SDOT Director Scott Kubly and SDOT staffers joined Seattle Police Department (SPD) officers at Arbor Heights/K-5 STEM School in West Seattle to educate and reward for traveling safely and following the rules of the road. Thanks to school staff, students and parents, SPD, and everyone out there in the Delridge community.
SDOT Director Scott Kubly chatting about traveling safely to kids at Arbor Heights/K-5 Stem
This included grownups driving and kids who were getting dropped off, and families who were walking and biking to school too. We want to reinforce good travel behavior by saying thank you to those that were headed to school today.
SPD Officer and SDOT staff rewarding grownups and kids for safe travel behavior
Some grownups received $5 coffee gift cards, and kids received safety education items like glow-in-the-dark reflective key chains, coloring books and crayons (all grant-funded).
Summer break is only a few days away and we want to remind everyone to travel safely wherever they are going and to be mindful that most kids will be out of school.
- Seattle’s Vision Zero program launched earlier this year
- Goal is to end traffic-related deaths and serious injuries by 2030
- Seattle is a safe city – often recognized as one of the safest in the nation
- We want to build on our safety record
- And we know that we can be even better (over 10,000 collisions/year, and one death is one too many)
- Vision Zero approach emphasizes smarter street designs – forgiving streets that account for human error
- When paired with targeted education and enforcement, we can save lives
- SDOT and SPD staff will be out looking for people practicing safe travel behaviors as they walk, bike, and drive
- We each have a role to play every day to reach Vision Zero
To make our streets safer for all, Seattle’s Vision Zero effort includes the following actions in 2015:
- Reducing the speed limit in the downtown core to 25 m.p.h. by the end of 2015
- Improving safety at 10 high-crash intersections downtown by eliminating turns on red lights, installing leading pedestrian intervals to give walkers a head start, eliminating dual turn lanes, and other engineering improvements
- Installing 20 m.p.h. zones on residential streets in up to ten areas near parks and schools with documented collision histories
- Enhancing safety on arterials (where 90 percent of serious and fatal collisions occur), like Rainier Avenue S, 35th Avenue SW, Fauntleroy Way SW and Fifth Avenue NE, by enhancing street designs, lowering speed limits and installing radar speed signs
- Adding 12 new school zone safety cameras in six school zones to improve safety for children as they make their way to and from school
- Adding seven miles of protected bike lanes, more than 40 crossing improvements, and 14 blocks of new sidewalk to make travel safer across all modes
- Conducting targeted enforcement throughout the city for school, pedestrian and bike safety, along with enhanced DUI enforcement. SDOT and SPD will work together to educate people in advance of these patrols, so everyone will expect enforcement and better understand the rules of the road.For more information on Vision Zero, visit www.seattle.gov/visionzero. #VisionZeroSEA
