5 Replies to "Curious about city's new plan to clear traffic incidents sooner? SDOT & SPD @ West Seattle Transportation Coalition this week"

• Captain Dave August 24, 2015 (9:53 am)

  It will be interesting to see what the City comes up with. Traditionally, time is allowed for investigators to gather evidence so that sanctions and compensations can be determined later. Without this process, victims are less likely to be compensated for losses and offenders are less likely to be punished. It seems like an issue of individual property rights vs the rights of society (to not be delayed). If so, this could be an important meeting for those who are concerned about encroachment of individual property rights. In other words, your vehicle could be bulldozed off the road before you can gather the evidence to prove it wasn’t your fault–leaving you with increased insurance costs, uncompensated loss of your vehicle, or worse.

• wakeflood August 24, 2015 (10:46 am)

  Well, CD, I wonder why this hasn’t proven to be an issue in other jurisdictions that process these situations much faster?

  Maybe you’ve seen/heard about this being a problem? If yes, can you pass along any info?

  Also, lets’ be clear that even if you have a serious situation to be investigated and resolved, what happens to mitigate the problem is a huge part of the process. Coordination and preparedness with a plan is going to make the rest of the impacted folks A LOT less upset.

• Captain Dave August 24, 2015 (1:25 pm)

  Wakeflood: What other jurisdictions are you referring to? Moscow and Beijing have very rapid ways of clearing traffic anomalies. I guess it’s not an issue for you if you’re not the one involved in the accident. Let’s just wait and see what ideas they come up with. If it is like so many other things in this City, it will be a decision that reduces individual rights in favor of the collective instead of planning and building infrastructure that is capable of higher throughput.

• ChefJoe August 24, 2015 (4:56 pm)

  Captain Dave, are you referring to the statewide Steer It, Clear It laws being specifically promoted in Seattle, Authority Removal laws, or something else ?

  Fed guidelines are here:
  http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop09005/quick_clear_laws.pdf

  In WA, Steer it, clear it has been in the RCW since 1980, but drivers prior to that law were taught not to move the vehicle until an officer arrived to direct/clear incidents, even with only minor property damage.

• redblack August 24, 2015 (6:16 pm)

  a friend of mine who hails from berkeley, ca, says that if your car stalls on – for example – the bay bridge, caltrans will push it into either adjacent city *before* it becomes a problem, regardless of the circumstances.
  .
  captain dave, sometimes the needs of the many far exceed the needs of the few. one stalled car, overturned trailer of fish, or fender-bender between two situationally-unaware motorists can cost the entire city untold dollars, time, and productivity.
  .
  in my opinion, unless it’s a fatal accident, WSDOT and SDOT should shove obstacles aside without prejudice.
  .
  the bigger picture here, though, involves communication among *multiple* agencies. in other words, if WSDOT deems it’s necessary to U-turn traffic on the viaduct, SDOT and SPD should damned well be forewarned and equipped to deal with the intersections and 1st ave and columbia/seneca/madison/marion/etc or anywhere else that a fubar’ed state highway might dump its effluvium onto the seattle street grid.
  .
  come on, people. this ain’t rocket surgery.

Sorry, comment time is over.