FOLLOWUP: Painted ‘curb bulbs’ on Admiral Way at 59th SW, 61st SW

Earlier this week, in our latest report on SDOT‘s plans for, and Alki Elementary parents’ hopes for, the 59th SW/Admiral Way intersection, we mentioned crews were out doing some work. Above are the results so far at that intersection; SDOT had planned painted curb bulbs with plastic posts, a painted median island with plastic posts, and new crosswalks for this intersection. The painted curb bulbs are also in at 61st SW/Admiral, and SDOT has been working at SW Stevens/Admiral too. As originally announced in June, they have work planned at three other crossings.

Fire Ball December 8, 2017 (8:08 pm)

Never mind that red light, look at those painted sidewalks…

Mamasuze December 8, 2017 (8:38 pm)

Really? It is hard to believe that ONE intersection can cause so much confusion.

Here’s a novel idea… pay attention to the rules of the road, other drivers and pedestrians. Cheese and crackers…. how much $$$$$ has been spent on this ridiculous intersection just this year?!!

Alki Resident December 8, 2017 (9:30 pm)

I’ve never seen so much dysfunction. I don’t know how on earth I managed to drive that section in the past 30 years.

Mralki December 14, 2017 (3:50 pm)

Amen!!

Ken December 8, 2017 (9:36 pm)

In the meantime, streets around Seattle continue to be littered with potholes. Too bad the powers that be are not willing to maintain existing infrastructure before proceeding with these totally unnecessary and asinine projects. Absolutely mind-boggling that money is never an issue for these boondoggles.

WSB December 8, 2017 (9:45 pm)

Which potholes have you reported that have not been fixed?
http://web6.seattle.gov/sdot/potholemap/

Also, the new mayor explicitly said on day one that she would plow the snow and fix the potholes. End quote. If what’s now HER SDOT is not responding to your report, then let her know.

jenny.durkan@seattle.gov

Give her a chance to make good on the promise.
- Mike December 9, 2017 (6:19 am)
  
  Has the crater in the left lane going East just after you cross the bridge on the raised roadway before I5 been fixed yet. I have no idea how you report that as there’s no good cross street signs. Maybe, crater is aligned with one of the pot shop billboards as you head East and are in the left lane. That one amazes me and isn’t seen on that pothole map.
  - M December 9, 2017 (8:15 am)
    
    Also the potholes going down east Admiral near Cityview. While they have fixed those twice in the past year, they have done a poor job fixing, leaving cracks between potholes creating bigger potholes. Cyclists have to take the whole lane as it is unsafe to ride within 6 feet of the curb going down Admiral.
- Ken December 9, 2017 (1:46 pm)
  
  Tracy, I have reported the potholes on Sylvan Way numerous times over the past 3 or 4 years. One might get a cursory fix that lasts a few weeks while the other dozen or so just next to it are completely ignored.
  - chemist December 9, 2017 (5:03 pm)
    
    Ken, you should check out the twitter feed of bhsafestreets on Dec 6th. It looks like they’re going to do some bike lane upgrades in the area. Maybe they’ll fix the streets at the same time.

S December 8, 2017 (9:53 pm)

waste of money and resources. I find SDOT the most dysfunctional wasteful agency in this city.

HappyOnAlki December 8, 2017 (10:44 pm)

If it makes a messed-up oddball intersection a little safer, I’m all for it. These are our kids, folks.

wlcg06 December 9, 2017 (8:58 am)

How does painting he street blue make the intersection safer, exactly? I agree with Ken. Are you kidding me with this waste of money? Our streets are a joke.

JCW December 9, 2017 (4:34 pm)

They’re usually referred to as “sneckdowns” in snowier parts of the country. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sneckdown

After a significant snowfall, one can see where traffic needs to be, and where pedestrian refuges, curb bulbs, and other resources for vulnerable road users can be installed. Highly useful to modernize car-centric designs from their mid-century planning styles. If you want to see examples from elsewhere in the country, Chicago has been using this model for a while, with great success — and also using blue patterns.

Mark Schletty December 9, 2017 (10:20 am)

I’ve been following this SDOT screwup so I know what this painting is supposed to be about. But if I didn’t know, and was driving or walking through the intersection, I would have no idea what this painting was supposed to mean. Can you stand on it? Drive on it? Bike on it? While attractive, the coloring has no established meaning in traffic laws. It will lead to more confusion and probably some accidents. SDOT will never get anything right as long as Kubly is there.

MJ December 9, 2017 (11:48 am)

The City could have installed raised islands if SDoT had not wasted money on unwarranted traffic control and process!

GomerPyle December 9, 2017 (3:19 pm)

Has anyone walked on it yet? I wonder how slippery it will be when wet or frosty? Just waiting for that first slip. Lawyers will have a field day, at our expense!. I bet SDOT leaders are exempt from liability.

WSB December 9, 2017 (3:42 pm)

This is not the first place to have painted curb extensions. Not even the first in West Seattle. 2 years at Boren, for one. Haven’t heard of a deluge of lawsuits yet, nor with the DuraTherm crosswalk installed 10 years ago by Lafayette.

wetone December 10, 2017 (10:10 am)

Artsy fartsy painting of these type of areas (high traffic/ ped / bike ) only adds another distraction for drivers. Truly poor choices by a city in preaching safety and smart spending. Curious to cost spent at this intersection for engineering, labor and materials over last year….. but then not much different than millions $$ spent on all new fencing under roadways to keep homeless out. When just putting signage up and enforcing current laws would of had better results……… Along with not giving graffiti artist more area to paint and city to maintain …….. Tax dollars at work ;)

WSB December 10, 2017 (10:21 am)

(A) They’ve had police out to enforce. Can’t station someone there 24/7 but if you think they should, talk to SPD.

(B) This is not FOR drivers. This is for pedestrians. For those who asked above, the purpose of curb extensions, both physical and painted, are to shorten the crossing distance for pedestrians and to make them more visible to those who need to stop for them. As someone who does have to cross a street now and then, I hope it helps. The number of oblivious drivers who otherwise blow right past by waiting pedestrians boggles my mind almost daily. Even in somewhat confined spaces like The Junction’s raised crosswalks, and even when one lane has already stopped! But I digress.

(C) They’ve changed the signage and have more changes on the way. As for graffiti vandalism – have you ever seen a graffiti-vandalized painted curb on the street? Generally they prefer signage. Like the copious “do not enter” signage in my neighborhood that we really have to report
Maria December 11, 2017 (12:17 am)

Nonsense – This is not a distraction for drivers, but rather alerts drivers. Think about all the intersections you drive through without thought. Don’t deny it.

We have so many humorous posts here by people who think they are professional traffic engineers. They’d have you think Seattle is the only municipality that does these things and without thought to materials, color, and design. Thank you SDOT for saving us tax dollars for using this in place of more expensive and constrictive traffic bulbs .

Joe Egan December 13, 2017 (4:47 pm)

Since were discussing street conditions, let’s start with the intersection of lower Spokane and Chelan St SW in front of the restaurant where the curb bib is raised four inches above the pavement and the inside lane has lost the “though” lane arrow.

The intersection of Chelan St and Marginal Way is a mass of chuck holes.

The rail road crossing South of Spokane St on W Marginal Way that “isn’t”, It isn’t used, it isn’t connected to the mainline, and it isn’t maintained. The rails are covered over on the West side and cut off under the curbing on the right side. I have been driving West Marginal for over 40 years and believe it has been unused for at least half of that.

I would like to take at least a councilman on a ride over that route, including uphill on Admiral Way. With the high taxes we are paying in West Seattle, I think we deserve at least some attention.