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News from King County Department of Transportation King County will be improving traffic safety along two road corridors in East and Southeast areas of the county with federal funding from the Rural Safety Innovation Program (RSIP). The $200,000 grant will provide 80 percent of the funding to complete safety improvements on Southeast Lake Holm Road between Auburn and Enumclaw, and along Northeast Novelty Hill Road east of Redmond. The King County Road Services Division has identified both locations as high-collision areas. Over the years, the majority of the collisions along these corridors have involved single vehicles running off the road, or vehicles crossing the centerline. County traffic engineers say there are steep grades and tight curves along these roads that have contributed to the higher accident rates. The proposed safety improvements include lower-cost projects that use technology to enhance roadway safety. “Our engineers researched and found solutions using emerging technology and applying it to the age-old problem of accidents caused by vehicles running off the road,” said Norton Posey, the program manager for the project. “This creative approach caught the attention of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and put us in the running for these grant funds.” Posey said the improvements include: installing warning flashers that detect the presence of approaching vehicles; driver feedback signs that measure and display the speed of approaching vehicles; and message signs that warn drivers when they are going faster than the advised speed limit. “The competition for these funds was intense, and only 19 projects out of 96 nationwide were awarded grant funding,” said Road Services Division Director Linda Dougherty. “We are very glad to have this financial boost to improve safety in unincorporated King County.” The federal RSIP program is part of a $287 million national effort to help local and state governments reduce crashes on dangerous rural roads. Design for the two projects in King County will start late this year, and are expected to be completed in 2009.
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