Bicyclist
A bill ready for introduction in the state House would make it easier for cities and counties to reduce the speed limit on residential streets and in business districts. (AP Photo)

Seattle mayor supports bill to lower speed limits

BY Tim Haeck  on October 17, 2011 @ 8:46 am (Updated: 8:53 am - 10/17/11 )

A revolutionary new idea is in the legislative hopper to improve roadway safety and reduce the number of deaths on the streets of Seattle and other cities.

It's so controversial that drivers are sure to revolt. A bill ready for introduction in the state House would make it easier for cities and counties to reduce the speed limit on residential streets and in business districts.

For example, the speed limit on non-arterial roads could be cut from 25 miles per hour to 20 miles per hour.

According to KOMO-TV, it's an idea that Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn is pushing to improve safety for bicycle riders, but it's considered a safety measure for drivers and pedestrians, too.

House Bill 1217 would allow municipalities to set a lower, 20 miles per hour speed limit without jumping through a lot of bureaucratic hoops. Right now, lowering a speed limit requires time-consuming and expensive engineering studies.

The rationale, according to bicycle advocates and others, is simple statistics and physics. Statistics provided by the Bicycle Alliance of Washington indicate that a car traveling at 40 miles per hour will hit a pedestrian with four-times the force of a car traveling at 20 miles per hour. At 20 miles per hour, the chance of death in a crash with a car is about five percent.

Of course, the impetus for this legislative change is a rash of fatal bicycle crashes in the Seattle area in the last few months. The crashes prompted Mayor Mike McGinn to call for a road safety summit in Seattle which is scheduled for next Monday night, Oct 24, at City Hall.

Tim Haeck, KIRO Radio Reporter
Tim Haeck is a news reporter with KIRO Radio. While Tim is one of our go-to, no-nonsense reporters, he also has a sensationally dry sense of humor and it will surprise some to learn he is a weekend warrior.
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Comments (50)


  • Add A Comment

  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    The totalitarian bycycle lobby wil "force" Mayor Mchanjob to
    October 17, 2011 8:03 am
    mandate that drivers of automobiles will, at the approach of a bycyclist, reduce their road speed to 10 miles an hour. This reduced speed will facilitate the bycyle rider to dart in and out of traffic and between cars with little risk to themselfs.

    "Occupy King County Streets!"

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • matthews01 wrote...
    Transit only zone
    October 17, 2011 8:13 am
    Seattle should just turn into a transit and bike only zone. No cars on the street would cut down on pollution, decrease road repairs and make the city a happy place to live.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Howdy wrote...
    Transit only zone?
    October 17, 2011 4:41 pm
    How do you suppose the downtown businesses would get their products/ materials there, horse and buggy? Would construction companies have to hire mule teams to get there equipment in place? Get real.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • jstumbo wrote...
    Tricycles is the answer
    October 17, 2011 6:18 pm
    When I lived in China for a while, I saw many tricycles on the road with a bed between the back wheels. I bet mayor McSchwin would like them to use tricycles for delivering goods.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • flipper wrote...
    I'll support this when...
    October 17, 2011 8:14 am
    ...I see a bicyclist given a moving violation ticket for non-compliance with traffic laws. Things such as riding in packs/peolotons; riding in traffic, darting to the bike lane to get around stopped traffic, then back into the traffic flow; speeding; riding on the wrong side of the road; etc., etc.,
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • MmMerrifield wrote...
    +1
    October 17, 2011 1:34 pm
    :)
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Alex Mason wrote...
    Of course Mayor McSchwinn supports it.
    October 17, 2011 8:12 am
    This guy has been in office for too long, if you recall him I'd be happy to bring my consumer dollars back into the city limits.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Cash wrote...
    Screw the bikes
    October 17, 2011 8:15 am
    I can't stand how they all seem to think they don't have to obey any of the laws and always get in the way. If you want to ride on the road drive the speed limit or get the heck out of the way. Also stop sneaking up to the front of the line at an intersection, if you are riding on the street, wait in line when you come up on a red light...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • kiddenme wrote...
    +1
    October 17, 2011 3:45 pm
    +1
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • BBQnut wrote...
    who paid for the streets
    October 17, 2011 8:19 am
    Fuel taxes pay for roads, bike riders don't. They may have a car but when they don't drive it they don't contribute to the road funds with gas taxes. Not all, but a lot of bike riders act as if they have paid for the road and cars don't have a right to be there, it's the other way around. Yes, the bike rider is the one that gets hurt from a accident with a car but if the rider wasn't in the street forcing a car to share the street maybe this would not happen. Bikes should be on bike paths or on the sidewalks not in the middle of the street, cars going even slower then 20 mph can kill a bike rider, the rider is less then 200 pounds VS. 1,000's of pounds that a car weights.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • hdcase wrote...
    Bikes on Sidewalks
    October 17, 2011 2:07 pm
    Bikes are illegal on sidewalks in most cities to avoid collisions with pedestrians. Cyclists in Washington state are supposed to use the extreme right side of the roadway.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • jstumbo wrote...
    Bikes should not be ridden period
    October 17, 2011 6:21 pm
    Bikes should not be allowed in downtown period. They are too dangerous. To dangerous when they are on the road with cars, and too dangerous when they are on sidewalks with pedestrians. Come into the 20th, or 21st century and use this amazing thing called a car or bus.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • alaskarowland wrote...
    20 MPH?
    October 17, 2011 8:20 am
    I cannot believe what I'm reading. How moronic is it to slow down a city for a small minority of bicyclists. I watch bikers every day on my commute. Some ride safely, others are idiots that disregard traffic lights, swerve in an out of traffic, in short, accidents waiting to happen. 20 MPH? Right, like the cell phone law so many observe.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • heartshapedrock wrote...
    Along with the engineering study
    October 17, 2011 8:23 am
    they should also take into consideration how many bike/car accidents are caused by the cars and how many are caused by the bicyclists. And I agree with the previous comment regarding citing bicyclists for violating the rules of the road. If they're not going to be held accountable for their behavior, then drivers shouldn't be held to a lower speed limit.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Paul Kersey wrote...
    Boycott Seattle...
    October 17, 2011 8:26 am
    then you can watch this self destructive insanity with amusement instead of anger. You go Mayor...destroy Seattle, the suburbs can use the business.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • pickyourbooger wrote...
    Already done
    October 18, 2011 4:14 am
    Me and several dozen other people already boycotted seattle back when the mayor announced: 'we're taking away parking spots to encourage mass transit' We heard that and rode the bus to town once; we will never do it again. We only visit seattle for big events like the bite and if absolutely necessary. The other day I heard a seattle business owner complain that there simply were not enough people going into downtown to support his business there anymore. he is moving out before it gets any worse.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Oly80 wrote...
    how about...
    October 17, 2011 8:35 am
    more laws and more enforcement for cyclists? they are very much at fault in MANY of the accidents, or near-misses that occur. making more problems for drivers is pretty awful when cyclists do seem to get away with murder.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • luckystriker wrote...
    This is absolutely the wrong way to go about it
    October 17, 2011 8:45 am
    A majority of the public drives cars. A vocal minority rides bikes. The Mayor needs to be mayor of everyone in Seattle, not just his vocal little minority. But what do you expect from a mayor that gives out a $95,000 a year graft / corruption job to a crony of his from the bike club? So rather than work on educating cyclists on how not to weave in traffic, how to be seen, how to not run red lights and everything else the radical violent cyclenista cabal preaches is their right... the Mayor goes after cagers. This cager votes, and I suspect is not the only one who will never vote for mayor mcbike for anything, ever.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Camanoresident wrote...
    Get Smart Seattle
    October 17, 2011 8:52 am
    Get Mayor McGoo out of office. He is completely out of control. People of Seattle spend your $$$$ in other cities.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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