Two recent pedestrian/car collisions resulting in serious injuries to Hamilton Middle School students have prompted members of the Wallingford community to brainstorm ideas for making the Stone Way North crosswalks safer for pedestrians and drivers.
'Dangerous' crosswalks
The first incident occurred on May 24, when an eighth-grader was struck in a crosswalk while crossing Stone Way at North 41st Street. Police reported that some cars stopped for the boy, but one driver weaved around the cars and hit the boy.
According to Chris White, Wallingford Community Council board member and chair of the Quality of Life Council, the boy has undergone two major surgeries since the accident and will endure a long recovery.
The second incident occurred recently, involving another Hamilton Middle School student crossing Stone Way at North 40th Street.
Wallingford community members maintain that not only are there places where a crosswalk or other mitigation is necessary, but that changes need to occur at existing crosswalks to make them more prominent to motorists.
In some instances, the City of Seattle has removed crosswalks in locations that they determined were too dangerous for pedestrians, they claim. Wallingford community members say this is not an option on Stone Way, due to the high volume of pedestrian crossings.
Community safety
David Levinger, executive director of the regional pedestrian advocacy organization Feet First, said that other options are available.
"In some of those locations, Feet First has suggested that instead of removing marked crosswalks, the city needs to upgrade the safety there. Removing the crosswalk does not always sufficiently increase the safety," Levinger said.
White said she is concerned for the safety of the community: "Stone Way is a road that bridges communities of schoolchildren. There has also been an increase in businesses, which increased the pedestrian traffic. We have the University House that houses elderly residents, condominiums and more. It is not just a kids' issue," she explained.
The Stone Way intersections are particularly dangerous due to the four-lane construction of the street, she said.
"Crosswalks in a four-lane configuration are exceedingly dangerous. Pedestrians must get four lanes to stop - not just one. It is a difficult situation for both the pedestrians and the drivers," White said.
Seattle Police Officer Sean Whitcomb said that pedestrians should be aware of the dangers of crossing multiple-lane roads.
"We try to tell pedestrians to treat each lane separately. Just because one car stops for you does not mean the other will," Whitcomb said.
Whitcomb said that while it would be unfair to characterize the Stone Way intersections as hot spots for pedestrian accidents, he said the May 24 accident was a very serious collision.
According to traffic safety information released by the City of Seattle, the most common types of pedestrian vs. automobile conflicts are when motorists make a right or a left turn at an intersection, and when drivers on a multiple-lane road stop for a pedestrian, but traffic in the accompanying lane does not stop.
Safety suggestions
In 1999 the Wallingford Community Council drafted a neighborhood plan that included suggestions on how to improve pedestrian safety at various locations, including the Stone Way intersections. Wallingford resident and historian Tom Veith was one of the original drafters of the plan.
The plan proposes a "three-lane solution." A three-lane configuration allows for one through-traffic lane in each direction divided by a center turn lane.
"In the southern part of Stone Way, the lanes are actually fairly narrow. The combination of narrow lanes, car traffic, pedestrians and bikes traveling on the road is dangerous. We feel it would work better as a three-lane road," Veith said.
According to the neighborhood plan, pedestrians would be able to cross one lane at a time by waiting in the center lane, and median refuges and crosswalks could be added to assist pedestrians.
City efforts
Mayor Greg Nickels released a comprehensive pedestrian safety plan a day after the May 24 accident occurred. The plan strives to increase pedestrian safety by launching public-service announcements on television and radio, installing new pedestrian safety signs, posting pedestrian safety billboards and re-marking crosswalks.
The plan also includes bringing together the Seattle Police Department and local schools for informational visits during the summer and the school year.
Whitcomb said that so far this year the police department has visited five community centers to talk to kids about pedestrian safety, and plans to visit 40 schools throughout the course of the school year.
"We're providing both education to the community, as well as enforcement for violators. We are doing a lot of emphasis patrols where our mission is to find areas with pedestrian traffic and look for drivers who are violating by not yielding to pedestrians," he said.
"What people really should be aware of is that any road can have the potential to be dangerous."
Reviewing options
Each year, the Seattle Police Department hosts a Night Out to discuss issues with Seattle residents; this year's theme is pedestrian safety, and the event will take place Aug. 2. To register, visit www.cityofseattle.net/police/nightout/default.htm.
Also, a Feet First representative will attend a Wallingford Community Council meeting on Wednesday, July 20, at 7 p.m. at University House, 4400 Stone Way N., to review the Stone Way accidents and propose enhancements to pedestrian safety in the area.
Chris White said the council is reviewing options and solutions to the pedestrian safety issue along Stone Way. Anyone who wants to get involved in this issue should call the office at 632-3165.
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