Seattle leaders unveil proposal to reduce speed limits

Seattle officials unveiled a proposal to lower speed limits on all residential and center city streets.

The announcement was made by council members Mike O’Brien and Tim Burgess and Seattle Department of Transportation Director Scott Kubly.

The plan is to increase safety on Seattle’s streets by changing the speed limit on all residential streets from 25 mph  to 20 mph. Streets in the “center city” would be reduced from 30 mph to 25 mph.

The initiative is a part of the city’s “Vision Zero” measure to help end traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2030.

According to a news release from the city, speed contributes to 25 percent of collisions citywide and 42 percent of downtown traffic fatalities every year and is the critical factor in surviving a crash. Pedestrians hit by vehicles going 25 mph are half as likely to die as those hit at 30 mph.

In Seattle’s Ravenna neighborhood, a “ghost bike” at Northeast 65th Street and 15th Avenue Northeast is a reminder of the place where a bicyclist was hit and killed by a vehicle. Last year, speed limits were reduced on 15th, and neighbors say it’s time for more measures.

City proposes lowering speed limit on Seattle residential streets from 25 mph to 20 mph and on city center streets from 30 to 25.

— Graham Johnson (@GrahamKIRO7) September 13, 2016

“Almost three-quarters of the people that were injured on 65th in the past three years were drivers. So as somebody who is driving on 65th, you should be incredibly concerned,” said Andres Solomon.

In downtown Seattle, there has been a 20 percent increase in speed-related fatal crashes in the last four years.

Jason Rantz predicts Seattle will lower speed limits in 2015, but not for safety