FOLLOWUP: What is SDOT doing at 35th/Brandon after two major crashes?

| Safety | Transportation | West Seattle news

(August crash scene)

After the latest driver/motorcyclist collision at 35th/Brandon, we asked SDOT what review they had done after the deadly crash two months earlier, and also asked the status of the next phase of 35th SW safety improvements in general. It took a week and a half, but here’s SDOT’s reply, on both points:

We were deeply saddened to learn that a second person was seriously injured riding a motorcycle through this intersection so soon after the death of Alonzo Rackley in August. We have not yet heard an update on their condition from Harborview Medical Center and are sincerely hoping that they recover and heal soon.

Earlier this year we adopted a new Fatal Crash Response Policy to strengthen our Vision Zero work. This policy creates a more consistent and transparent process for reviewing fatal crashes and identifying safety enhancements:

SDOT staff visits the site of any fatal crashes within the first few weeks for an initial safety review to document conditions, learn more about what factors may have contributed to the crash, and identify critical maintenance and repair needs at the location.
Every six months, we conduct a broader review of all fatal crashes involving people walking or riding a bike, scooter, or motorcycle. During this phase, we return to the crash sites to collect more data, study the history of crashes, and identify projects that can be constructed to address safety needs.

We conducted an initial safety review after the fatal motorcycle crash on August 19 which led to us trimming trees to enhance lighting. We expect to begin the 2nd phase evaluation of this location in early 2027 as part of the broader citywide review, and will conduct additional analysis of the intersection to help identify other potential safety enhancements.

The 2024 Seattle Transportation Levy funds a street maintenance and modernization project on 35th Ave SW. We are currently evaluating the timing and scope of that project. When the project reaches the design phase, we will conduct a Complete Streets checklist analysis to identify safety enhancements and other potential improvements for people walking, rolling, biking and taking transit.

Actualperson October 22, 2026 (1:17 pm)

SDOT must be awfully bruised from banging their heads on the low hanging fruit. Easy answer: ENFORCE EXISTING LAWS ALREADY ON THE BOOKS. There are PLENTY of laws on the books covering everyone using the road regardless of mode they’re using.

Charles Burlingame October 22, 2026 (2:16 pm)

Reply

The Seattle Department of Transportation is not a law enforcement agency.

glh October 22, 2026 (1:19 pm)

This is far too little and too myopic a focus on a particular intersection. 35th is laid out as a racetrack from Alaska to Morgan and the whole thing needs to be redone.

Platypus October 22, 2026 (1:40 pm)

Making this two car lanes Between Morgan and Alaska would be a game changer. Its a raceway right now.

Tax Payer October 22, 2026 (1:58 pm)

If we hold to the standard local government response to the “problem”. They will ban cars from using this section of the road, create a bus and motorcycle lane only, drop the speed limit to 15 mph, and install speed camera that collect money that are allowed since they produce revenue, but they are not used to somehow catch a criminal because that would be a bad.

WS Res October 22, 2026 (4:13 pm)

Reply

The Department of Transportation is not tasked with “catching criminals.” You’re thinking of the Seattle Police Department.

Foop October 22, 2026 (2:07 pm)

Angela Brady needs to go. Trimming trees? The issue is driver behavior and road design, not lighting.

Arturo Garcia-Cuellar October 22, 2026 (3:45 pm)

I have called Saka’s staff about 35th Ave SW, as I live on the highway. Their advice was to do Community Outreach since SDOT, SPD, City Council and the State of Washington were not going to do anything; three months later there was a death.

jeffrey October 22, 2026 (3:55 pm)

Foop – The trimmed the trees the other day and it made a MAJOR difference. I live a here and was amazed by the difference. It does need a light however. The road is fine, it’s a people problem.

Brad R October 22, 2026 (5:30 pm)

Reading the SDOT response gave me a headache. The new Fatal Crash Response Policy seems like common sense (and a good idea) – why wasn’t it part of Vision Zero in the first place? In five paragraphs, SDOT mentions a review, analysis, evaluation, or study nearly a dozen times. Typical Seattle.

KA October 22, 2026 (6:47 pm)

As someone who lives on Freeway 35, I appreciate the thorough response and look forward to hearing about more improvements. Sympathies to the accident victims.

Frog October 22, 2026 (7:51 pm)

The intersection of 35th and Brandon is essentially no different from 35th and Dawson to the north, or 35th and Findlay to the south. Oh wait, there is one difference. Brandon is the only one where SDOT has painted curb extensions with white flag pylon things, thereby narrowing the road and taking away “avoidance” space where motorists could move to avoid collisions. If the Brandon intersection is uniquely dangerous, maybe it’s because of alleged safety changes SDOT made earlier. Perhaps what SDOT should do is remove their prior modifications, and make the intersection exactly like the ones immediately north and south, which seem not to be unusually accident-prone.