Living relatively close to Hamilton International Middle School, I often see drivers frantically race their children to school on N. 41st, which is an non-arterial street. And several times when I’ve been out walking the dogs, I’ve almost been plowed over by folks driving southbound on Wallingford and hooking a sharp right onto N. 41st without looking out for pedestrians. It’s enough to drive me crazy, and I often try not to walk the dogs between 7:30 and 8:00am to avoid the frenzy. I’d be curious to hear from other folks, too, who live by neighborhood schools. Do you feel that people often exceed the 25 mph speed limit on non-arterials?
Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) has a “Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program” in place, so if you live on a non-arterial street in the neighborhood and feel that there are far too many cars that exceed the 25 mph speed limit, then you might want to consider attending the department’s Traffic Safety Meeting on Wednesday, September 12:
Sick and tired of cars racing through your neighborhood? Worried about the safety of pedestrians and bicycle riders on your streets – especially concerned for your own or neighbors’ children? Wish you could do something about it? Well, you can. Did you know SDOT has a Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program?
The department will hold a Traffic Safety Meeting on September 12, from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the Lake City Library located at 12501 28th Avenue NE. The meeting is an opportunity to learn all about the options available to help you and your neighbors tame the traffic on your street. The gathering is open to everyone, not just residents of Lake City. For example you’ll learn about speed watch trailers and enforcement, neighborhood signs like the one seen in the graphic above and more. You’ll be told what steps you must take to get the ball rolling and the criteria the SDOT uses to prioritize projects. You’ll hear about possible funding for your neighborhood program and you’ll see a demonstration on the proper use of radar speed guns.
So, stop commiserating with your neighbors about the speeders on your street and do something – come to the meeting and start to take control – you can tackle and tame traffic in your neighborhood and we’ll be delighted to help you!
For more information, please visit our Neighborhood Traffic Control Program website.
I thought the residential street speed limit is 20mph, not 25mph. Not that most people drive at or below either of those speeds.
Nope, it’s 25 according to State Law and Seattle Municipal Code. But, I wholeheartedly agree with you.
Do you know the history? I thought there used to be a “residential road speed” of 25mph (like 25 years ago) but it got reduced to 20mph. I can nose around . . .
I don’t, but if you find something out let me know.
Totally agree. Many people driving in/through this area drive too fast and pay little attention to people on foot.
Btw – there’s also a traffic calming program for arterial streets (http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/ntcp_arterial.htm). I just submitted a request for Meridian Ave N the other day.
Will try to make it up to the meeting. 🙂
I live on Latona above 45th and people turn around in my driveway EVERY DAY, going back the wrong way on a one-way street. It’s an arterial so I don’t know if this meeting would help me, and my problem isn’t typical of Wallyhooders. Anyone have an extra ONE WAY sign I could post in my yard, so when people turn in my driveway they think twice about turning around? I’ve told SPD to be on the lookout for wrong-way drivers on Latona and they pretty much brushed me off.
There was a bill in the last legislature to allow cities to lower the speed limit to 20 mph on residential streets, but it died. If it is a priority with you, contact Frank and Jamie and Ed and let them know.
Big issue throughout the neighborhood. There is a great org. in the UK called “Twenty is Plenty” — pretty clear what the idea is (and they are talking about kilometers).
Check around the area neighborhoods.. some neighbors have made their own ‘slow’ signs. Check at the meeting if a citizen can check out or purchase on of those ‘speed” indicator guns.. start using them.. and recording speeds with license numbers..
We live very close to Hamilton and agree with the dangerous speeds of drivers who race through the neighborhood intersections. They also bog down traffic making it hard to get to 40th. Aren’t the speed restrictions lower in a “school zone?” I don’t know what the boundaries of the Hamilton school zone are. Anyone?
Are they driving too fast or bogging down traffic? Which one?
Over near 49th and Woodlawn, we’ve struggled with cut-throughs for years. Even went so far as to try and work with the . From our involvement and mails, here’s the gist of what I got out of the process:
* A lot of streets and neighborhoods in Seattle have a similar problem, so unless you have something very egregious, the city is reluctant to do anything about it
* It’s up to you and the hood to prove that you have anything that’s an anomoly
* Doing our own data collection with a speedgun, we determined that one in 10 cars is going closer to 35 mph. And that’s not anomolous according to the city
* The traffic calming project is lip service, with little funding and there to make you feel better about the city doing something.
Ultimately, the best recourse is:
* Have neighbors park on both sides of the street, that seems to slow em down.
* Consider a monthy shutdown of the street to deter repeat drivers using the same path through your hood. Won’t help much, but will give you a sense of satisfaction and a block party.
* Get a sledge hammer and jackhammer – put big holes in your street. That will slow them down (never tried this, but tempted)
@Lauren, I can tell you that the school zone restrictions are for motorists to decrease to 20mph and that one of the signs to begin the Hamilton school zone is in the middle of N. 41st. between Wallingford and Densmore. I think the school zone ends on N. 41st half a block west of Woodlawn. Don’t know if there are other signs posted on the intersecting streets.
I completely agree with this post. I clearly live near WaltZ (49th and Densmore) and starting around 6 AM cars zoom past our house waaaay over 25. We’ve already got a roundabout on one corner and a stopsign at the other, and it’s not making a difference. I can’t make the meeting but I hope this thread can continue and collectively we can come up with a plan. BTW, my street already has cars on both sides, and from the direction people are coming it seems pretty clear that folks are avoiding the horrible 50th/Green Lake/Stone Way intersection and cutting through.
I kinda like the jackhammer idea . . . a few years ago a small sinkhole opened up in front of our house and traffic was MUCH less!