Tomorrow, Mayor Murray is announcing the launch of Vision Zero at an event in Lake City. The family of Sandhya Khadka will be speaking.
Can you send the attached postcard to your neighborhood email lists along with the following information?
The Vision Zero Plan, which will be updated annually includes:
- Reduced speed limits on many streets citywide
- A new 25 mph speed limit in downtown Seattle
- 20 mph zones in neighborhoods
- Arterial speed limit reductions on several streets throughout the city
- New public engagement and education strategies
- Bi-monthly ped and bike safety patrols accompanied by media outreach
- “Re-enforcement” patrols to reward people who exhibit good behaviors
For questions, contact:
Jim Curtin
Traffic Safety Coordinator
City of Seattle Department of Transportation
O: 206.684.8874 | M: 206.496.8867 | F: 206.684.5093 | jim.curtin@seattle.gov
20 mph in neighborhoods. Did not see that coming. That is so sloooooow,just think when the school lights are flashing, yeah that slow. I can see it on streets with no sidewalk. That could perhaps discourage cut through traffic if it was to be enforced.Hmm,gotta think on that one.
It’s ESPECIALLY important when there’s no sidewalks. But I think it’s a good idea everywhere in our neighborhoods. It encourages cars to only use those roads to get to arterials which is what they’re designed for. Also, it feels slow but when you look at the actual travel times over a 6 block distance it doesn’t actually change much for the driver.
And the plan is about saving lives. The data is very clear about the survivability of accidents at slower speeds.
http://humantransport.org/sidewalks/SpeedKills.htm
Amazing stats, thanks.
Yeah, SDOT has used similar stats when talking about projects like the re-channelization of NE 125th I think.
It’s staggering how much of a difference it can make. I’ve always generally preferred slower speeds but seeing that data at one of their meetings really helped drive home the emotional response to realize how important it is.
Has anyone tried to get a speed indicator sign in Pinehurst? Traffic on 15th between Northgate Way and the merge w/ Pinehurst Way usually goes way too fast, and there are sidewalks on only one side of the street. It’s a pedestrian nightmare. Somewhere I read that Pinehurst Way is going down to 1 lane in each direction and that’s just going to frustrate drivers in the area even more.
A flashing school zone speed sign is part of the traffic safety proposal. Though I don’t *think* it’s one of the ones that will tell you your speed in real time. I could be wrong there. But they will be tracking data before and after to see how things change. http://www.pinehurstseattle.org/2015/01/30/pinehurst-school-traffic-safety-proposal/
SDOT has been doing a bunch of meetings (two last May, two in January, working with the Pinehurst Community Council as well) to get ideas from the community and narrowing it to a single lane was something that was suggested by a lot of different people. It dramatically reduced the speeds along NE 125th when they did something similar. It’s still carrying about the same amount of traffic, it’s just more closely following the speed limit.
And the insane speeders (40+ mph) have dropped dramatically on NE 125th. Which is all the more important when looked at with the fatality rates I linked to above. http://humantransport.org/sidewalks/SpeedKills.htm
I grew up in Chehalis, Wa and something they still have there today is a stop sign at every corner in residential neighborhoods. Drives me nuts but it does force you to slow down. Do you have any links for 125th studies done after the lane reduction?
http://sdotblog.seattle.gov/2013/11/13/the-results-are-infewer-collisions-on-northeast-125th/