Drivers worried ‘someone is going to die’ in Seattle crosswalk
Jan 8, 2016, 11:02 PM | Updated: May 7, 2016, 11:04 pm
A new crosswalk light in University Village has raised some concerns.
“Someone is going to die at University Village and 25th,” said John Smith in a comment posted on MyNorthwest.com. “They installed new bike crosswalk lights that are very confusing because it is separate from the pedestrian walk. Bikes fly out from behind bushes on the Burke and no left turning cars can see them.”
Click through the gallery to see what John Smith is talking about.
Does the city feel like the bike crosswalk traffic lights are safe?
Seattle City Traffic Engineer Dongho Chang says, “When the trail crosswalk has a walk light, the right turns drivers are not permitted to turn because the LED no right turn sign turns on. We made this change to help reduce the high number of right turning drivers making a turn who were not able to see bicycle riders riding eastbound to cross at the crosswalk during the crossing light.
“There is good visibility of the crosswalk for the left turning drivers and we did not have the need to make changes for this turn.”
