INTERSECTION CHANGE: 39th/Oregon now ‘daylighted’

Street changes usually are announced with notices to nearby homes and businesses, but those don’t reach the many other people who also will be affected as they travel through or visit the area, and such is the case for the new features at 39th/Oregon, shown above. Susan emailed us Wednesday after being caught by surprise by the new paint-and-post curb bulbs. We checked in with SDOT, whose spokesperson Ethan Bergerson explained it’s part of ongoing work to “daylight” intersections:

The recently completed project painted new crosswalk markings on the eastern side of the SW Oregon St & 39th Ave SW intersection. It also included new signage indicating that this is a legal crossing, and painted curb bulbs to make it clearer to drivers where parking is not allowed near the intersection. This is called “intersection daylighting” and helps enhance safety by preventing cars from parking illegally in a way that blocks other drivers’ view of oncoming traffic and people crossing the street.

(Here’s the notice nearby homes and businesses received.) Our archives show that community members were seeking safety improvements for this intersection at least as far back as 2016.

Tony August 22, 2024 (1:35 pm)

I think they did not leave enough room for turning left or right.

Bronson August 22, 2024 (4:22 pm)

Agree 100%. Was heading west on Oregon the other day and almost got hit by someone trying to navigate the turn right from northbound 39th to eastbound Oregon. Maybe this person isn’t a great driver, but it appeared to me that they didn’t shape this well enough to allow for turns without going into the opposite lane.
bill August 22, 2024 (7:50 pm)

Maybe you should hang up your keys. I turned right here a few days ago with no problems. Was very nice having improved sightlines.
Bbron August 22, 2024 (9:39 pm)

slow down. you turn your vehicle much tighter when pulling into parking spaces. saying you can’t make a standard right or left turn is an issue of the driver.
KM August 22, 2024 (9:46 pm)

I have managed to do it just fine in my SUV.

Chris August 22, 2024 (2:10 pm)

I cross through here on foot daily. So far, the majority of cars (drivers) still aren’t stopping, but at least the visibility is an improvement.

Lincoln Park Mom August 22, 2024 (2:40 pm)

Isn’t every intersection a legal pedestrian crossing with or without crosswalks?

WSB August 22, 2024 (2:51 pm)

Yes, it is.

Jeff P August 22, 2024 (3:36 pm)

It is about TIME this intersection got some recognition. It is SO dangerous!! This and the one down the block at the bottom of the hill are both so bad for pedestrians. Anyone with a big huge truck (unfortunately many in West Seattle) can never see pedestrians crossing as they speed downhill to the Fauntleroy.

AT August 22, 2024 (4:13 pm)

Visibility is nice, too bad about the plastic bollard things. Do they want room for cyclists or not?

Lindynw August 22, 2024 (4:54 pm)

This is a great improvement. It helps slow down the cars as they speed down hill toward Fauntleroy and improves visibility as the cars crest the hill at 39th. However, there is a huge problem in the street just one block east at 38th and Oregon. When turning right off Fauntleroy to proceed west on Oregon, there is something bigger than just a pothole and a huge steel plate in the road. The road has been in this condition for some time. It would be great to find out if the city has any plans to fix it!

Margie August 22, 2024 (4:55 pm)

I cross here all the time and no one ever stops and you really have to watch out for the people doing left turns on to Oregon. This is a welcome improvement.

Mike August 22, 2024 (5:01 pm)

I constantly stop here for peds and constantly get honked at for stopping while watching countless cars going the other direction who clearly see a person crossing and refuse to stop. I hope this helps the statistics at least a little and prevents a ped collision.

Paige August 22, 2024 (5:07 pm)

As a driver i practically stop at this intersection every time I pass it.l as a pedestrian, I almost never cross it.I’m Happy they did something, it can get really chaotic and it’s hard to see coming up that hill

Admiral-2009 August 22, 2024 (10:36 pm)

Putting the marked crosswalk on the east leg to encourage PEDs to cross where better sight lines exist is appropriate, did SDoT finally hire an engineer!

Lola August 23, 2024 (7:39 am)

The intersection that I find that people can’t seem to keep their cars out of the crosswalk is the end of Oregon St. at the light where it turns onto Fauntleroy. I use this daily, and it amazes me every time I come down the hill how many cars are actually Stopped in the Crosswalk at the light. Back it up a few feet so the people can cross. You don’t have to be in the crosswalk when the light is red. Make it safe for the pedestrians crossing please.

Kalo August 23, 2024 (8:13 am)

The turn to head east is difficult. To make the turn, one has to pull out a bit to check for traffic coming from the west. In doing so, one ends up in the opposite lane when finalizing the turn. Just a smidge, but in the opposite lane nonetheless. A bit of a bulb diet would be beneficial IMHO.

Bbron August 23, 2024 (9:17 pm)

i can’t comprehend what “opposite lane” you’d end up in that you wouldn’t have to have entered to make a standard left or right turn to go east from either north or south of Oregon. even with the bulbs this intersection shape and sight lines isn’t an oddity; there are plenty just like it over Seattle. it worries me being a pedestrian reading that drivers are struggling with the basic skills needed to operate their car safely. always humorous to see an opposing ideology adopt language from their opposition without understanding it: a “bulb diet” is not a thing. we have never overbuilt pedestrian infrastructure, so you can’t diet what you’re actively starving of.

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