Another crash at Highland Park Way/Holden

Thanks to the nearby resident who just sent that photo of another Highland Park Way/Holden crash this past hour. No injuries reported, so no Seattle Fire dispatch. The next phase of safety improvements at this problematic intersection isn’t clear; as reported here in May, SDOT told the Highland Park Action Committee that the cost of a long-proposed roundabout has jumped to $7 million, and even “just” a signal would cost $3 million. No funding has been identified for either.

(SIDE NOTE: HPAC’s next meeting – with crime, safety, and transportation on the agenda – is tomorrow night, 7 pm, at Highland Park Improvement Club.)

28 Replies to "Another crash at Highland Park Way/Holden"

  • Rocky Raccoon June 25, 2019 (2:09 pm)

    $3M for a traffic signal? So ridiculous.

  • sw June 25, 2019 (2:18 pm)

    Your move, SDOT.  Obviously a need for something at this intersection.

  • anonyme June 25, 2019 (2:36 pm)

    Just looking at this photo makes me wonder how anyone navigates through there.  What a confusing mess.  SDOT (and WSDOT, for that matter) have a well-established record for creating illogical, poorly planned, poorly constructed boondoggles at the highest cost possible.  Beware of the ‘solution’.

    • Bones June 25, 2019 (5:12 pm)

      SDOT is notorious for ridiculous bottle necks, I5 through downtown, 35th W and E and down town is ridiculous. I would suggest a 3rd grader design our streets. A thought process needs to beyond bikes and mass transit. City council has been high on weed for decades with their multiple bad choices. Please integrate clear choices that will benefit all. Irvine Company is a great example of a planned community.

      • Lagartija Nick June 26, 2019 (9:10 am)

        Bones, SDOT has nothing to do with I-5, it’s a federal design maintained by WSDOT. The downtown grid was designed (poorly) by early Seattle business leaders over 100 years ago, long before SDOT was even a thing. If you’re going to rant at least direct it to the right organizations.That being said, it’s long past time SDOT fixed this intersection.

  • Roy Hobbs June 25, 2019 (3:08 pm)

    $7 million for one roundabout?!?!?      

  • donttreadonme June 25, 2019 (3:28 pm)

    Drop the speed limit by 5 mph within a mile every time someone crashes their car there and deploy ticketing radar cameras. Pays for itself.

    • WSB June 25, 2019 (3:33 pm)

      Not a school zone, so enforcement cameras are not an option.

    • Bee June 26, 2019 (7:13 am)

      Reducing the speed limit seems to be one of SDOT’s only platforms. This intersection needs a proper traffic light.

      • datamuse June 27, 2019 (6:59 am)

        The speed limit is 30. Nobody ever goes that slowly though. (I live near this intersection.)

  • Low Riding Driver June 25, 2019 (3:37 pm)

     The grass on the Westside of Highland Drive needs to be mowed down so drivers from Holden can see cars coming up the hill.  I know this had no bearing on this accident, but that would be a cheap solution to prevent future accidents this year.

  • Trickycoolj June 25, 2019 (4:02 pm)

    I love that most of their paint solution was torn up by the snow plows a week later and they haven’t come back to address it. Further they need to put those bollards back on the middle curb strip with an arrow pointing to which side the traffic belongs on. I’ve been nearly hit by someone that went straight through the left turn lane!

    • Mflash June 25, 2019 (4:23 pm)

      Those ballards will be trashed as they have in the past. SLOW….dangerous intersection…signs….flashing lights…get these speeders to slow down.

  • Coffeedude June 25, 2019 (4:07 pm)

    Who is the cicitcicity council person for this area. Get that person involved 

    • Alkimark June 25, 2019 (8:53 pm)

      LOL but I went and saw her replacement speak tonight..

    • Concerned Citizen June 26, 2019 (10:03 am)

      Our City council rep is worthless and not focused on speaking out for our area. She spends her time doing show and tell for electric garbage trucks. Hopefully her replacement will focus on things that make W.Seattle and Seattle as a whole a safer city. 

  • Mflash June 25, 2019 (4:17 pm)

    Last week a speeding car smashed and flipped a parked car on HPW (9th) just South of Portland.WADOT waiting for a DOA?Do something more than your waste of money/bandaid “fix”.Do something NOW. What is this costing the public and insurance co.? 

  • West Seattle Hipster June 25, 2019 (4:29 pm)

    3 million for a traffic light, and 7 million for a roundabout?  Clearly our city has some serious issues with managing a budget.

  • Dinah June 25, 2019 (4:36 pm)

    A signal light planned there would put the traffic on Marginal in a tizzy.  All those cars stalled going up Highland would feed back onto Marginal going in all directions.  Yikes.

  • Mj June 25, 2019 (6:13 pm)

    I drove this intersection daily for over 20 years, simply maintaining the channelization markings and keeping vegetation pruned would go a long way to enhance safety!

  • Old friend June 25, 2019 (10:59 pm)

    Blinking red light three way stop = Cheap fix. 

  • Donna June 26, 2019 (4:36 am)

    Low Riding Driver and MJ, I drive that route every morning and my vehicle is a tall SUV.  Nonetheless, I cannot see over the vegetation to look for cars coming up the hill.  I sent a message 2 weeks ago to Find It Fix It and their response was simply that it was part of their summer schedule.  Ummmmm, that could be any time between today and September 21st.  Maybe it would help if we all flooded them with reports to that site. It looks at first like you need to include a photo, but it’s also possible to just use their mapping feature.

    • Lexy June 26, 2019 (10:41 am)

      That’s a great idea! I’ll go report it now.

  • AN June 26, 2019 (7:36 am)

    20 Million I’m sure!!!

  • WS Mom June 26, 2019 (3:15 pm)

    I’ll stand and direct traffic for $2 million…The intersection at 35th Ave SW and Barton is also horrific – just a matter of time before something terrible happens there. 

    • WSB June 26, 2019 (3:39 pm)

      That one has long been planned for turn arrows. Haven’t checked lately on their status/ETA.

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