Don’t block the box (Image: SDOT)
Seattle is finally installing new traffic cameras to enforce transit lane laws and make sure motorists don’t “block the box.” There won’t be any tickets issued until 2022 but the cameras are going in this week to “ensure the public has adequate notice to learn the rules of the road,” the city says.
The Seattle Department of Transportation announced eight locations around the downtown area for the first trial of the new program:
We have chosen eight locations around downtown Seattle to add new traffic cameras to automatically enforce laws preventing people in cars from illegally driving in bus lanes or blocking crosswalks and intersections. The locations were selected in coordination with the Seattle Police Department (SPD). These cameras are intended to help improve public safety, reduce congestion, keep transit moving, and increase mobility for people with disabilities.
- Aurora Ave N at Galer St (Transit Lane)
- 3rd Ave at James St (Transit Lane)
- 1st Ave at Columbia St (Transit Lane)
- 3rd Ave and Stewart St (Transit Lane)
- 4th Ave at Battery St (Don’t Block the Box)
- 4th Ave at Jackson St (Don’t Block the Box)
- Westlake Ave N at Valley St/Roy St (Don’t Block the Box)
- 5th Ave at Olive Way (Both Transit Lane and Don’t Block the Box)
In 2020, state lawmakers finally passed legislation pushed by the city to allow the cameras for limited new uses beyond speed enforcement.
The new cameras, SDOT says, are being installed at “busy intersections to prevent people driving from blocking crosswalks and intersections after the light turns red (also known as “blocking the box”)” and to help keep transit lanes clear for busses. “This helps keeps buses moving, which in turn makes our transit system more reliable, benefiting everyone,” SDOT says.
SDOT says the transit camera locations were chosen “based on their history of problematic and ongoing violations of people blocking the intersection or driving in the transit lane.”
The cameras will work like photo-enforcement cameras in other parts of Seattle which issue tickets for red light violations or speeding in school safety zones. To protect privacy, the cameras will “only record vehicle license plates and not the people inside the car.”
“The photos are only intended to be used for enforcing the bus lane and blocking the box laws, and are not intended for other law enforcement action,” SDOT said.
Under state law, half of the net revenue from the traffic cameras will go to a Washington Traffic Safety Commission fund for bicycle and pedestrian safety projects, and the other half of the net revenue “must be used to build safety and mobility improvements for people with disabilities in Seattle.” SDOT says it plans to invest this in more accessible walk signals which vibrate and make a noise to let people with limited vision or hearing know when it is safe to cross the street.
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They should do the intersection at Denny and Stewart. I often see it blocked.
The problem is that the Legislature only allowed Seattle (and only Seattle) a set number of agreed upon intersections because they didn’t want to rile up the “war on cars” cretins (Dori and Eyman) and their gullible followers.
Even the fact that Seattle can’t start fining traffic law violators until 2022 was a result of that fear. Then the state had the audacity to siphon off their cut of the fines…because reasons?
So if you’re hoping this gets expanded, as I do, don’t hold your breath. It could be years, if ever.
I get why “blocking the box” is annoying, but to me, this is just another example of SDOT just blowing our money in arbitrary directions without considering the efficiency of spending. Is anybody’s life on the line when the “box is blocked”? Are these cameras going to be as useless a tactic as red light cameras, which anyone can just deny culpability to get out of? SDOT is an agency of feel-good regulations, not an effective spender of taxes.
Watch this video produced by Rooted in Rights to see how people who rely on curb ramps and can’t easily detour out of their way are impacted by drivers blocking crosswalks and intersections.
https://rootedinrights.org/video/dontblockthebox/
Going to court has its costs, so those disputing their tickets aren’t getting off scot-free. The money just doesn’t go into the city coffer.
In the photo above, where are pedestrians supposed to go while crossing 4th? When you block the intersection you are endangering others. If ticket jaywalkers, we should ticket cars blocking intersections.
We don’t ticket jaywalkers.
Jaywalkers are not a danger to the lives of car drivers.
I agree with others who point out that blocking the box does endanger pedestrians and cyclists, but I’ll accept your premise.
Impeding the flow of transit and other traffic may not put “anybody’s life on the line,” but it’s wasteful. This automated enforcement mechanism seems better than having the police 1) have a real-world interaction with a driver that could escalate, 2) pull someone over in the middle of gridlock which is logistically difficult.
You slow down traffic and busses and transit needs to run ontime to try and make connection. If people are blocking the box traffic can not move and busses can’t go anywhere if the transit lanes are blocked and that passes people off that are on the bus because of stupid people blowing. Aka. Unber drivers.
The Denny way bus lane between Boren and Stewart needs one.
LoL. I’m sure the SPD and paramedics will LOVE responding to one rear end collision after another as drivers slam on the brakes to avoid the tickets. It’s why Redmond removed their cameras. They caused accidents and the cost to respond far exceeded the pittance revenue they generated.
But I’m sure the camera solution vendor will be happy and whoever they lobbied will be well compensated.
If I interpret your comment correctly: we shouldn’t do anything to reduce the amount of dangerous driving because people suck at driving?
Studies have shown that the amount of accidents dramatically decrease at red light camera intersections. I’ll take rear ends over high speed head-ons, t-bones and running into pedestrians.
Besides, most streets have speed limits of 25 mph. If you rear end somebody at that speed, you were following waaaay too close.
Voten and olive should be the next Ethan gets added. Basically and freeway on ramp route needs better enforcement. like down by Whole Foods as traffic gets so tight that people block walkways when they haven’t moved through a light cycle