In casual conversations about the neighborhood over the past few weeks one topic kept coming up. Often. And with feeling.
It wasn’t about crime in the neighborhood, nor about whether we should or should not acknowledge crime in the neighborhood.
It wasn’t about snow, or lack thereof.
It wasn’t even about neighborhood chickens (though expect more chicken updates soon).
It’s about the maddening fact that the yellow center line on Roosevelt Way Northeast is no longer a straight line, but abruptly jogs a couple of feet to one side as you’re driving along.
The effect is that you can drive in a straight line, and suddenly wonder: “Who moved my lane?” You’re something like a third of the way into the oncoming lane.
It’s most obvious between Northeast 85th and Northeast 89th streets, with another bobble at Northeast 92nd Street. (It’s also maddeningly hard to take a photo of.)
People are telling us they feel downright unsafe, and wondering why this happened. The situation is similar on Fifth Avenue Northeast, especially between Northeast 89th and 91st streets.
We remembered it’s related to the bike lane/parking issue on Roosevelt. A couple days ago we asked the city specifically about the yellow strips. Here’s the response, from Carol McMahan, of the transportation department.
We have plans to make adjustments to the tapers on Roosevelt Way NE at NE 85th Street, NE 89th Street, NE 92nd Street and on 5th Avenue NE at NE 89th Street and NE 91st Street to assist drivers in making these transitions. This work should be done later this spring as the weather improves and we get back into our painting season.
These shifts in the centerline were installed to accommodate the new uphill climbing lanes that have been installed for bicyclists on these two roadways. Please feel free to contact me if you have additional questions or concerns about the bike facilities.
I have now quit riding my bike on 5th Ave NE because I almost got nailed by a Metro bus in the southbound lane, the bus was about three inches away from me when it passed by. Today I watched another southbound Metro bus drive over the center line and into the oncoming lane because the southbound lane is too narrow!!! The bike lanes are supposed to make biking safer, but in fact the opposite is now true.
While I’m on the subject, why would you use the cheapest water-based paint possible when painting the bike lanes? They are now impossible to see. The price of paint is minor in comparison to paying the labor costs of repainting bike lanes every six months. When I paint my house I buy a good quality paint because the difference in price between cheap and quality paint pales in comparison to what my time is worth, or what it costs to hire a painter to do the work. If the city is broke how can it afford to pay to repeatedly have bike lanes painted every six months? Get real!!!!
I also agree that you cannot see the center lane at night, and in fact the original lanes that were ground off the cement are actually more visible in the rain. I especially like how the center lines were ground off twice on 5th Ave NE south of Banner Way. You basically have three center lane lines to choose from at night because it isn’t obvious where the correct center lane line is. I think it’s amateur hour at SDOT.
The moving center lane on 5th Ave NE between NE 89th and NE 91st is also dangerous, especially at night. Most of the people who drive down 5th Ave NE (and Roosevelt) don’t live in Maple Leaf and aren’t aware that the lane line moves three times in a span of two blocks. Once again, it’s proving to be amateur hour at SDOT.
If these bike lanes are so necessary then bikers should pay a license fee to help pay for them. Ever count how many bikers go up or down Roosevelt on a given day???? Can count them on one hand with fingers left over!! Maple Leaf has been waiting for new storm drains and sidewalks for the 40 years I have lived in this area and we get bike lanes????? Go figure???
“Simple, if you can not be attentive stay away from the drivers seat of a motor vehicle.”
The DOT holds each drivers’ hand through every intersection — it shouldn’t let go.
Our transportation system leaves very little to the discretion of its users. We are thoroughly insulated from other traffic by signage and lines. If you take that insulation away then more accidents will happen.
The “jogged lines” on 5th Ave. and Roosevelt Ave., Harvard Ave E., and other parts of the city should not exist.
From what I understand they used water based paint for the trial run and that the better paint will be used now that they have determined what worked and what didn’t. I hope they get around to painting it with the better paint because it is really dangerous right now in the rain when you can’t see the lines.
I think we can all agree that the we’d be safer if inattentive and unsafe drivers would somehow make the decision not to drive. Unfortunately, it is too much to ask around here. Most drivers seem to put no more thought into learning how to be a good driver than it took to pass the basic driving test in the first place. They see that license as a right to drive, rather than an earned privilege, and they’ll continue to drive any way they want. That is why we all should practice defensive driving, be aware of other drivers, put down the cellphone, and wait we get home to start eating that burrito.
While we hopelessly wait for all the other drivers to learn how to drive or stay off the road, it would be nice if the city wouldn’t mess up our roads making us all less safe. I’m glad to hear they’ be fixing this mess, the sooner the better.
Paul and Mark are absolutely right: those lines are nearly impossible to see when it’s dark or wet out, and snippy comments about staying to the right of invisible lines are pointless and unhelpful. Why on earth would the city use water-soluble paint? That is clearly idiotic. Forget giving up their driver licenses, clearly you have to give up your brain to work in Seattle DOT.
While I do appreciate the bike lanes, I have to say that the SDOT f-ed up. Is it a requirement that you forfeit your drivers license to work for DOT?
The way the lane is shifted is ridiculous!
It happened on 5th as well.
Busses can’t fit in that! Nor parking vehicles of all sizes and shapes.
I understand that getting rid of parking on this thoroughfare is a political third rail, but what we have now is an effing mess!
(yay for the light rail line, one stop on top of the hill, please?!)
From Kiro web site. Maple Leaf attack 97th and roosevelt!!
Keep reading. Why would they not check out the guy staggering away??
Woman Possibly Attacked With Axe, Taken To Harborview
kirotv.com Webstaff
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Posted: 3:35 pm PST March 3, 2011
Updated: 4:33 pm PST March 3, 2011
SEATTLE — A woman was taken to Harborview Medical Center on Thursday after apparently being attacked, the Seattle Police Department said.
Police received a call at about 11:21 a.m. that sounded like an open line, police said. The operator could hear a woman breathing in the background. The woman said she was dizzy and that her head was bleeding, police said.
Police scanner audio indicated that the woman may have been attacked with an axe.
Seattle police went to the scene and found a man staggering away, police said. Police said they didn’t make contact with the man, though it is unclear why.
Police said they weren’t sure what kind of weapon was used on the woman.
Police offered a vague description of the man, suggesting that he may not be in police custody.
We will update this story as more information becomes available.
Like Paul, I have observed that at night and in the rain, in some areas the new street markings practically become invisible, and the old markings actually show up very well.
As was noted in a recent post on this blog, the new markings were painted with a water based paint, are already substantially worn, and are scheduled for more durable painting this year.
As for the old stripes, they appear to have been ground-off by a machine, and those ground-off areas are much smoother than the surrounding pavement. At night and when wet, they become mirror-like and reflect light from headlights and streetlights very effectively. At those times, even an attentive driver can easily mistake the old stripes as being the correct ones. Especially if it is a driver unfamiliar with the area, and the way the center lines currently jog at a few of the intersections.
A few nights ago I saw a Metro bus follow the old markings for half a block southbound on Roosevelt and it was a narrow squeeze for one oncoming car until the bus driver figured it out.
I think it’s a good thing the markings in this area are going to be properly tapered to eliminate “the jogs”, and I hope the new paint is going to be much more visible and longer-wearing.
We can thump our collective steering wheels about driver attentiveness (or lack thereof), but in our zeal, let’s not ignore a potentially dangerous situation. After all, an accident on one of our streets would likely involve a family member, neighbor, or a friend.
The 5th Avenue lines are a joke at night. Time and again I see people assume that the point where the paved lanes meet at the centerline is where the yellow line is. You simply can’t see the lane markings consistently, especially during rain. The paint for the bike lanes has already worn away and is nearly impossible to see at night. Without arguing the merits of the bike lane program itself, it’s pretty clear that the city implemented it on the cheap — at least where 5th Avenue is concerend.
Paul, paraphrasing Jim: “Simple, if you can not be attentive stay away from the drivers seat of a motor vehicle.”
While that may be asking a lot these days, I’d agree with that.
Are you sure it’s not the famous MapleLeaf fault giving way?
Well said Jim!
In general I agree with Jim, however.. when it is dark and raining that line is almost impossible to see. On 5th especially, there are places where the old lines show up brighter than the new lines. I drive very carefully through that stretch now because this is just asking for someone less attentive to cause a wreck.
Agree with Jim. Also, to those confused folks, please make sure to stay to the right of oncoming traffic as you ponder the jogging yellow line.
Simple, if you can not stay to the right of the yellow line stay away from the drivers seat of a motor vehicle.