Colleen Kurke, President of the Wallingford Chamber of Commerce is working with SDOT to implement more crosswalks and public garbage cans in the neighborhood, and she’s asking for your help.
Seems like crosswalk safety issues come up frequently on Wallyhood, especially intersections that, even though they already have crosswalks, drivers often fail to stop for pedestrians. Take, for instance, the crosswalk located on Stone Way at N. 41st St., which is often used for SPD pedestrian sting operations and has garnered up to 34 right of way pedestrian citations in one day. Last week, King 5 News reported that the mother of a former Hamilton student who had been nearly killed in that intersection in 2005 is advocating for a pedestrian-activating light.
But what about those intersections that don’t yet have crosswalks? In the past, some readers made mention of the N. 45th St. and Bagley intersection as one that would benefit from a crosswalk, as well as the intersection of N. 40th at either Meridian or Bagley. Well, this is where you come in, neighbor: Can you think of some intersections in the neighborhood that should have a crosswalk?
Last but not least, how about trash cans? Are there areas in Wallingford that could benefit from having public trashcans? This one requires a little more investigating since I can only think of a few spots where there are public trashcans, and they’re all on N. 45th. But if anyone has any other suggestions of locations that would benefit from more public trashcans, please let us know.
Trashcans: if there is any way to get these in the neighborhood (as opposed to just on 45th) that’d be a real improvement. Maybe even just along 40th and other bigger arterials (Latona/Thackeray, etc). As a responsible dog owner who goes running with my dog, I often find myself running for up to a mile with dog poop for lack of a trash can!
If there aren’t any near Hamilton School, there should be. The kids are always dropping candy wrappers in our yard–my husband jokes that they re-grow faster than any weed after we remove them from our yard.
I would just like to be added to the list of people who want crosswalks at 45th & Bagley and 40th &Bagley or Meridian. My family crosses at one or both of these intersections daily and it can be quite frightening.
On a side note, cars turning left also need to be more aware of and yield to pedestrians in crosswalks. Just the other day we were walking home from Wallingford center at the intersection of Chase bank going towards Lotus Thai when this woman comes speeding down 45th without a turn signal on and turned nearly right in to us cutting off the bus that was going straight. Very scary situation. Please cars, be more aware of walkers.
We should have a crosswalk connecting the entrance to Meridian Playground to the other side of Meridian, between 48th&49th.
On 45th & Woodlawn, by the library, is a Tiintersection, with uninterrupted parking on the north side. While cars are supposed to stop for pedestrians at every intersection, I’ve never been able to successfully cross here, except by waving frantically and walking in front of moving vehicles.
I run through Woodland Park to Greenlake often, and I think a crosswalk across 50th at Woodland Park Ave N to the park would be beneficial. Additionally, at Greenlake and Woodland Park Ave N (which is always super busy) some sort of system for pedestrians would be helpful. Especially considering how super long the wait is to cross at the Stone, Greenlake, 50th intersection.
I would like to suggest a crosswalk for N. 45th at Interlake. It’s one block away from Lincoln (which currently houses Lowell and McDonald Elementary) and it’s too far from Stone, where the closest crosswalk is.
@Megan, I thought of that just this morning as I attempted to play “Frogger” and run across Green Lake Way and then 50th to get to the park. I’m not entirely certain, but I “think” that’s out of our jurisdiction.
I would like to suggest a cross walk for N 53rd St and Meridian Ave. There is already half a cross-walk there (two white lines across the street, though faded). 53rd turns into 54th further east (remember Tangletown is where parallels cross) and goes straight to McDonald School. This would be good for kids walking to McDonald School in the future, and good for kids and people walking from the school bus/bus #16 right now.
We live at the corner of 40th & Densmore – one block west of Wallingford Ave. We have a marked pedestrian crosswalk here which I have been supplying with crossing flags for the past 3-4 years…ever since I was nearly run over and my dog was killed while in the crosswalk. I have had to complain to Metro when buses didn’t stop for my son who was crossing each morning to go to Hamilton, and have watched as countless other cars would pass him while he was midway across the street. I went as far as pleading with the city to remove the crosswalk signs and markings so that people would not feel that they were safe crossing at this intersection! For the most part, we do not use the marked crosswalk – unless there is absolutely no traffic – and instead walk the extra block to cross with the traffic lights on Wallingford Avenue. So many people use this intersection to walk to Hamilton and to Wallingford Park that I am constantly worried that someone will be seriuosly hurt or injured. It would be most helpful if we could get some sort of more visible signage or pedestrial activated lighting – and city supplied flags since they disappear pretty regularly!
A little tongue in cheek here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dmhkdh6tZE.
Yes, we need safe ways to get around, no matter what our mode of travel, no matter how old, young, or slow we are. Dog walkers, kids going to school, seniors walking to the store are currently not prioritized on Seattle streets by engineering or design.
Spokespeople and Sustainable Wallingford submitted a Neighborhood Project Fund application in 2010 to get a pedestrian-operated signal at 40th and Sunnyside. Lights are more reliable for stopping traffic for kids, dog walkers, bus riders, etc. than a crosswalk or yellow flags. Hope we get it funded!
The 2009 project that Spokespeople/Sustainable Wallingford applied for and got–(the Neighborhood Greenway project) will include a Stone Way & 43rd crossing island. Engineered solutions usually work better than hoping for distracted drivers to do the right thing. I drive and I’m not always 100% alert. I prefer predictable and concrete expectations influencing my behavior as a driver.
That’s what that reporter was doing at 41st & Stone Way last week. I passed him with my daughter on the way to drop her off at daycare and he made mention of the fact that I ran across the street instead of walking. This was more due to the fact that I am always running a little late in the morning rather than hurrying through the crosswalk, but I still think a light there would be fabulous as I use that crosswalk daily. Many days I stand and count cars waiting for one to stop.
As for 45th & Interlake, I normally see all the kids crossing up using the crosswalk by the library/gas station, but I can see how a crosswalk there would be helpful as the Boys & Girls Club is right across the street.
On a semi-related note: has anyone noticed how often cars end up blocking the intersection at North 45th and Densmore Ave? I.e., 45th St. between Wells Fargo, the 45th St. Clinic, and Key Bank.
More often than not, when the light turns red at the 45th & Densmore stoplight, cars going eastbound on 45th end up illegally blocking (a) pedestrians trying to cross 45th using the pedestrian crossings between Wells Fargo & Bottleworks, and the Clinic and Key Bank; and (b) any cars on Densmore going north, period
2 things that might be done:
– Going eastbound on 45th, the stoplight at 45th and Wallingford turns red about a 1/2 minute before the 45th and Densmore stoplight comes on. If both changed at the same time, I think you’d reduce the backup.
– Put a “do not block intersection” sign up at the Densmore & 45th stoplight.
Just a thought.
In addition to new cross walks , the cross walks that do exist need repainting. I thought during the summer they would repaint the areas particularly by and near schools. Was that part of the cost-saving (pedestrian threatening) items cut on the budget this year? We may all need to call in and alert them about the conditions and needs! Thanks
Crosswalks across Wallingford Ave at 42nd (with pedestrian bulbs at the intersection are obvious needs. This intersection connects the park and the school. I’d like to see many, many more crosswalks on I-45.
I’d love to see a crosswalk at 45th and Interlake for the McDonald at Lincoln traffic. Thinking about crosswalks necessary for the new opening of McDonald – how are the kids going to get across 50th and to the school?
The need for public garbage cans to be distributed in areas with significant pedestrian traffic cannot be overstated. Thanks for asking!
Top of mind: How about a couple on the Burke between Gas Works and I-5. Then perhaps a few on each side of Wallingford, same for 40th & 50th streets too. The area around JSIS could also use a couple.
An additional crosswalk on Pacific would be good too.
Megan & Margaret–there’s a crosswalk at 50th and Whitman, one (admittedly longer than ususal) block west of Woodland Park Ave.
I’d love to see a cross walk at 40th and Bagley. There is lots of foot traffic there between Irwin’s, the bus stops, and kids walking to and from John Stanford. There are no marked crosswalks between Wallingford Ave. and the stop signs at Latona, which is a lot of blocks without a crosswalk. And during rush hour NO ONE stops for pedestrians along that stretch. I also think that intersection (and probably others) should have flashing lights, both on signs next to the road and in the crosswalk itself. They have these in Berkeley and they really get drivers’ attention, even if you are driving into afternoon sun.
Thanks to the people supplying the bright orange flags. They make a difference, even when you have to step in front of a car waving it to get their attention!
Thanks for all the great feedback. I’ll get this info to the right people.
As a south Wallingford resident and frequent walker along the Burke-Gilman Trail, I’m not even going to request crosswalks for Pacific Street as I don’t think they’ll do any good. Cars, trucks, and Ducks gain top speed between the stop sign at lower 40th and the light at Wallingford and very few stop for pedestrians. Crossing flags might help get the attention of the drivers – if there were any crossing flags on Pacific.
I can sympathize with dog walkers who don’t want to carry their bag of poop home with them, but with the city slashing its budget I wonder whether additional garbage cans are going to happen. “Packing it out” is probably more realistic.
Despite the negatives, Barb seems to second my point about the real need for garbage cans on the burke-gilman trail, and safer access to it via crosswalks on Pacific.