Are these new official crosswalk markings at Olive Way/Harvard or did some guerilla crosswalk work happen here?!? The streaked paint points to… unofficial. I love it. This was a scary place to cross.@jseattle @typewriteralley @Spottnik pic.twitter.com/3GBkWgiXwb
— Aaron J (@flyguy84) November 15, 2022
When it comes to moral quandaries in journalism, reporting on guerilla crosswalk installations is up there with secret all-ages music clubs, unauthorized skate ramps, and unofficial dog parks.
But you have to figure the Seattle Department of Transportation would catch wind of a guerilla crosswalk on E Olive Way sooner than later. Someone has taken it into their own hands to mark the crossing where hundreds pass just west of Broadway every day.
A social media post pointed out the new tactical urbanism project Tuesday at the busy but unmarked crossing of E Olive Way at Harvard Ave and immediately went hyperlocally viral with many responding positively to the likely to be temporary new feature. As one respondent pointed out, the well executed paint job conforms to City of Seattle standards for transverse line crosswalks.
It’s not the only site of recent unofficial street upgrades in the city. In October, five months after SDOT removed an illegally painted crosswalk at 83rd and Greenwood, the department installed a new signalized and official crosswalk at the location.
We’ve asked SDOT for more information about what comes next for the Capitol Hill crossing. Earlier this fall, the city included pedestrian improvements including new markings and new access ramps at the intersection in a roster of projects hoped to be part of $50 million in new federal grants to improve street safety. Belmont at Pike, Harvard at Seneca, and 10th and Pike are other area crossings on that list. Now Seattle just needs the feds to pony up.
If the money comes through, the changes could join some of SDOT’s relatively rapidly deployed changes like new 4-way stops changing the traffic patterns up and down Pike and Pine. Other levels of pedestrianization will take more time.
In the meantime, there is — probably temporarily — a new crosswalk on E Olive Way.
UPDATE 11/16/2022 10:30 AM: When CHS contacted a spokesperson about the crosswalk late Tuesday, they were already fully aware of its presence. By Wednesday morning, crews were out to wipe away the renegade paint. “We are always interested in working with residents and businesses on ways to make walking safer and more comfortable and will evaluate the intersection to see how we might replace the unauthorized crosswalk,” SDOT said in a Tweet. “In the meantime, it will have to be removed.”
“Improperly painted crosswalks give a false sense of safety which puts pedestrians in danger,” the social media statement went on to add. “There are better ways for people to work wit us to indicate crossing improvement needs and to make sure changes achieve what is intended — get people to their destinations safely.”
Almost been hit here countless times 😰, too bad it’s already going away pic.twitter.com/Xu7tC6J1OK
— constantine (he/him) 🏳️🌈 (@c_chrisafis) November 16, 2022
UPDATE x2 11/16/2022 5:20 PM: Here’s a statement SDOT sent over tonight following Wednesday morning’s removal. In it, SDOT applauds “the passion which has driven someone to paint their own crosswalk. “However this is not the right way to voice your desire for change,” SDOT scolds.
In the statement, SDOT cites its legal requirements for removing the paint and refers to the federal grant CHS reported on. Meanwhile, director Spotts took to Twitter Wednesday afternoon to encourage people to get involved — by going to meetings.
We have heard the message loudly and clearly that the public wants more crossing and safety improvements. We appreciate the passion which has driven someone to paint their own crosswalk, however this is not the right way to voice your desire for change.
There are standards which we are legally required to follow when painting a crosswalk. The unauthorized markings at E Olive Way and Harvard Ave E have been removed because they do not comply with city standards.
We are committed to increasing safety and working with communities. For example, in September SDOT applied for nearly $50 million in federal grants to improve safety and support our bridges. The grant proposal included crossing improvements at Harvard Ave E and E Olive Way. We’ll learn whether we receive the grant as soon as January 2023.
There are many needs throughout the city. We need to focus our resources on safety improvements based on safety, health, and equity. We’re committed to continuing this conversation including co-creating a new Seattle Transportation Plan with the community.
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A large city with big companies and there’s money and we have a broke DOT.
What makes anyone think white lines are going to make a difference…. EVERY intersection is ALREADY a crosswalk, unless it is specifically signed no pedestrian crossing… The only thing that will make that intersection less scary is for motorists to change their behavior, the only thing that will make motorists change their behavior is penalties…
That’s not true. You should reference the RCW entry when you say things like that. Crossing where there is no painted crosswalk is illegal.
“Legally, people can step off a curb and cross the street at any intersection, no matter its traffic or design. That means even crossings without walk signals, lights or zebra stripes give walkers the upper hand, according to state law.” — Seattle Times September 18, 2017
It is true. From https://wsdot.wa.gov/travel/bicycling-walking/walking-rolling-washington/pedestrian-laws-safety – Stop for pedestrians at intersectionsDrivers shall stop at intersections to allow pedestrians and bicycles to cross the road within a marked or unmarked crosswalk (RCW 46.61.235). See Washington’s Crosswalk Law for more information.
They do it all the time anyway. No rules apply to peds and bikes.
Well then.. here’s a drivers that probably owes a lot of pedestrians a big, fat, public apology…. And that needs to change his ways.
I wonder if you’re the jerk that just had to roll down your window to call me a b*tch and told me to cross in a crosswalk a few weeks ago, when I WAS in a crosswalk…
And yet 2 of the 4 (5 if you count this one) responses to your post ignorantly argue that unmarked crosswalks don’t exist, so apparently drivers being unaware of the law is a factor easily addressed by adding a crosswalk.
I mean, I’m with you: mufukas need to know the law and comply with it. But a marked crosswalk is a crosswalk I don’t have to wonder if the driver (like @Kai or @ Rick) is going to run my arse down because they’re completely unaware of the law their supposed to be following.
Yup… I’m thinking that not only should tickets be handed out liberally, that folks from elsewhere should have to at very least pass the written test to transfer their driver’s license to Washington…
nice.
We need someone working on DIY speedbumps! This is one of the densest neighborhoods in the city, and unless it’s an emergency, no one should be doing more than 15-20mph
We had a neighbor near Seattle U who put a yellow plastic speed bump across the middle of the street when his kids were playing in the yard. I thought it was genius. Eventually the city caught on and told him to cut it out. This was on a side street and cars would tear through at high speeds to avoid 12th and Yesler.
There are crosswalks about 30-50 ft away in either direction from here. Just don’t cross here when there’s traffic. Spend the extra 15 seconds to either walk the 0.25 blocks to the protected crosswalk down the hill or over to Broadway. I know people will complain about this. But I live right there and don’t have a car. The world doesn’t revolve around only pedestrians or only motorists or only cyclists.
No. We should prioritize pedestrians in Capitol Hill. Drivers can stop for 3 sec to wait for someone to cross. Doubling back an extra block is not trivial.
This *is* a crosswalk, where pedestrians are *legally* allowed to cross, and cars are *legally* required to yield for them. The ignorance surrounding this (including your own) are the reason why pedestrians resort to guerilla tactics like these.
they’re literally 300+ feet away actually. adds minutes to a pedestrian’s trip… it’s a legal crossing and it should be safe for people to cross there.
It takes even less time for a car to stop while a pedestrian crosses
So it takes the average pedestrian minutes to walk 300 feet? Actually, I think your right. When I’m driving I watch the average pedestrian crossing the street in front of me and it seems it would take them minutes to walk 300 feet. Slooooooooooow….
For the mobility challenged, a one-block detour times two is a big deal. (Yes, the protected crosswalk at Boylston is closer, but it’s also down an incline, which means going back up an incline.) Try either one in a wheelchair sometime.
F**KING RIGHT ON!
I cant be the only one that was secretly hoping someone had painted a gorilla on the street?
Drivers would do well to know the law surrounding cross walks. Pedestrians would do well to know how to safely cross a street.
Small children around the world are taught how to safely cross a street so they can get to school safely. Seattle adults, on the other hand, wish to be road-kill as they wear black on dark rainy nights, fail to observe their surroundings, and cross the street with their eyes glued to their phones.
Even drivers are pedestrians after they park their cars. Should people just not ever wear black coats? Or maybe we should hold drivers to a higher standard. “Drive slowly enough that you can stop for people directly in your path even if they’re not wearing hi-viz construction attire” really shouldn’t be too much to ask.
Maybe we should hold pedestrians to a certain standard as well. Pay attention. Face out of phone. Make eye contact. Be aware. I have no doubt many drivers suck. Hell, I know they do because I share the road with these dumbass losers every day. But when I walk I pay attention, don’t text and cross, make eye contact, and stay aware. Same things I do as a driver. As someone earlier mentioned, around the world young children are taught these skills. But not here. Vision Zero will protect me! No, it won’t. The first step is to protect yourself by engaging the world around you.
This is some ridiculous victim shaming BS. Driving is a privilege that you need to go through a rigorous process to prove you can do so competently. Are we going to make walking licenses, outlaw black jackets, and abolish rain? 🤣
This street is ridiculous with it’s curve to connect the two original street grids, and cars bombing down the hill or driving up faster than they should given the reduced visibility with the curve and hill. Our streets should be designed such that cars feel uncomfortable going above safe speeds, and drivers need to prove that they are capable of obeying common sense speed limits and checking for pedestrians before barreling through crosswalks or making turns. If you’re unsure, you need to slow down to a point that you can be, if that’s not possible, then you should probably not be driving 🤷🏻♂️
That SDOT statement is pure Charlie Brown wah-wah-wah-wah grown-ups-talking background noise. Just put in a goddamn crosswalk already!
I saw this and said, Finally! I’ve been waiting years for this and I assumed it was done in conjunction with the impending redevelopment of the dry cleaning building. This is probably the single most dangerous unmarked intersection in Capitol Hill (which is not an easy contest to win). And the photo shows a curb cut for wheelchairs, so it’s obviously intended as a crossing point (unless that’s a guerrilla installation as well). SDOT needs to repaint this crosswalk yesterday. And put up some pedestrian-operated crossing lights while they’re at it.
Olive Way carries routes 8 and 10; their riders are important.
…..okay, and your point is?
I think the point is: Bus riders on routes 8 & 10 make heavy use of that unmarked crosswalk.
Like I used to cross there daily to take a coworker home after we got off light rail. Then I’d cross there again at night when leaving Seattle Central classes to take westbound bus 8 home.
There needs to be a marked crosswalk or vehicle slowing infrastructure there. I saw too many people get hit there when they were crossing in the right. Nowadays it’s less than a block from a light rail station which makes the lack of a crosswalk there stupider than ever.