FOLLOWUP: ‘Adding to the confusion at 59th/Admiral’

| Safety | Transportation | West Seattle news

Emily sent the photo of another stop sign that was in place by Monday morning (we checked this morning – still there) facing westbound Admiral Way, about half a block east of 59th, “adding to the confusion,” as she put it, because: “It doesn’t say ‘stop ahead,’ just stop. Which watching a couple cars as we were walking by, (they) didn’t quite seem to know what to do about it.” This is the same intersection we first told you about a week ago, where parents from nearby Alki Elementary School say the conversion to an all-way stop has made things more dangerous rather than safer. As noted in our first followup, SDOT said it would make some changes while continuing to evaluate the intersection until March, but they didn’t mention adding a mid-block stop sign.

newnative October 17, 2017 (12:24 pm)

OMG, who thought of that? That is poor placement.

ktrapp October 17, 2017 (12:45 pm)

Wow, yeah, I’m pretty sure the letter of the law requires that a person stop at that sign. There is an established “Stop Ahead” sign, and that’s not it. That’s just clearly put down by someone that doesn’t know what they’re doing.

Mark Schletty October 17, 2017 (12:47 pm)

Just another example of the total incompetence of the SDOT under Scott Kubly. The very people SDOT said they were helping are now telling the deaf agency that it is worse, more dangerous, than it was before the change. So what does SDOT do? Make it even worse yet. Mayor, City Council, please fire the idiot now.

NSAlki October 17, 2017 (2:05 pm)

Yes, this stupid stop sign placed before the real stop sign made the person in front of me slam on their brakes. Glad I didn’t rear end them. It is very confusing and potentially dangerous.

aRF October 17, 2017 (2:47 pm)

Did someone move it as a joke? SDOT originally placed that stop sign in the left-hand turn-lane (further down the hill), right at the edge of the crosswalk.

Jort October 17, 2017 (3:25 pm)

You mean SDOT placed it in a compliant location, originally, but somebody might have been trying to do a “good samaritan” thing by moving it up?

But that would mean that SDOT didn’t intentionally screw something up. What fun would that be? It is sooooooooo much easier to pile on SDOT without knowing the whole story, though.
Terri October 17, 2017 (3:42 pm)

Sounds more likely. Or maybe it got knocked over, and someone tried to be helpful. I know people love to hate on government, but it seems pretty unlikely that SDOT personnel would have put it where it is now.
AdmiralWayResident October 17, 2017 (4:52 pm)

No, there is still a temp stop sign on the ground by the permanent stop sign in concrete by the sidewalk. It’s behind the bus in this picture. This is an additional sign up the hill.

Elle Nell October 17, 2017 (2:58 pm)

Hey, how about taking the sign and moving down to where your supposed to stop…

dsa October 17, 2017 (3:01 pm)

Unbelievable, except for SDOT

Don Brubeck October 17, 2017 (3:11 pm)

Pretty sure a “volunteer” moved that sign into the street from the curb at the corner.

Mark October 17, 2017 (6:15 pm)

SDoT = Incompetence

Kubly needs to be shown the door, the most incompetent director SDoT has ever had!

Its so sad because many many moons ago SDoT was an Agency run by competent Professional Engineers. These professionals provided a legacy of one of the safest City street systems in the world!

The SDoT incompetence is going to reduce safety in the long run by their failure to adhere to national standards.

Canton October 17, 2017 (10:28 pm)

Exactly, Kubly has been a joke from the get go. Special Hand hired by Murray with no experience beyond bike-share promotion in major cities. Biking should be a safe, out of arterial endeavor. If we could get bikes up near sidewalks, out of traffic lanes. Too bad we have great parking strips, with established trees, would be good way to keep pedestrian and bike traffic up out of the street.

KBear October 17, 2017 (7:37 pm)

So stop at the stop sign, and then go. It’s clearly temporary, however it got there. A stop sign is not confusing to anyone who’s qualified to be driving.

SuperAwesome October 17, 2017 (10:22 pm)

Except that it’s 20 feet from the actual stop sign, not at any kind of intersection or cross walk and creates additional back up and confusion in an area that already has too much of both.

JQ October 18, 2017 (8:21 am)

I doubt SDoT monitors this blog. If someone has concerns or wants answers re how to treat this temporary sign (and I can see why), a call to SDoT would probably be more valuable than just gripping on social media.

aRF October 18, 2017 (8:33 am)

As of Wednesday morning, the signs are back where they should be.

WSB October 18, 2017 (8:44 am)

We just got a followup photo showing the sign that had been in the odd place (which WAS an additional sign, not moved from elsewhere in the intersection) now in pieces on a nearby planting strip.

Sorry, comment time is over.