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Slow down: Belmont/Bellevue gets its crosswalk — Plus, speed limits lowered on Broadway, Pike, Pine, more

Changes around Capitol Hill streets will hopefully make things a little safer for everybody as a crosswalk project the city says was already in motion before a fatal collision was installed and new speed limits were rolled out across the city.

Election Day morning, CHS found a Seattle Department of Transportation work crew putting the finishing touches on a ladder style crosswalk to hopefully provide safer passage where Bellevue meets the sloping, speedy tilt of Belmont Ave E on the northwest corner of Capitol Hill. A few in the crew admitted installation had been more harrowing than most as some drivers sped down the steep hill while others seemed determined to get a head of steam going on their way up to make it to the top. “This should be a one-way street,” one worker told CHS. A sign to alert drivers to the crosswalk was also going to be installed, another crew member said. A separate “curb buffer” marking was also added along one side of Bellevue where parking was already prohibited.

Earlier, CHS talked with an SDOT official who said an assessment of the area’s need for a crosswalk was already underway before Max Richards’s September death. CHS reported on the September death of Richards after he was struck in the street while walking his dog near his Capitol Hill home. A second analysis began in the wake of the tragedy to look at other possible changes for the street, the SDOT rep told CHS, adding that the count of pedestrians who cross at the intersection met the threshold for crosswalk installation and the volume and speed of drivers in the area was sampled “to determine what else would be appropriate.” At this point, SDOT says the new markings and signs will be the extent of the additions.

arterial-speed-limit-change-mapLower speed limits
Hopefully, the city’s decision to drop arterial speed limits across Seattle will also help — but it won’t be part of the solution on Belmont where the limit will remain unchanged. The changes in the central city went into effect this week:

Beginning November 7th, new speed limits will be going into effect for city streets. This is part of Seattle’s Vision Zero plan to end traffic deaths and serious injuries on city streets by 2030. Speed limits for the streets in central Seattle (indicated in blue in the map below) will be reduced to 25 mph. The non-arterial (a.k.a. residential street) speed limit will be reduced from 25 mph to 20 mph.

CHS reported on the announced changes in September. Some of Capitol Hill’s busiest streets now enjoy a 5 MPH speed limit reduction. Speed limits on Capitol Hill’s arterial streets have been reduced from 30 MPH to 25 MPH, which includes E Pike, E Pine, Broadway, Madison, E Union, 15th, 12th, and Bellevue among others.

lowered-speeds-matter

Drivers are currently under a warning period before police officers begin enforcing the new speeds. The move is part of Mayor Ed Murray’s Vision Zero plan to end traffic deaths by 2030.

Arterial street speed limit reductions will eventually be proposed for outside the city center area, SDOT director Scott Kubly said.

via GIPHY

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Jason
Jason
7 years ago

Why not make all streets 20mph then? All the newbies and Uber drivers are doing that speed anyway.

Jeff
Jeff
7 years ago

A painted crosswalk is like the white bikes now. Why not everywhere?

David
David
7 years ago

Unfortunately you have to “walk defensively” and be attentive. I see people looking at their phones just step right out into the street, seemingly trusting that drivers are not going to hit them. Scary.

LeonT
LeonT
7 years ago

Wait, so you think you can actually go that fast on Broadway?

poncho
poncho
7 years ago

12th Ave really needs traffic calming, cars go way too fast and rarely yield to pedestrians.

Max
Max
7 years ago

Belmont & Roy is still totally unacceptable. Needs full on 4 way traffic lights period. I’ve seen everything from people taking left on Belmont down to Roy without stopping at that one stop sign or even signaling, pedestrians crossing in every combination of the intersection, including being completely invisible to cars rounding curve down Belmont, people crossing just up from Belmont on Roy being completely blind to cars coming up the hill, some people signaling right in order to continue on Belmont going South (which is what you’re supposed to do), but others just curving onto that street thinking that it’s “straight”, then others coming up the hill cutting the curve tight and going over center line, plus the crosswalk at Boylston as hill crests. Also, not even a single marked crosswalk here, and just the two stop signs, the other on the way coming up from Roy. It’s a massive hazard and accident waiting to happen.

RWK
RWK
7 years ago
Reply to  Max

You’re right that it’s a potentially dangerous intersection, but it would be interesting to know if there is a history of accidents there. My guess is that there has not, because since the danger is obvious drivers and pedestrians alike are extra careful.

I can’t see how a traffic light would be possible at such a “weird” intersection.

JenChere
JenChere
7 years ago

Might be an optimum spot for installing the pedestrian triggered crossing lights – like 19th & Union just got. The extra attention drawn to the crosswalk wouldn’t hurt and would be simpler than a full stoplight system.

SB
SB
7 years ago

I cross this street every day and although it does help to improve driver awareness, I have still experienced drivers not stopping/slowing for me or other pedestrians even when we have one foot in the crosswalk. There are 2 wooden telephone/electric poles blocking the view of pedestrians on the southern end of crosswalk and drivers have a hard time seeing people crossing when zooming uphill. I’ve had to put my hand out for drivers to notice me before I start walking.

Russell
7 years ago

I can see this intersection from my living room window. The cross walk is not visible to drivers coming up the hill from Eastlake. I am struggling to see a ton of upside from just the crosswalk alone. Signs and/or flashing lights alone would probably be much more effective than the crosswalk alone. It seems as if this was a kneejerk reaction to the incident. I’m not saying they shouldn’t have acted but it seems like the solution is a little slapped together.

I don’t see the current arrangement actually altering anyone’s behavior.