Do you ever?
Do you ever see:
- single occupancy vehicles in the carpool lane (?), or
- people driving in the bus-only lane, or
- folks trying to sneak through the intersection when there’s clearly not enough room?
We likely all know the rules, but sometimes need a prompt to conduct ourselves better. Cue Seattle Police Department (SPD) – they’ve put together a couple of short videos reminding folks how to behave in traffic.
Pssst: to make sure people can move safely and efficiently during the squeeze, SPD uniformed officers are out and about across downtown, issuing tickets for blocking the box, and driving in the transit lane, among other things.
Don’t try to squeeze in – that’s not the kind of squeezing we want right now.
Don’t block the box. Keep intersections clear. When you pull into an intersection, make sure you can clear it before the signal changes to a red light. Wait your turn. Don’t be that person who holds up traffic and blocks the crosswalk – it’s not safe for anyone involved. Plus, there’s nothing like being honked at and getting the warranted evil eye from people trying to cross the street.
Our advice: be patient and wait until you can fully clear the intersection.
Are you a bus? We didn’t think so.
Stay in your lane – if you’re not driving a bus, then you (generally) shouldn’t be in the transit lane. In some instances, you can hop into a bus lane to turn off the street, but for the most part, bus lanes are for buses, so please don’t use them to get around gridlock.
If you really want to use the bus lane, we suggest taking the bus. We’ve got transit lanes in place to prioritize transit, one of the most space-efficient, affordable ways to get around.
Related reminder: 3rd Ave from Olive Way to just south of Yesler is for buses (and people biking) only from 6 AM – 7 PM, every day.
No need to get busted (har, har) – just follow the rules.
Thanks for doing your part to help keep Seattle moving safely during the #Squeeze! For more information and tools about the #SeattleSqueeze, check out our website!