The City of Seattle’s Vision Zero efforts are underway. The Seattle Police Department has begun pedestrian safety patrols on Lake City Way NE as part of the Lake City Way Traffic Safety Project and Vision Zero. Safety Patrols will occur in the heart of Lake City between roughly NE 120th Street and NE 130th Street.
Officers will focus on the mid-block crossings just north and south of the intersection of Lake City Way and NE 125th Street. The location was selected based on the number of total collisions that occur in this area which is busy with pedestrian, transit, bicycle and vehicular traffic. SDOT recently enhanced these crossings with rapid flashing beacons through the Lake City Way Traffic Safety Project. These beacons provide an increased awareness to drivers that pedestrians are in the crosswalk and that drivers should stop.
Enforcement will also focus on behaviors that are most commonly associated with pedestrian collisions and target people that fail to yield to pedestrians. Officers will be on the look out for other behaviors that commonly lead to trouble on Lake City Way including speeding and distraction.
This effort is part of our ongoing work to enhance safety on Lake City Way. Travelers can expect to see increased law enforcement on Lake City Way today and throughout 2015. We’ve partnered with the Washington State Patrol to help monitor conditions on this busy northeast Seattle corridor. SPD will continue these patrols citywide through our Vision Zero enforcement efforts.
Remember always stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk. It’s the law and it’s the Lake City Way.
Thank you for supporting safety.