Seattle Uses Beige Boxes as Traffic Calming Measure

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Posted on Oct 13, 2015

Seattle Department of Transporation (SDOT) is using colors to improve safety on our roads with their latest addition - beige boxes. The Capitol Hill area roads just got a bit narrower in a push for improved pedestrian safety. This is the third colorful traffic safety initiative in the Seattle area, which began with green bike lanes and were recently joined by custom crosswalk art.

The streets along 12th Avenue E. and Mercer Street have been narrowed with beige boxes in a tactic known as "traffic calming" according to SDOT. The intersection is a very busy one with vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists all vying for a safe path to travel. Students from Lowell Elementary are a common sight in this busy area, with many of them walking or biking to their classrooms just a block away.

The beige boxes are only a temporary measure as SDOT officials work on installing curb bulbs, structures that will cover a parking lane and shorten the crossing distance of the intersection. Ultimately, the goal is to narrow the road to draw drivers' attention and force them to slow down, improving safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and even fellow drivers.

It's Up to Both Pedestrians and Drivers to Improve Seattle Traffic Safety

SDOT can only do so much with their traffic calming measure to help improve public traffic safety. It is the job of every Seattle resident to do their part in keeping our roads, sidewalks, and paths safe. When more drivers vow to keep their attention on the road and drive defensively, and more pedestrians obey the traffic signals and keep their minds on their destination, we can hope to see a reduction in accidents.

Seattle drivers should take time to familliarize themselves with new traffic initiatives like the lane narrowing at Capitol Hill. Doing so not only allows you to anticipate changes in your regular commute, but can also keep you from becoming a hazard to others. 

Seattle bicyclists and pedestrians also need to heed all new traffic safety changes and take advantage of measures implemented just for them. Those colorful crosswalks are in place to draw your attention, so make sure you use them whenever they are available!

Contact Max Meyers Law for Help with Seattle Traffic Accidents

If you were injured in a car, motorcycle, bicycle, or pedestrian accident, you need a Seattle attorney that understands how our city streets work. Seattle resident Max Meyers drives the same roads you do, and he knows just how drivers in our city can cause serious, fatal accidents. Contact us today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation regarding your potential injury claim, 425-399-7000.

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Max is a Kirkland personal injury attorney handling cases in Seattle, King County & surrounding in WA State.