No, Walk All Ways is NOT changing. Here’s what SDOT says California/Alaska intersection’s new pushbuttons are for

Starting right after an SDOT crew left California SW and SW Alaska on Saturday morning, people started asking us about the then-covered-up pushbuttons they installed on all corners. Some worried these were “beg buttons” meaning the intersection would stop being automatically cycled “Walk All Ways.” An explanation wasn’t available over the weekend, but we just got this reply from SDOT spokesperson Mariam Ali:

What you’re seeing are new Accessible Pedestrian Signal (APS) push buttons being installed to meet ADA standards. These provide audio and tactile cues to help people who are blind or low-vision know when it’s safe to cross. The cardboard covers are just temporary — crews keep them in place until all APS units are ready to be activated at the same time.

We’re also replacing some vehicle signal heads and overhead signs while crews are onsite, but none of this changes how the intersection operates. The California/Alaska all-walk “scramble” will continue to activate automatically. We are not switching to push-button (“beg button”) operation or making any other timing or operational changes.

Our crews will also be doing this same type of work at California Ave SW & SW Oregon St — upgrading APS push buttons and replacing vehicle signal heads and overhead signage. That work may begin once the Alaska intersection is complete, possibly early next year, weather depending.

Some other intersections already have the APS buttons – just a block east, 42nd SW and SW Alaska, for example.

Jake November 17, 2025 (1:50 pm)

Now we just need entire Admiral area to get upgraded ramp sidewalks. We still have some of the original mid century configurations all over that are not ADA approved

Colleen N. November 17, 2025 (10:52 pm)

It would be great to have a “walk all ways” at Admiral and California.
- Danimal November 25, 2025 (10:03 pm)
  
  Nice idea, but with the traffic volumes there, it wouldn’t work. The turn-only lanes would be the limiting factor – too much time between greens for any lane if you throw an all-walk in there. Traffic would back up for many many blocks.

dhg November 17, 2025 (2:06 pm)

Thanks for the update. It had us worried. Now please settle an argument: How long has it been a scramble light?

sparkies November 17, 2025 (2:27 pm)

What do you mean scramble light? It goes: 1: North & South on California 2: West on Alaska (allowing right turns from California to Alaska when going North) 3: East on Alaska 4: All Way Cross…. A couple of years ago they tried reversing the order for like a month and that did not go over well.
- WSB November 17, 2025 (6:47 pm)
  
  “Scramble” is the official name for this type of crossing.
- dhg November 19, 2025 (2:30 pm)
  
  Way back in high school, my charming friend told me that such an intersection is called a “scramble light” because, when the walk light is active, you scramble to whatever corner you want.
Bill#1 November 17, 2025 (4:58 pm)

“Scramble light?” “argument”? with who? “worried”? I will start the answer to your question of the day – try PRIOR to June, 1956 – my PERSONAL first recollection. Easiest intersection for pedestrians in ALL of Seattle!Tradition! my boy, Tradition!! Ya gotta a problem with that?
Rob November 17, 2025 (6:35 pm)

Since the ’50s! There is a photo in the Log House Museum collection of possibly when it became an all way crossing – https://hub.catalogit.app/southwest-seattle-historical-society/folder/alaska-junction/entry/73df9630-da5c-11e9-bd00-ef27e4a769c4

WS Res November 17, 2025 (2:13 pm)

It would be nice to get diagonal crosswalks painted on. There are beautiful ones in Oakland’s Chinatown that are 5-ways.

West Seattle Mad Sci Guy November 18, 2025 (9:09 am)

My ask would be that the walk signs be slightly angled or install a 5th one so if you are doing an angled crossing you can see the seconds if diagonally crossing

walkerws November 17, 2025 (3:05 pm)

It would be amazing to also get all way walk at California/Edmunds. That intersection is a pedestrian nightmare.

Bill#1 November 17, 2025 (5:08 pm)

Makes sense!
Little One November 17, 2025 (8:52 pm)

Yes!
LadySeaview November 18, 2025 (9:34 am)

I agree! That light is so long it would probably improve wait times and be more safe for pedestrians.
dhg November 19, 2025 (2:33 pm)

Bruce Harrell was at the farmers market a month or two ago and he said he’d grant me one wish. I said I want the Calif & Edmunds intersection to change to a scramble light. He said he’d consider it.
- IDC9 November 20, 2025 (3:16 am)
  
  Has he granted you your wish? His time in office is running out.

DC November 17, 2025 (3:21 pm)

@WSB is there a way to tell whether a push button is a ‘beg’ button. I’ve been seeing these go up in other parts of the city and now I never know whether I actually need to push the button.

Derek November 17, 2025 (4:58 pm)

Pretty sure there’s a traffic controller for when it’s fixed vs on-demand. Also it’s mostly to signal a louder audio signal so someone can hear it if they cannot see the signs well or at all.
Bill#1 November 17, 2025 (5:12 pm)

Somebody’s making a major rake off on these push buttons — most intersections just need the walk signals operating with the lights – the push buttons are mostly superlative!
- WS Res November 17, 2025 (7:30 pm)
  
  Did you miss the part where they’re an accessibility thing for people with vision limitations?

Junction Lady November 17, 2025 (6:28 pm)

I think it would be great to have WALK ALL WAYS at California & Edmunds. It would be a major improvement!

22blades November 17, 2025 (7:21 pm)

I liked the old “NO TURN RED” signs over the new ones (2017).

sparkies November 17, 2025 (8:22 pm)

Those were so much better. Heck – I’d very much support LIT signs that say No Turn when no turn is permitted. I am that pedestrian who yells at cars.
- bill November 18, 2025 (8:52 am)
  
  I yell too! SDOT has done a terrible job keeping some lit No Turns signs operating. One was installed before the pandemic at Harbor & Spokane, facing westbound traffic on Spokane. The purpose was to prevent right turns when the crosswalk was in use. It seemed to be effective when it worked, but the sign was broken most of its life. SDOT tried many times to repair it. It seemed no one in the food chain had the wits to buy a sign from a different vendor.Contrast that with the two lit signs at 25th NE & Blakeley where the Burke crosses 25th. Those have worked for many years — lit signs are not rocket science.
  - IDC9 November 20, 2025 (3:17 am)
    
    Has that sign been replaced? If so, does it work better now?
- K. Davis November 18, 2025 (9:11 am)
  
  Lit signs that say “no turn” won’t stop me. Yell away. Bwah, ha, ha …
  - walkerws November 18, 2025 (1:11 pm)
    
    Why do you want to cause harm to pedestrians? What’s wrong with you?
    - 22blades November 18, 2025 (4:52 pm)
      
      He’s not old enough to drive obviously.
  - Ts November 21, 2025 (8:22 pm)
    
    Wow, just wow. My daughter has almost been hit so many times from people looking for cars but not people when turning right on red. So many people who plan to do this do not stop at the stop line but go further up to look for cars, which is dangerous for people like her who need the ramp cutouts due to using a wheelchair and are sitting vs standing at 5’5″ or above where most drivers look. Again, this is an ADA safety issue. A Seattle city light truck even hit someone using a power chair on Delridge due to this and she had to cross there daily with the reminder on the pavement (enough said there). Once people do stop for her they do not back up but wave her across and then yell at her for refusing to go Infront of their car and in the lane of cross traffic, you know with cars moving during their green light. Is this who you are saying you are?
  - datamuse November 25, 2025 (1:47 pm)
    
    What a jerky thing to say. And do.

Kathy November 18, 2025 (11:55 am)

All way walk intersections also help cyclists get safely through these busy intersections that have zero bike lanes.

FedUp November 23, 2025 (4:40 pm)

We need an All Ways Walk on California and Oregon now. With a new 40 room hotel / 40 unit apartment complex with NO Parking… oh and add retail in there, we are going to need the same pedestrian crossing here. If you are a vehicle and are turning left or right from Westbound Oregon you may never be able to turn because of all the ped traffic.

Jim November 27, 2025 (11:27 am)

In Victoria BC, beg button or not, directional speakers are mounted on the poles so a blind person can know when the walk light is on, AND use the “tweet” of the speaker to guide them across the street. Of course an intersection like Alaska Junction would be bloody confusing with 12 different speakers going off all at the same time. LOL

Sorry, comment time is over.