Mayor McGinn, Chief Pugel, and SDOT Director Peter Hahn annonce extra DUI patrols over Memorial Day weekend

The Seattle Department of Transportation hopes everyone enjoys a happy and safe Memorial Day weekend and we’d like to remind everyone to plan ahead if you plan to drink. If you’re going to party, be sure to select a designated driver who will remain sober and get you home safely. Don’t take the chance of getting behind the wheel after drinking. There’s simply no way to drive safely if you’re impaired. Think of others before you put yourself and the rest of Seattle at risk by driving while intoxicated.

Those who make the bad choice of driving imapaired will be greeted by swarms of law enforcement officers. Mayor Mike McGinn announced today that the Seattle Police Department will field increased DUI enforcement patrols this Memorial Day weekend, in conjunction with Target Zero DUI emphasis patrols.

“Recent tragedies on our streets have reminded Seattle of the dangers of impaired driving”, said McGinn. “Seattle Police will be out there to protect people on our roads and enforce the law against those choose to drive drunk.”

More DUI officers will be patrolling Seattle roads this weekend, with special emphasis near nightlife hotspots and on major thoroughfares. The Washington State Patrol will also be out in force on I-5, I-90 and SR 520. The City’s network of Dynamic Message Signs will display a special enforcement message all weekend long to alert drivers to the increased enforcement patrols. With more than 20 Dynamic Message Signs across Seattle, the City will be able to reach more than 1 million drivers over the holiday weekend and make them think twice about driving impaired.

Dynamic Message Sign on Aurora Avenue North

“The days of the police just giving you a ride home if you’re caught drunk driving are long over – if you drink and drive, you will be arrested,” said Interim Seattle Police Chief Jim Pugel.

“Through our Road Safety Action Plan, the City of Seattle is making our street safer for everyone and drivers can help by making good decisions about drinking and driving,” said SDOT Director Peter Hahn. “Rather than getting behind the wheel after a few drinks, take advantage of our late night pre-paid parking program, catch a cab back home and pick up your car safely in the morning.”

Consider yourself lucky if you are pulled over by the police. While you’re life will surely change forever as you face jail time, pay hefty fines and go through the legal system, it’s far better than killing yourself or fellow Seattle-ites in a crash.

If you’re impaired, take a bus, a cab, or simply sober up before hitting the streets. Park It, Cab It, Transit - it’s the right thing to do.

Be Super Safe Seattle!

The Walk Bike Ride Challenge is an SDOT incentive program to inspire you to try new transportation options this summer, and hopefully change some of your habits in the long-term. If you walk, bike, ride transit, carpool, skip, skate (you get the idea!) to your destination instead of driving alone, you can win one of these great prizes:

• A brand new bike and helmet from Gregg’s Cycles
• Family pack tickets to the Woodland Park Zoo
• $200 REI Gift Card
• $100 Nordstrom Gift Card
• $100 Farmers Market gift certificate
• $150 Zipcar gift certificate
• Car2Go membership and four hours of driving
• And more to come!

You can sign up now and start logging trips anytime between June 15 and September 9, but remember: the more trips you report, the higher the chance you have of winning! If you refer-a-friend that participates in the Challenge, we’ll enter you into a weekly raffle for a $20 Orca Card. If that wasn’t enough, we’ll also be offering other fun incentives throughout the Challenge so everyone has a shot at winning.

Once you sign up for the WBR Challenge you become part of a community making Seattle a more active and better place to live.  The Walk Bike Ride Challenge is partnering with Luum this year and using a brand new platform to track your progress, provide tips and encouragement, and engage with fellow Challengers.  We’re really excited for the new features, and can’t wait to hear what you think.  So, what are you waiting for?  Get moving, get active, get prizes!

Contact us at:
waytogo@seattle.gov
206-684-5545
http://www.seattle.gov/waytogo/wbr_challenge.htm

Learn more about the Walk Bike Ride Initiative here.

Marking sharrows.

Thanks to the Bridging the Gap(BTG) transportation initiative, you see even more crews working.  Remember when you see crews working to please slow down and give them extra space.  They are working hard to make Seattle easier to navigate and a little safer for all of us.

Over the next several months you can expect to see SDOT crews repairing 25 blocks of sidewalk, installing new street name signs at more than 1,500 intersections, remarking 500 crosswalks,  re-striping more than 850 lane-miles of arterial roadway and installing pedestrian countdown signals at 25 intersections.  Crews will also be pruning more than 3,000 street trees, making crossing improvements at 42 intersections, restriping more than 70 miles of bike lanes and sharrows and installing more than seven miles of greenways. This work is made possible by the BTG program.   

Remember it is that time of year again – slowdown and give our crews a little extra space!  If you would like more information on BTG please visit their web page.

 Activities this week include:

• Begin sidewalk and pavement removal on the north side of Mercer Street between Fifth Avenue N and Dexter Avenue N and on the east side of SR 99 between Valley and Harrison streets.
• Begin sidewalk removal on the north side of Roy Street between Queen Anne Avenue N and First Avenue N in preparation for signal improvements at both intersections. Please note, the north sidewalk on Roy Street and adjacent parking lane will be closed for approximately two weeks.
• Continue Seattle City Light and communications duct bank work on Valley Street between Terry Avenue N and Westlake Avenue N.
• Continue landscaping installation on Fairview Avenue N between Valley Street and Mercer Street and on the south side of the I-5 on-ramps at Mercer Street.

Reminder: Mercer Street between Fifth Avenue N and Ninth Avenue N is now restricted to two eastbound lanes following a full weekend closure of Mercer Street and SR 99 and Broad Street is now open for eastbound and westbound traffic. For more information on associated traffic impacts, please visit our website at: http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/mercercorridor.htm

Traffic engineers will continue to:

• Monitor traffic on Mercer Street, Fifth Avenue N, Broad Street and Ninth Avenue N.
• Monitor traffic at the Westlake Avenue N and Mercer Street intersection.
• Monitor traffic flow at the Dexter Avenue N and Mercer Street intersection.

For up-to-minute construction updates join our project email list at: http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/mercercorridor.htm  or call the 24-hour construction hotline at 206-419-5818.

Whether you’re an occasional bicycle rider or “hard core” cyclist, now is your chance to weigh in on the on-going development and implementation of Seattle’s bicycle facilities network.The Seattle Bicycle Advisory Board (SBAB) is seeking applications for new members to advise the City on the concerns and needs of the growing bicycling community. The volunteer board of 12, which was created by Seattle City Council in 1977, plays an influential role in implementing Seattle’s Bicycle Master Plan. The board advises the Mayor and City Council, participates in planning and project development, evaluates policies and makes recommendations to all city departments including the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT).

Board members serve a two-year term, with an opportunity to serve a second term. Current members represent all types of cyclists and skill levels, from casual weekend riders to year-round commuters. Members must be Seattle residents and may not be city employees. The board meets the first Wednesday of each month from 6 to 8 p.m. at Seattle City Hall.

The vision of the board is to make Seattle a world-class city for bicycling; to make bicycling a viable transportation choice by encouraging active participation in policy and planning efforts through all levels of government. The board strives to build a more inclusive bicycling community by representing the needs of the diverse population of bicyclists in the city.

According to Allegra Calder, current chair of the Bicycle Advisory Board, “Serving on the board is an opportunity to work closely with SDOT staff and bicyclists from across the city to review and weigh in on planned projects in an effort to make Seattle a great and safe place to bike.”

Mayor McGinn and City Council are committed to promoting diversity in the City’s boards and
commissions. Women, youths, seniors, persons with disabilities, sexual minorities, and persons of color are encouraged to apply. Interested persons should submit a resume and cover letter explaining their interest via email by May 31 to: walkandbike@seattle.gov .  Please put “SBAB” in the subject line.

Interested persons without internet access may call: 206-684-7583.  To learn more about the board or join the mailing list for agendas and other board updates, please visit the SBAB website.

• SR 99-Valley Street to the southern end of the Battery Street Tunnel
• Mercer Street-Fifth Avenue N to Dexter Avenue N

Sidewalks will be closed on both sides of SR 99 between Thomas and Valley Streets, and on the south side of Mercer Street between Fifth Avenue N and Dexter Avenue N.

That isn’t the worst of it, because we are really just beginning this segment of the Mercer Corridor effort – meaning MAJOR impacts are beginning.

Following the full weekend closure of SR 99, lane restrictions on Mercer Street will remain in place between Fourth Avenue N and Ninth Avenue N.

                                Click map for larger PDF version

To help alleviate traffic congestion on eastbound Mercer Street, eastbound Broad Street will re-open to traffic on Monday, May 20, as an alternate route for travelers heading to I-5.  Additional traffic revisions will include:

• Mercer Street between Fourth and Ninth avenues north down to two eastbound lanes (local access maintained at Taylor Avenue N)
• Sidewalk on the north side of Mercer Street closed between Fifth Dexter avenues north (sidewalk on the south side of Mercer Street will remain open)
• SR 99 traffic between Valley and Harrison streets shifted to the west side of the roadway (two lanes of SR 99 in each direction will remain open)

The northbound SR 99 off-ramp to Mercer Street will be permanently closed. A new signalized intersection at Republican Street and Dexter Avenue N will be available for northbound SR 99 traffic to reach South Lake Union.

OK, that’s all for now, but it really seems like enough…

Why is distraction a priority for law enforcement and transportation agencies? Because distraction is a leading contributing cause of collisions in Seattle accounting for more than 1000 preventable crashes each year. Studies have also shown that using a mobile device while driving carries with it effects similar to driving while impaired. There’s no doubt about it, using your mobile device while driving is a recipe for trouble.  

And while many of think that this is a problem with mainly young drivers, people of all ages are guilty of using their cell phone while driving. Check out the video below illustrates this quite well. Thanks to BMW for creating this piece.  

Check out this great infographic from ChangeLab Solutions:

Click to view larger version

Enjoy Bike to Work Day on Friday!

The crew took their chain saws to overgrown hedges.

This year the popular community event, also known as Keeping It Clean and Fine Since ’99, was joined by 17 volunteers from Stacy and Witbeck, Inc. (SWI) SDOT’s prime contractor on the First Hill Streetcar.   The SWI crew brought chainsaws and shovels, enabling them to thin out a hedge of trees on S Lane Street between Sixth and Maynard that had become a security concern for the many elderly pedestrians who regularly walk along the corridor.   Their volunteers also did a good deal of weeding and street sweeping.  In addition, SWI made a generous financial contribution to the effort, making them the official sponsor of the event.

The crew took a break for a quick group shot.

A substantial piece of the 2.5 mile streetcar route runs along S Jackson Street in the heart of Chinatown/ID.  Recently, the contractor has been restoring the pavement in the curb lanes of Jackson, after completing extensive utility work that was needed before the streetcar tracks can be placed.  New gas and water lines were installed, along with important improvements to the electrical infrastructure and stormwater and sewer facilities.   Track construction itself began on Jackson in April and will continue into early 2014.

Construction on the entire route is slated to be complete by mid-2014.  For additional information, visit the project website at www.seattlestreetcar.org.