CHS asked SDOT a decade ago why Pine at Boylston didn’t have a traffic light
(Image: CHS)
The Seattle Department of Transportation is completing the work to better control traffic and improve safety from I-5 to 15th Ave on Capitol Hill with plans to upgrade intersections on the only remaining Pike/Pine blocks not already controlled by a traffic signal or a 4-way stop.
SDOT confirms with CHS that new stops signs are coming to the three E Pine intersections at Summit, Belmont, and Boylston — marked in purple on the map, below — in work hoped to be completed by early next year.
The crossings have been the scene of multiple collisions and pedestrian injuries over the years and are home to some of the city’s most utilized — and maybe most risky — unprotected crosswalks. Pine at Boylston regularly qualifies as one of Seattle’s most dangerous crossings. The new stop signs won’t change that completely but the overall flow on the street should take on a safer pace for both drivers and everybody using the area.
SDOT says the work should be completed by spring and the new configurations will be accompanied by temporary signage to help people with the changes.
CHS reported in August on similar changes on E Pike below Broadway to add new 4-way stops.
The work followed installations in 2021 creating new 4-way stops around upper Pike/Pine at some of Seattle’s busiest crossings. “Based on the large number of people walking and driving through these intersections, we are adding 4-way stop signs at five intersections in this area to improve safety for pedestrians and to create a consistent traffic control network in the Capitol Hill Neighborhood,” a department spokesperson told CHS previously about the work.
The new additions will bring E Pine into the fold, further transforming the driving, biking, rolling, and walking experience in the corridor.
The stop sign projects join 2019 bike lane additions to Pike and coming Pike/Pine bike lane improvements among ongoing efforts that will transform traffic and improve safety in the busy area. CHS reported here on the planned start of construction in early 2023 that will add new bike lanes, and wider sidewalks along Pike and Pine and transform both streets into a large one-way couplet between the waterfront and Bellevue Ave.
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Make Pine/Pike from broadway till 15th pedestrian only with limited exceptions for people who live there and let’s goooo
How would you even enforce that? Put up a “local access only” sign that everyone would just ignore?
There is zero enforcement of anything related to cars in this city, they pretty much can do whatever they want.
In other places in the world, you fine them with camera based ticketing systems.
E.g. Italy charges you very heavy fines if you get into the city center as a visitor
In this place in the world, the crybabies have seen to it that the drivers just need to perjure themselves on an affidavit stating they weren’t driving, because the state is forbidden from capturing the driver on camera (because: crybabies).
It wouldn’t work… My street is supposed to be closed with limited exceptions for deliveries and the people who live here (it’s a stay healthy street). People simply ignore the sign and drive around the barrier. We are pretty much back to pre-pandemic levels and speed of cut through traffic…
If there’s actually a way to get through that isn’t gated/locked/guarded people won’t give a crap and will continue to do whatever they want.
Would go a long way to slowing the burgeoning traffic glut. Would make my trips to buy food less of a threat.
Sweet! My only question is why this didn’t happen sooner.
Right! Obvious maybe at least 2 decades ago to this transplant. Putting the current local wholesale population surge before infrastructure improvements was more than bizarre. Gotta love capitalism /s.
Given your average Washingtonians ability to navigate 4 ways, this should bring all vehicular traffic to a functional halt.
Good! I’ll be able to walk across the street safely!
Considering drivers don’t bother stopping for stop signs any more, traffic flow should be fine. Seattle’s Zero Vision however…
This should have happened years ago. So glad to see these changes coming to Pike/Pine!
These need to be illuminated/flashing at night. People refuse or ignore those already on Pike St constantly.
They have had some of those blinking yellow lights with crosswalk signs they should make them red for stop or add the led to the sign itself
Maybe on this round they’ll note that it’s ‘new’ in some way, because for weeks after the last batch of surprise stop signs, people just blew threw ’em like they weren’t there (and they weren’t until just then…).
They also need to do them for Seneca street. It’s like a damned highway between Boylston and Minor.