DAE think the new crosswalk on Bothell Way is actually more dangerous than the old one?

Last month the city installed that raised crosswalk with the flashing lights near the park and ride. I've almost been hit twice now because drivers slam on brakes at the last second instead of slowing down gradual like they used to. Then last Tuesday I watched a cyclist swerve around a car that stopped too late and clip a mailbox. Are these things really safer or just giving people a false sense of security?

3 comments

3 Comments

max_ross21d ago

You make some fair points about the sudden braking, but honestly I think the raised crosswalk is a big improvement. The old crosswalk had cars flying through at 40 mph with zero warning, and the flashing lights at least get people to pay attention. That cyclist clipping a mailbox sounds like a bad case of not yielding properly, not a design flaw. I've seen way more near misses on the old flat crosswalk where drivers just didn't see people until the last second.

jenniferw8221d ago

Oh man, have you noticed how the raised crosswalk actually helps with stormwater drainage too? The old flat one used to flood every time it rained hard, and people would just walk through standing water or get splashed by cars. That little slope on the raised bit channels water off to the sides way better than the old design, so pedestrians aren't dealing with puddles at the crossing points anymore.

emery_young1321d ago

Gotta push back on the drainage thing a bit. Sure the raised crosswalk might help with water flow, but the real issue is how it messes with traffic flow in a way that creates sudden stops. I saw a minivan lock up its brakes yesterday and almost get rear-ended by a pickup because the driver didn't see the raised section until the last second. The old crosswalk might have had faster cars but at least people knew what to expect and adjusted their speed accordingly. That cyclist thing was a direct result of a driver stopping late and the bike having to dodge them, not just bad yielding habits. Feels like we traded one set of problems for another set that's actually more dangerous in different ways.