4:58 PM: Thanks to everyone who called/messaged to ask about an incident at 35th and Barton this past hour. Seattle Fire Engine 37 had already closed out of the call before we could get there, but SFD spokesperson Corey Orvold says it was dispatched as a motorcycle crash. The rider was hurt, but not badly enough to require an SFD medic unit. We are checking to see if the aftermath of the crash is affecting traffic.
5:01 PM: Our crew says the scene is already completely clear.
Drove through there not long after it happened. Fire crew had the man strapped to a backboard and were treating him… no ambulance there at that time. Hope he’s going to be ok.
Sure hope all involved are ok. This sure doesn’t feel safer. When agendas backfire it’s time to admit failure and fix it in the name of public safety, not worry about perception and saving face.
I’m really glad the motorcyclist will be ok and I don’t want to speculate on whether or not the road diet had anything to do with this crash. I do think this road diet has been a complete failure though and I hope they return 35th to the way it was. Politicians don’t like to admit they are wrong though so I doubt they will fix their mistake and we will just have to suffer with longer commutes and less safe roads. I travel 35th daily and see the aftermath of at least 1 crash per week. Rear end accidents are now a scary reality when traveling 35th. Heading south and trying to turn left onto Trenton is a joke. If there are a few cars turning in front of you it can take 3 or more light cycles to achieve the left turn and this is always done at the last second when the light turns red making it an accident waiting to happen. Bottom line is 35th is NOT safer and commutes are worse than ever. I don’t see cars going away anytime soon but I do see massive apartments being built all over the place so there are definitely thousands of more people moving here so can we please stop this insane war on cars and fix the roads so we can accommodate the rapidly growing population here?
Yes, yes. The rain agenda has gone on far too long. It’s been obvious for the last 20 years that it’s failing in the core mission to keep people from moving here. In the name of safety, the rain must stop.
@Mcbribe, blaming the rain is pointless. The sole objective is to create problems so you can ask for more money to study them in the near future.
It sounds like someone has an agenda to shine light on potential agendas.
If anyone reading this is a pedestrian that regularly crosses 35th at intersections without some traffic light set-up could give their opinion of the road diet, I’d like to hear it. My current, about once a week or so interaction with 35th, is on the 128 bus, travelling along Morgan, and crossing 35th. I’d like to know if the pedestrians feel that it is a much safer crossing, especially for those with mobility issues.
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Now, before anyone says “why don’t pedestrians just walk the extra block to the intersection with the light?”, that light isn’t always just a block away, and is very often, several blocks away. A person with mobility issues, may not have the stamina to walk that extra block, then backtrack on the other side, especially if hills are involved, nor should they have to, and able bodied people shouldn’t have to as well.
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My regular crossing of busy arterials, at intersections without lights, are Barton crossing 16th and Barton crossing Delridge. Fortunately, both at two lane, as opposed to four lane streets. It would be significantly more difficult to cross them, if they were the latter, especially Delridge, which is generally heavier traffic, and seems to have more (what appear to be) speeding drivers.
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In the olden days, when I could breathe well, I could often catch enough of a break to run across streets like that. Don’t dare chance it anymore, especially with the additional concern of falling, which I can’t get up as quickly and unscathed from, like years ago.
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Mike
Mike (miws), I frequently cross 35th while walking my dog. I will cross at unmarked intersections when traffic is light, usually in the morning on the weekends. Most of the other times I use signalized intersections since there isn’t much of a break in the line of cars using 35th now that there is only one lane in each direction, I feel it’s much safer crossing at a signal. However, I do not like the intersection at 35th and Barton, I’ve had a few close calls from cars making left turns (all directions) that turn when there is a short gap in-between cars and they are not aware of people using the crosswalk.
Thanks, Marty2. I’ve seen a lot of comments on WSB, talking about how scary 35th & Barton is for pedestrians.
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One of the scariest near me, is 14th & Roxbury. No light, but stop signs for 14th (41st & Alaska, in the Junction area is similar design, and similarly scary). I pretty much have to worry about traffic from all four corners; left turns from westbound Roxbury, sometimes at a fast clip, if they don’t have to stop for oncoming traffic, and in those cases, especially if they are trying to beat oncoming. Then, northbound on 14th, which 99% of the drivers fly past the stop sign, and right into the crosswalk before stopping, to make their right turn. Then, right turn from eastbound Rox, to 14th, and finally, 14th southbound, straight across Rox, though I don’t think many people drive straight across there.
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Another concern for me, is some mobility issues. I can get dizzy moving my head quickly, from point to point, to point, and rechecking, plus, have some balance issues that mean I have to step down slowly and carefully.
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This is pretty much the only location that I jaywalk, when leaving Zippy’s via the driveway in their parking lot, and over to Bartell’s which, almost every once a month visit to Zippy’s is also a stop on the way back. A couple months ago, I crossed at the corner, as their was an occupied KC Sheriff’s vehicle right outside Zippy’s driveway, where I usually cross.
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Crossing 14th westbound, south side, is even scarier than eastbound, as the very frequent left turns from eastbound Rox, pose a huge danger, as do the blow into the crosswalk gang, on northbound 14th. I remember one time crossing there, at least two drivers blasted into the crosswalk, as if I wasn’t even there, and I’m thinking; “what if I wasn’t so vigilant about being a defensive pedestrian?
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Mike
Sorry, comment time is over.
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