in both lanes move over a bit so the one with the lead foot can get by. Just business..no ego. Its a beautiful thing.

Neighbor February 3, 2011 (1:56 pm)

As someone who lives in a neighborhood off of Admiral I can only thank SPD! The speed limit is 35 to keep people safe. Wtf is wrong with you people that cannot comprehend that we want our families to come home alive? We want our neighborhoods to be accessed safely. For any of you who think that 15 sec. is more important than my family ****off.
I’m so tired of your entitlement. People have been struck, people have lost limbs, people have died, what makes you think your rights have been violated by a speed limit. I hope for more enforcement, it helps keep my family alive.
Does anyone else notice the difference in driving down Admiral since the new lanes, how unsafe it feels as people are driving over the limit? It feels like a friggin’ game of chicken. The lanes are too close together, it’s only a matter of time before there is a terrible head on collision.

2wheels a-go-go February 3, 2011 (1:58 pm)

@CC: “Oh — and nabbing people coming off the bridge just sucks. It’s sneaky and it sucks.”
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Apparently you can’t figure out how to be sneakier; i.e. reduce your speed to the posted 30mph speed limit by the time you finish turning off of the Admiral exit, so that those mean, nasty cops can’t “nab” you. There, I just saved you about $100.

NicePerson becoming Grouchy February 3, 2011 (2:02 pm)

I seem to have been misunderstood. I am suggesting that regardless of speeding, doing the speed limit, or going slow, if you are in the left lane and are not passing the cars in the right — GET OVER in the right lane. In other parts of the country, a driver can (and it does happen) be ticketed for passing on the right. It is not safe to pass on the right. It is these drivers that I think create agressive drivers who weave in and out. On I-5 I can often go the speed limit in the very right lane and pass drivers in the 3rd and 4th lanes traveling less than the speed limit. The slower vehicles that deliberately do not move to the right are creating a safety issue. If I choose to speed in the left lane, then I hope that SPD does their job and tickets me. That is my choice and I do it with knowledge (as I had to pass a driving test saying I understood the rules of the road). I just dont need a holyier than tho’ saying that they should drive in the left lane, just because they can. Guess I need to change my name to GrouchyPerson.

Guest February 3, 2011 (2:04 pm)

For everyone griping about 30 mph speed limit, a little statistic from the NYCDOT (where, like Seattle, the arterial speed limit is 30): “If a pedestrian is hit by a car traveling 40 m.p.h. or faster, there’s a 70% chance that a struck pedestrian will be killed; At 30 m.p.h., there’s an 80% chance that the pedestrian will live.”

And as for why Admiral gets a lower speed limit than California, try looking at a map. California is dead straight for over 4 miles, while Admiral has 8 curves in the 2.5 miles from the bridge to 63rd. Of course the speed limit should be lower on Admiral than California.

george February 3, 2011 (2:09 pm)

After the curve at the top, to the bottom curve, its pretty damn straight, and there is no cause for ANY pedestrians to cross the street there.

Why not slow the cars on the curve and let them do their thing on the straight.

The light at the top of the hill is annoying for drivers, but makes sense for pedestrian safety.
But why would anyone cross at the bottom?
And if so, make an under or overpass.
Problem solved no pedestrians to hit

mnb February 3, 2011 (2:10 pm)

I’m all for promoting the left lane as the “fast lane” on interstate and other highways, but I don’t believe this rule applies to city arterials, since those involve frequent left and right turns along their lengths. You won’t find a “fast left lane” on 4-lane arterials such as 35th Avenue SW or Aurora Avenue N. Does the RCW or SMC support such a claim that this rule applies on city streets? If so, why do they post “keep right except to pass” signs on the interstate but not on city streets?
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Me thinks that people are trying to equate Admiral Way with a freeway (which it is not).

Neighbor February 3, 2011 (2:10 pm)

I’d also like to add that as a neighborhood we see a huge increase of speeders and very reckless drivers as soon as the weather warms up and people are looking for Alki. Why is there only one barely visible sign on the WSB for this popular destination? There should proper signage for this popular destination. The proper exit for the beach is Harbor, not Admiral. Instead every summer we are inundated with people that are lost, angry and confused. It’s really fun when the gangbangers come rollin through on dead end streets at 50 mph. We have over 30 kids in our little neighborhood. We have asked for over 10 years for proper signage, we have even bought signage and put it up on Admiral only to have it removed by the city. We have offered to pay for a legit sign only to turned down.This is not fair to tax paying citizens who want their neighborhood to be a safe place.
It’s one of the most visited place in Seattle yet there is only a small sign barely visible on the bridge. Why is this? If there is anyone from the city that can respond to this we need some answers, and we really need some help.

drb February 3, 2011 (2:12 pm)

to nice person becoming grouchy…please become nice again. Hope it wasn’t my comment that set you off… I agree with you absolutely and also wish they would set minimum speed limits and pull people over who are holding up traffic in the passing lane. I’m just saying it just isn’t gonna happen round here. (so pointless being grouchy) People from other parts of the US and the world for that matter wonder what the heck is wrong with us in the PNW…passive aggressive I think. But unless you can work some miracle it isn’t gonna change I’m afraid. But if you have a miracle up your sleeve I’d be happy to help make it happen.

Alex February 3, 2011 (2:13 pm)

I’m with those who feel 30mph is too slow. If you can’t handle going faster than 30mph on a straight 4 lane road, you need to turn in your license, because you’re too old to drive. :)

55 is definitely pushing it though. I’d say 35 or 40 should be the limit, so people could comfortably go 40 or 45 without fear of tickets.

Alex February 3, 2011 (2:20 pm)

Oh, BTW, my opinion is that SPD should be focussing their sting operations on the bridge, not Admiral. There are TONS of people driving in the bus lane, and cutting over into the left I-5 north onramp across the double white line (and holding up traffic in the right lane while they force their way over). It’s a huge problem, as both of these behaviors clog the bridge for those of us who aren’t going northbound, even though in theory southbound or eastbound traffic should be able to flow through freely.

SPD should be ticketing people for causing real problems, not hanging out in areas with unreasonably low speed limits just to give a bunch of easy tickets to people harmelessly driving the average speed of traffic.

Neighbor February 3, 2011 (2:23 pm)

Alex-it’s good to know that you think that those people living on and around Admiral are of no consequence. Thanks-

Todd February 3, 2011 (2:24 pm)

Thank you SPD!!! Whatever the speed limit happens to be, keep writing tickets to speeders.

Wes February 3, 2011 (2:27 pm)

Actually if you are going 30 mph the pedestrian will die 85% to 90% of the time.

Quoted here “Pedestrians survive 85 percent to 90 percent of accidents when vehicles are going less than 25 mph. Pedestrians die 85 percent to 90 percent of the time when vehicles are going over 25 mph, according to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.”
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/292554_peds14.html

I think it is ridiculous to ask drivers to go slower than 25 mph up Admiral hill. Of course driving in a residential neighborhood should be 25 mph or slower, however Admiral way was designed to be a freeway access road when it was originally constructed. Also the West Seattle Bridge was also designed to be at freeway speeds, which is why the I-5 off-ramp signs used to say “West Seattle Fwy” The design speed of a road/freeway is approximately when your body can start feeling the centrifugal acceleration as you are going around a curve. The speed limit is typically 5-10 mph below the design speed of a road.

Bill February 3, 2011 (2:28 pm)

Why is it people need to be sarcastic to make a point?

TW February 3, 2011 (2:29 pm)

I can’t tell which comment thread I like better, this one or the one about the skinny perv in Lincoln Park.

2wheels a-go-go February 3, 2011 (2:31 pm)

@Alex: I used to race cars professionally. I “feel” like I’m capable of driving 100mph on I-90… but I don’t, because it’s illegal.
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Perhaps *you* should consider turning in your license if you can’t obey the rules of the road because you “feel” like the rules should be different.

drb February 3, 2011 (2:39 pm)

TW hey its great fun..I’ll check the thread about the skinny perv in lincoln park next..is this sort of like a virtual fist fight or something. And Alex, you better watch it..2wheels to go used to be a professional race car driver. And Bill..I’m not sarcastic to make a point..I just like being sarcastic. Have fun guys..I’m off to check on the skinny perv in lincoln park….

Smitty February 3, 2011 (2:51 pm)

I’m a rule follower, which is why I stated it wastes two hours of my life every year obeying that speed limit.

I just think 30 is stupid for that road, plain and simple.

People turn onto California all the time from side streets and the speed limit is 35.

There is virtually no pedestrian traffic (relatively speaking).

No parks or schools that the noise will incovenience (at least the noise difference b/t 30 and 40).

Beachmaster February 3, 2011 (3:07 pm)

Can SPD start nailing the cars that don’t move at all also? How come WS is becoming a giant parking lot. 72 hours people. move it or lose it.

We don’t have a god forsaken right to have cars – it’s just a nice thing, a priveledge. So obey the rules about parking, driving safely and not speeding or go back to walking.

Alex February 3, 2011 (3:09 pm)

2wheels, I’m sorry, but I don’t understand what bearing your personal racing history has on the discussion of Admiral Way’s speed limit. The characteristics of the road seem more relevant. It’s a wide, straight, long, 4 lane road, with very few pedestrians. This is the reason so many people tend to drive faster than 30. They aren’t crazy, they are doing what comes naturally on a road like that. Raising the speed limit to 35 wouldn’t exactly be a crazy idea…

Wisepunk February 3, 2011 (3:11 pm)

This is the trend of our roads. They get designed 50 years ago, for a 70 mile per hour speed. A few years go by and a kid runs out in the street, the city lowers the speed limit. “what about the children!!!!!?” Cops write tickets and the populace slows down. Then there is an energy crisis, we lower the limit anther 10 mph. Cops write tickets. The populace mostly slows down. The the city comes in and lowers the speed limit again and again and again until they get the revenue just right. It happens everywhere and it breeds complacency among the drivers.

Safest drivers I have ever seen? They drive 155mph on the autobahn in germany. The threat of dying motivates you to be a good driver way more than a ticket. But no, we have to slow everyone down to the lowest common denominator, because that will result in less accidents. Let’s drop the speed limit again. If the speed limit is 0 then everyone will be safe!

JAT February 3, 2011 (3:17 pm)

Bill, the reason people need to be sarcastic is that they’re so certain of the correctness of their position that any countervaling point seems ridiculous to them and they want to show who’s boss (and yes, i’m occasionally guilty of this myself, but I’m trying to do better.)

D – I’m not proposing 12 mph, but I’m pretty sure the drivers of all the spun out smashed vehicles I passed that evening thought they could climb it faster and they were wrong; I thought I could only climb it slower and I made it to the top. My point being: each of us has our beliefs about what speed is appropriate for conditions (and a lot of us are wrong…), but the speed limit is set for a reason. There are pedestrians (bus stops on both sides of the street at mid-slope); there are narrow curves at both the top and the bottom of the hill, and things can happen unexpectedly. The roads don’t exist for you, they exist to serve a system called traffic, and traffic doesn’t work best with a bunch of rabid individualists driving however they damn well please; it works best with a set of rules and a cooperative mindset.

The speed limit is 30 on that stretch of road, how about you drive 30?

NotMe February 3, 2011 (3:27 pm)

It is a 4-lane road with houses and streets attached to it. There is a reason the speed limit is 30, and if YOU can’t do 30 in your stick shift, then don’t drive on it. Or, continue doing 35, which I suggest you do, and get a ticket BUT you can’t complain. You just get your ticket and you pay the fine and then you get back in your car and you do it again. Just as you want the speed increased, hellsbells, I say knock it down to 25. That will help the gal with the stick shift stay in 2nd gear.
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Yeah, let’s all change things like speed limits for the few people that want to go faster. Faster to what??? Don’t you hear yourselves?
.
The review for Admiral happened 6 months ago and it is over. The decisions were made and the speeders are getting caught.

funkietoo February 3, 2011 (3:32 pm)

@Todd: Spot on! ‘SPD, please come to Charlestown ST next .. between CA Ave and “the hill”’

I would add that from the bottom of ‘the hill’ towards Alki, would welcome the SPD also. There are folks that easily get up to 50 mph on that stretch!

Admirooni February 3, 2011 (3:33 pm)

Grouchy,

I agree with you in most circumstances, and I generally avoid the left lane, especially on the freeway. However, on the downhill side of Admiral (on the uphill side, I agree with you), the same persons who are passing are the ones that are going to cut me off when I try to merge back into the left lane. They’re both symptoms of aggressive driving. Alas, I will be driving at or near the speed limit (lets just say under 40 mph), and if you want to pass me, you will do so in the right lane.

Regards.

Admirooni February 3, 2011 (3:42 pm)

Oh, and if you flash your lights at me or honk, I will probably slow down. If you want to break the rules, I have no obligation to help you do so. I have more of a right to drive in a lawful manner, undisturbed by you, than you do to drive illegally disturbed by my presence in “your” space. THAT is courtesy. Not flashing your lights.

poohbear February 3, 2011 (3:46 pm)

One thing about the autobahn–It has extremely strict rules with extremely harsh punishments for breaking them. The threat of death is much less an issue than the threat of losing your license for passing on the right.

mnb February 3, 2011 (4:07 pm)

What Admirooni said! People who flash lights, tail-gait, or honk, only make me think that they are aggressive (i.e. dangerous) drivers, so my reaction will be to slow down.

twobottles February 3, 2011 (4:25 pm)

OK, so 15 seconds per drive equates to 2 hours a year, but NOT 2 contiguous hours. Is anybody going to be more productive if they get an 15 extra seconds every commute day? What are you going to do, read 1/4 page more of your current novel? Heck, most of use probably waste more time than that finding our keys in the morning.

And, as I hope we all learned in Kindergarten… we are a rules-based society. If you break the rules (even if you don’t like them) you will be punished. Live with it.

Mike February 3, 2011 (4:33 pm)

Admiral Way is not a freeway onramp, and was not designed and built as a freeway onramp. There are three streets that intersect with Admiral Way on the stretch in question. There are a number of houses on that stretch. There is a bus stop at City View; bus riders cross Admiral Way there. If the City were to implement some features that have been suggested – two-way turn lanes at the intersections, safety islands for pedestrian crossings, etc., – a higher speed limit might be okay. But I don’t understand why folks feel they have a need or right to drive fast. The public rights-of-way are for everyone – walkers, cyclists, cars, trucks, joggers, etc.

Genesee Hill February 3, 2011 (4:34 pm)

While I do agree that 30 MPH is a bit slow for that stretch of road, it is 30 MPH.

Those people who just can’t grasp that, or ignore it, sometimes get speeding tickets.

When you pass one of those “speeders” pulled over by the cops, who doesn’t snicker to themselves?

And then you have the tailgaters. It’s like: Honey, I would have been home earlier, but the guy in front of me had a trailer hitch protruding from the rear of his car.

Biff Jackson February 3, 2011 (4:35 pm)

Great job SPD, keep it up!

How does one request a police presence in an area that is rife with speeders? I live on Holden street and although the limit is 30, most people go at least 50. What is worse is the honking and road rage I get for having the audacity to slow down to pull into my driveway.

I think Seattle men drive so aggressively because of a physical shortcoming.

WSB February 3, 2011 (4:37 pm)

Google Neighborhood Traffic Operations SDOT.

Twobottles February 3, 2011 (4:47 pm)

Oh, and for all you tailgaters out there: The closer you get, the slower I go. Love the “decelerate” button on my cruise control.

Jake February 3, 2011 (5:03 pm)

Wow! This has been crazy fun reading – pointed, tart, funny, mostly civil, and it made me think. I “feel,” as do half of you, that doing at least 35 feels like a natural, safe speed when driving the straight stretch, and 30 feels like crawling, because at that speed you become conscious of keeping it slow. But I’ve been brought up short by the comments from those who live on Admiral – sorry to admit I never thought of you guys before.

Mn February 3, 2011 (5:18 pm)

30mph is ridiculous there
You can roll on your bike at that speed
It’s a sham and ridiculous
Should be 35 like elsewhere

Mn February 3, 2011 (5:23 pm)

Alex what a great comment
Focus on the west Seattle bridge SPD

Genesee Hill February 3, 2011 (5:38 pm)

Focus on the West Seattle Bridge?

Come on, I thought the speed limit on that bridge was “reasonable and prudent”, like driving across eastern Montana in the 1960s. As fast as your car could go!

CUR February 3, 2011 (5:48 pm)

What a waste of resources. I wonder how many houses got broke into and how many cars stolen while 6 police officers were given tickets for 10 miles over the limit (I run faster than that)

I think SPD clearly have too many officers, if they can waste taxpayer money doing this ridiculous “operations”.

NicePerson back to Nice February 3, 2011 (5:53 pm)

To Admirooni – I was taught to drive in Florida where you are encouraged to be SAFE by flashing your lights. It is intended to be polite sort of beep to someone that by law, may not be aware that they are impeding traffic (at the speed limit). Its not like someone sitting behind you blowing constantly their horn. It is meant to be a nice way to get your attention, and say move to the right. Seems that student drivers in the PNW should be taught this technique as just an awareness technique – not intended to be viewed as the driver is being agressive.
I dont understand your belief that you will be cut off at the top of the hill. If you were making an immediate left onto 36th, that is different. Personally, i think a left there should be an illegal turn during rush hour… but that is my opinion. There are clealy two n-nw bound lanes until just past the California intersection. I have never had a problem in nearly 2 decades of commuting getting back into the single lane west of California )except at noon when the HS invades the gas station).

Rhonda Porter February 3, 2011 (6:58 pm)

I wish the SPD would do this on Beach Drive… I’m stunned how fast folks will go past kids waiting at the bus stop, joggers, etc. I’m seeing drivers do some crazy passing stunts too. It’s just a matter of time…

islewrite February 3, 2011 (7:05 pm)

1. I DO THE LIMIT in the left lane going up Admiral because I turn left at the light at Olga to get home. Sometimes I’ll move to the right as a courtesy until I get closer to the top, but then I have no guarantee of someone allowing me to move left when I need to. So, if you’re going to ride my ass up the hill, just move the hell over. You’ll be happier.

2. At times, in order to pull into my driveway (heading eastbound), I have to turn my signal on and pump my brakes WAAAY ahead in order to get people to slow down or–even better, move to the left lane. Have fun with the big fat lawsuit I’ll slap on your ass if you rear-end me recklessly.

3. There’s no sweeter sound than the emphasis patrol “whoop” siren and muffled speaker directive to “turn right at the next intersection” to get your ticket. I’m sure I’m not the only neighborhood resident to clap my hands with glee whenever I hear it.

WestSide45 February 3, 2011 (7:10 pm)

I golfed with three cops last year. They all had worked traffic in West Seattle. When I asked them why the speed limit was reduced to from 35 to 30 they said it was so people would slow down from 40 to 35. They were not very good golfers.

Bill February 3, 2011 (7:24 pm)

where is the speed limit 35 on california?

WestSide45 February 3, 2011 (7:43 pm)

The former limit on Admiral Way was 35. As far as I can remember it has never been 35 on California. I’m sure someone will chime in if I am in error.

SJoy February 3, 2011 (7:56 pm)

It would be fun to compare the comments from past threads of accidents on Admiral and 35th to see who complained that there weren’t enough speed traps on these streets. Betcha half of the people that are complaining about the low speed limit here complained that people drive to fast on these roads. Just funny I guess.

Dennis Wulkan February 3, 2011 (7:56 pm)

I drive down the hill in the right lane at speed limit. No one will let me in the left lane. It’s a line of cars down to the bridge. This is a two lane road that has essentially become one because if you have to take the bridge and inadvertently get caught in the right lane you have to go 40 or so to get in the left lane. They just won’t let you in the gap otherwise. I think the lane arrangement and design is stupid–it does not safely facilitate traffic. I think the speed limit is way too low. I think the bus lane onto the bridge is stupid. Let’s get realistic and allow cars to get down the hill in a reasonable way and over the bridge. A bus comes every 10 minutes and we have a special lane for only buses! Also, I love the way liberal Seattle always gets conservative, dogmatic, and religious when it comes to bashing cars and those of us who drive. I pay my taxes, I pay my registration and license, and I pay my insurance. Admiral is a roadway that can safely allow a speed limit more than 30 because there are no pedestrians or cross streets down this grade. So let’s stop being medieval about our approach here!

NotMe February 3, 2011 (8:16 pm)

Wes, can you put any sort of link to the so-called facts you rant about Admiral being a freeway access road? What is that, anyway?
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As for the “35 mph” people – get over it. It isn’t 35, it is 30. You do more, you get a ticket and it would be cool if you realize that and stop whining. If you want the 35, you should have gone to the hearings when they were posted widely about the changes to Admiral back 6 months or more ago.

lina rose February 3, 2011 (9:57 pm)

wow – I can’t believe this is such a hot issue – if the speed limit is 30, just go 30 and stop whining. How trivial to be concerned about the extra 15 seconds it will save you – surely your time is not worth more than mine, get over yourselves.
I drive this way quite often and out of respect for people that have been hit/killed on admiral – I ALWAYS go the speed limit on this stretch. I do not care if it is set too low, that is irrelevant to me. What is relevant to me is that people have died on this stretch and I owe their families and other people that live in the admiral area the respect of driving safely and slowly.

(required) February 3, 2011 (10:07 pm)

Thank you SPD, and right on lina rose et al!!! Ticket anyone going even five mph over the limit!!! Do this on 35th, too!!!

sassy February 3, 2011 (10:19 pm)

Great work on Avalon. Used to live in a condo there, and it was a life & death situation each time I’d try to get into the building garage.
The level of tailgating was unbelievable.

In fact, a speed camera to issue speeding tickets would be brilliant, imo.

austin February 4, 2011 (8:13 am)

The comments on here are funny. Drivers should be taxed way more than they are now.

LStephens February 4, 2011 (8:40 am)

Comment by DK – That’s great….all that ticket money to the city instead of being spent at the small businesses in West Seattle that are struggling to survive. Another fail City of Seattle…
Why don’t you try your money traps after 2AM when they will be more effective.

————–
Funny to blame the City of Seattle for the struggling small businesses survival due to the SPD ticketing speeders. Seems like you really need to step back that responsibility to the responsible drivers who “volunteer” for the speeding ticket by driving the speeds that “should” be posted but aren’t to their liking. Had those people chosen to drive the posted speed, whether they like it or not, they would have more money to spend at local businesses. Personal responsibility goes a long way.

Dennis Wulkan February 4, 2011 (8:54 am)

My view in reading some of the comments here is the folks who intentionally go slow or react by going even slower are actually the aggressive drivers because they impede and obstruct rather than yield and facilitate. I find the attitude of strict adherence to speed limits very strange, almost robotic on the part of some. I wonder whether those folks also adhere to other laws and rules with the same fervor. I sure see lots of distracted drivers using cell phones every day–and no one, even the police are willing to take that on! At the same time, if caught going over the speed limit, accept responsibility. You won’t find me in denial or arguing with the police on speed issues–the signs say 30 after all….

Smitty February 4, 2011 (9:06 am)

Out of respect let’s just set it at 15 MPH then.

Good grief.

Nobody is saying “let’s all speed”. People are saying that 30MPH on that road is stupid.

The more you disincentivize people to take arterials, the more they will find shortcuts that probably go right by your home.

Channel the traffic on the arterials where it belongs.

LStephens February 4, 2011 (9:25 am)

Dennis – You say you “find the attitude of strict adherence to speed limits very strange, almost robotic on the part of some.” As one of the “robots”, I’m more of a practical person who just doesn’t wish to give the City of Seattle $124 or more for the speeding ticket and likely my insurance company higher premiums, just to get somewhere 15 seconds faster. Strange and inane to label law-abiding citizens as robots.

drb February 4, 2011 (9:36 am)

Hello Stepford Drivers, Maniacs and whoever is left over! Started reading this yesterday and am amazed there are this many comments. Must truly be a touchy point for a lot of people. Tried an experiment on the way home after reading this..drive exclusively in the left lane…nobody is there..they are all hogging up the right..passing lane and no one is going anywhere.
well it worked for awhile… Hey how come no one mentioned the bicycle riders along alki going along at incredible speeds..I know several people who have been knocked down by them… Just something new to discuss.

Al February 4, 2011 (9:42 am)

All this whining over a 30 mph speed limit yet everyone still seems to get where they need to go…

Aaron February 4, 2011 (10:08 am)

I used to live at the top of that hill & had to cross the street to catch my bus every day. I only woke up in the hospital once, it was hit & run. 30mph is appropriate.

Harbor Master February 4, 2011 (10:34 am)

This is why I just don’t drive on Admiral anymore. The speed limit is ludicrous. Now I drive on Harbor, a two lane road, where the speed limit is mostly 35 (don’t get me started on the weird way in which it seems to alternate between 30 and 35).

Paul February 4, 2011 (10:42 am)

I don’t know exactly what the speed limit should be going down the hill, but it would seem safer to me if we all didn’t have to ride our brakes the whole way down

NotMe February 4, 2011 (11:29 am)

LStevens, are you serious? You think the City of Seattle took money away from local businesses? Uh, if you take a good look, they likely weren’t spending the money in West Seattle anyway. The businesses were reporting it was down – BEFORE all these tickets were issued.

haha February 4, 2011 (11:39 am)

This was just an excuse for revenue. But the speed limit is what it is. It should be changed but won’t. I drive that stretch everyday and go 30 as I don’t want a ticket. I actually have trouble finding a gear other than first or second that will do that speed going up the hill. It’s just plain stupid.

w February 4, 2011 (12:57 pm)

@NicePerson:
Welcome to WA! It has been a couple decades since I took drivers ed, but this is what I believe the laws are here:
1. It is not legal for you to flash your lights at any person at any time for any reason. (not even to warn them of an accident ahead – it seems like you should be able to flash if they forgot to turn on their lights – this might be considered a courtesy – flashing because you would like to go faster is never a courtesy)
2. You must either drive: a.) only as fast as existing conditions allow or b.) at the posted limit – whichever is SLOWER. You can actually get ticketed for driving the speed limit if an officer thinks it is too fast for existing conditions ie. foggy /snowy / peds in the roadway.
3. Assuming you are in compliance with #2, and you happen to pass a vehicle that is in the lane to your left, I am not aware of any law against that. In fact, if the person slows to make a turn or is stuck behind another car – it would be absurd for you to also slow or stop just so you wouldn’t pass them “on the right”. Especially if someone is stopped for a left turn in Seattle, it is expected you pass them “on the right”.
4. On I-5 the left lane is supposed to be for passing, but in practice this applies to areas outside the city proper. In Seattle the lanes are divided into different on/off ramps – so that you must be in the lane for your destination NOT your speed. Also, many on/off ramps are from/to the left lane – thus channeling slower traffic to that lane. So why don’t these slow mergers move over? Because everyone is too busy zooming past them on the right to let them in! If you don’t like it – contact the Seattle Traffic engineers & and then buy yourself a bus ticket.
drive safe!

KAS February 4, 2011 (1:05 pm)

Hey sometimes cops need to get on the good side of their bosses, 44 tickets in an hour is a good way to do it. What’s that about 5 thousand dollars ? You could make 20 monthly payments on those Dodge Chargers.

David February 4, 2011 (2:27 pm)

I have no doubt there were that many people violating the speed limit, but this is a good change to ask whether the speed limit is reasonable. When that many people cannot hold it down, I’m guessing the rule is what’s broken. The posted limit really should be 45 to 50 on that hill. Most people drive that speed on it perfectly safely. The 35th Ave. arterial should similarly be raised to 45 or 50.

wsnative February 4, 2011 (2:58 pm)

Want more cheese to go with your ‘whine’ sheesh!

MISTER February 4, 2011 (3:06 pm)

The downhill here was made for a speed trap: this sting wasn’t the first one and drivers can expect more. Waste of resources? Over 25% of our City budget comes from the Seattle Municipal Court.
Put your car in 2nd gear and get over it.

datamuse February 4, 2011 (4:45 pm)

w, I just looked through the Washington DoL’s driving guide, and didn’t find any reference to not being allowed to flash your lights. In fact, it mentions that if people keep flashing theirs at YOU, it may mean one or both of your headlights are out.
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That said, I’ve never encountered the practice of flashing your lights to encourage the driver in front of you to go faster.

james February 4, 2011 (5:04 pm)

The speed limit on Admiral Way E/B from 63rd to the top of the hill has been 30 mph for as long as I can remember (at least 20 yrs). There was a short stretch, about 2 blocks long that was 35 mph on the S/B downhill portion. It then went back to 30 mph. SDOT decided to make it all 30 mph due to Bus Stops and the new bike lane. I have never heard of anyone being ticketed for 5 mph over the speed limit on Admiral Way. The police are going after drivers traveling at high speeds, not at 35 mph. I suggest next time they are there that you stop and ask them which drivers they are ticketing…..35 mph or 45+?. The comments about the WS bridge are not accurate. The speed limit uphill when exiting W/B does not change to 30 for about 3 blocks north of the bridge. The westbound on-ramp to the WS Bridge is over a 1/2 mile from the middle of the hill. It is not a freeway, it’s the West Seattle Bridge!
All the arterials in the city are 30 mph unless posted otherwise. Maybe the hill should be 35 mph, but it isn’t. It’s SDOT, not SPD, that sets speed limits. The easy, short term fix? Drive the speed limit!

Rower February 4, 2011 (5:09 pm)

Hard to believe so many people will rush to the defense of speeding drivers.

I am happy to slow down my trip by the average of 10 seconds to make things safer for everyone.

NotMe February 4, 2011 (5:13 pm)

Hey Datamuse, don’t you just love how people spew things on here as though they are stating facts? Have you seen the one where 25% of the City’s revenue comes from the Municipal Court? Lol….

yep! February 4, 2011 (5:58 pm)

I agree the speed limit should be raised. 30 mph seems ridiculous for that stretch of roadway. Have to ride your brakes the whole way down just to keep it at 30. that being said, it seems like alot of people are in a hurry and are going 40 mph plus on this roadway. Maybe get up 5 minutes earlier so you arent in such a hurry to work? Im all for driving 35-40 on this road but over 40 is dangerous on any arterial.

mike February 4, 2011 (6:10 pm)

Just curious, any word on if they were doing another “sting” today? I was heading down Admiral toward the bridge around noon today and just past the spur that heads to Luna Park, but before actually getting on the bridge, there were 4-5 cop cars (of the Charger variety) that seemed to be in the process of ticketing just as many drivers. There was even what appeared to be a TV camera filming one of the drivers. (Big camera pointed into the driver’s side.)

Seemed a bit odd.

yep! February 4, 2011 (6:16 pm)

one more thing. does anyone else think the bus lane on the wsb onramp is a safety hazard? I have to merge left into traffic coming from fauntleroy only to have to merge right again 100 feet later to get to the right lane to get to hwy 99. I have to do all of this because of a stupid bus lane that caters to buses that come what every ten minutes or so? lets remove that bus only lane from the onramp so people going to hwy 99 can use it and not have to merge with traffic coming from fauntelroy for no reason. its a safety hazard and it snarls traffic on the onramp. Lets start that bus only lane further up the bridge so as not to cause more traffic congestion than we already have. anyone with me?

yep! February 4, 2011 (6:22 pm)

mike- they always do speed traps on admiral hill. someone who lives on the hill probably calls the city and bitches about people speeding so they send out the goof troops to write tickets. when you call 911 because someone is breaking into your house and it takes them 10 minutes to get there its probably because they are doing very important work on admiral hill with their radar guns.

Neighbor February 4, 2011 (6:26 pm)

It’s kinda of amazing that people think having to back up out of your driveway, or pull out of a side street onto Admiral can be done safely with cars coming at you from both directions at speeds close to 40mph. Wow. Do people not understand how busy Admiral has gotten?

james February 4, 2011 (6:27 pm)

It was Kiro 7 filming, it was on their 5:00 news report

Blythe February 4, 2011 (6:46 pm)

lived on the top of admiral hill for 12 years and i think 30mph is perfect. people do walk around with their kids or pets and i’ve seen enough accidents in those 12 years (to pedestrians) that it’s an appropriate speed limit. you can go about 35 if the speed limit is 30, raising it would only make people feel more comfortable driving faster than they do now. it is NOT a freeway nor is the west seattle bridge. driving faster only feels “right” to those who feel their time is more important than the safety of the residents in that neighborhood.

SaraJ February 4, 2011 (6:49 pm)

@westside: It’s NOT just 15 seconds saved. You’re not taking into account that, by passing Grandpa/Grandma Admiral for 59 Years, you aren’t stuck behind them for 4 minutes trying to get across the bridge. You save minutes, not seconds.

@West Seattle Art Attack: If you have that bumper sticker on your car, then you’re a douche.

My thoughts — the police are jerks if they’re waiting after the Admiral exit. It’s not an accident-prone area, or even unsafe, except for the crawling drivers making it difficult for us that want to travel NORMALLY. The speed limit needs to be 35mph, not 30. Ridiculous.
*Also, I believe many of these pro-ticket commentators are the same person. (How many people type “Keep it up, Seattle PD!”??)

SaraJ February 4, 2011 (6:51 pm)

P.S. I SO agree with you Yep.. it could make traffic easier in the morning, as well.

yep! February 4, 2011 (7:19 pm)

well said sara. can I venture to say that the speed traps/police presence is actually making admiral more dangerous? you have your normal group of commuters who drive 5 to 10 mph over the limit which is what I do. Then you have grandma and grandpa driving 5 to 10 mph under the speed limit which is annoying but as long as they are in the right lane then whatever. now you are gonna have a new group of people that are scared to get tickets so they too are gonna drive slow in the right lane as well as the left. this mixed in with the normal commuters causes frustration which can lead to road rage. This confusion will also make traffic worse and we all know that the worse the traffic is, the more likely it is that there are going to be accidents. thanks to the city and the spd for making what used to be an easy commute down and up admiral hill a headache. while we’re at it, lets add some more bike lanes and change it from a four lane road to a two lane road! dumb a$$ idiots that run this city

Mn February 4, 2011 (8:11 pm)

The speeders are usually the moms in their mini vans

NotMe February 4, 2011 (9:23 pm)

Hey “Neighbor”… what are you saying? That people living on Admiral should not be allowed to back out of their driveways? What are they supposed to do? Ridiculous…

JN February 4, 2011 (10:34 pm)

Riding up the new bike lane along Admiral (which, by the way, is much more comfortable than having to ride up with cars buzzing me), literally every single car but one, over 20 in total, speeded at least 5 miles over the speed limit. Hey jerks, how about you slow down, huh?

CMP February 4, 2011 (10:40 pm)

Try living off 35th instead. That street has WAY more parked cars, Metro and school buses, cyclists and pedestrians than Admiral AND it’s 35 mph which means people drive 40-45 mph instead. You don’t hear us whining as much about our crazy I-35 and I never see the police out issuing tickets, even with that “speed van” sign. SDOT has it all wrong as usual. Fauntleroy and 35th should be 30 mph while Admiral and Highland Park Way should be 35 mph. I firmly believe we have the most illogical transportation dept in the country and this just proves it. And yes, I let them know it constantly.

redblack February 4, 2011 (10:40 pm)

yep! nope, regarding the bus lane merge. if you wait to merge until closer to the top of the bridge – you know, after the solid lines become dashed, where you’re supposed to merge – it’s a lot easier. but because everyone cheats the bus lane, they run smack into people merging left from delridge. now everyone’s stopped because they can’t merge and talk on their droids at the same time while it’s raining. and they’re holding up buses, who can’t get through in the blocked bus lane.
.
so merge later – where the traffic engineers determined you should – and you can usually do it at speed. and as an added bonus, those of us who merge later leave room for others to merge at speed without getting an attitude about it.
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datamuse: the half-on position on your high beam controls is called “flash to pass.” so evidently it’s accepted somewhere.

(required) February 4, 2011 (10:55 pm)

I can’t believe some of the comments: some have said they essentially resent people living in houses where their driveways make them back in and out, some want the speed limit raised to 40 or 50, some think it’s unfair that cops enforce the law (even though we’ve seen accidents where speed has killed on these roads). Yeesh!

I hope the more sensible neighbors among us will join me in speaking the solution: we need to see every last West Seattle street with two lanes each way (except the West Seattle Bridge and the stretch of California at the Junction) become just one lane each way instead, just like they did on Fauntleroy. Roxbury, 35th, Admiral, each of these streets is dangerous with speeding idiots VERY close to pedestrians, and each has seen fatalities and many speed-related accidents. it needs to stop — just read some of the comments of road-rage-filled folks who insist they don’t care and want even faster roads! Each of these (Roxbury, 35th and Admiral) needs just one lane each way, with a center turn lane, side parking on both sides, and widened, designated bike lanes. Now that Fauntleroy has done this, we’ve seen speeding there diminish tremendously, and yet, it doesn’t seem like the change made the world come crashing to an end.

End the highways at the highways! Make all of West Seattle safe for all!

2wheels-a-go-go February 5, 2011 (12:14 am)

@JN: I witness the same thing every single night biking up the hill — the radar sign flashing non-stop at speeders. Rarely does it dip below 35, and over 40 is not rare either.
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I only wish I had the power to sit at the top of the hill and help the SPD hand out tickets.

cakeordeath February 5, 2011 (12:17 am)

I think all of you slow drivers who won’t get over and are being all robotic (I agree with Dennis) about it are passive/aggressive. I would appreciate it if you would pull over because I find driving behind you really annoying. That said, I don’t ride people up the hill unless they are going under the speed limit in what appears to be an intentional way, which IS actually an issue in WS in general. Overall, I don’t care what your reasons are. I enjoy driving and I am a very safe driver, and yet I speed. It’s not up to you to dictate to me or other speeders how we should drive. If you hate it, move over because it’s not going to change. I don’t even read the diatribes you write because they are not helpful and they are not meant to be helpful. I would never tell you how to drive so please don’t tell me how to drive. Admiral is a total speed trap in the bottom and middle section. The speed should be 40-45 until the top where it starts to get populated.

miws February 5, 2011 (8:43 am)

It’s not up to you to dictate to me or other speeders how we should drive.

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Are you prepared to pay the extra costs, financial, civil, and possibly criminal should you get into an accident, and it’s determined that your speeding did more damage, ie: death of an innocent person rather than injury, than had you been driving the legal limit?

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Mike

MrAlki February 5, 2011 (8:54 am)

30 MPH on Admiral is ridiculous. 35th is 35 and has a ton more potential problems. Admiral has few homes and driveways. Wish someone at the city could explain the reason for this foolishness. Lived here for 60 yrs. Just got back from Calif…now those people know how to drive. Washington drivers in general leave a lot to be desired.

MrAlki February 5, 2011 (9:12 am)

Speed should be 40 and 30 at the top of hill.

Paul February 5, 2011 (11:47 am)

To all you holier than though folks that live on the incline of the hill… I always see you crossing the double yellow lines( even stopping traffic to do so) to get in/out of your driveways/side streets. Law is the Law so practice what you preach! Can I get a hallelujah !!

Neighbor February 5, 2011 (12:36 pm)

@Notme-perhaps you need to re-read what I wrote or improve your reading comprehension. I am appalled at the lack of understanding that those people going over the speed limit have. The safety issues for those people trying to pull out of their driveways and side streets are very real and very dangerous. I for one would like to see more enforcement and more stop lights along the top of the hill for the safety of my neighbors.

NotMe February 5, 2011 (12:57 pm)

I re-read it, and you are right… my mistake. So, in light of my improved comprehension – I agree with you. In fact, you and I seem to be in the same “speed” boat on Admiral.
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I have to agree with one of the comments earlier – the situation on 35th. In addtion to the same issues, you add in the parked cars. It’s worse when you add in the speeders on a road with little visibility to the sides. But remember, there are a few commenters already saying the owners and the city were stupid for buying into those houses. (after all, it’s those commentors that are our resident experts. If you are looking to buy a home in West Seattle soon, don’t forget to consult with Wes!
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What amazes me the most is the distance to crosswalks. Has anyone else noticed there are none from the View Point all the way to Starbucks? I think that’s about 7 blocks!

Neighbor February 5, 2011 (1:29 pm)

My neighbor was killed trying to cross at Belvidere and Admiral. Another lost part of her arm. Another has brain damage. I have been almost run over more times then I really care to remember. It’s nightmare inducing. The city is not doing it’s job at protecting it’s citizens. A stop light at this intersection would save lives.
Shame on all of those who think that their speed is more important than human life.

Genesee Hill February 5, 2011 (2:33 pm)

This one state knows how to drive and another state doesn’t is a bunch of BS. Some people drive as bad as they think they can get away with. If you want to get your car up to 140 MPH go to eastern Montana or North Dakota; pretty unlikely you will get a ticket there. You can see for miles…..