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Dark, cold, and wet put focus on traveling safely

Sidewalks in the White Center business district were in bad shape (top) before King County spent $800,000 to replace them (bottom) this summer

With last weekend’s time change, local travel has suddenly become more challenging. Not only do we have more dark daytime hours, but we’re also encountering the first icy roads of the seasons – and by the end of the week we could see heavy rainfall and flooding.

Now is a good time to refresh your safe driving and walking skills. Based on accident data collected in Washington since 1993, about 35 percent of all pedestrian fatalities occur in the two months between the end of daylight-saving time and the end of the year. Here are some safety tips from the Washington State Department of Transportation and the King County DOT:

For motorists:

Watch particularly for pedestrians along school bus routes, intersections, and transit stops and centers;
Use extra caution when backing out of driveways and driving around parking lots;
Be aware of weather conditions – such as ice – before you start your trip, and give yourself ample time to travel;
Never go around a “road closed” barricade, especially in areas prone to flooding.

For pedestrians:

See and be seen – drivers need to see you to avoid you;
Make eye contact with drivers when crossing busy streets;
Wear bright colors or reflective clothing at night;
Turn down the volume on head phones when attempting to cross the street;
Walk on the sidewalk. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic; and
Cross at crosswalks or intersections – do not run across a dark street to catch a bus.

The King County Road Services Division invested more than $1.5 million in four key pedestrian safety projects this summer.

In White Center, along 16th Avenue Southwest, the county installed 2,300 feet of concrete sidewalk on both sides of the street between Southwest 100th Street and Roxbury Street. This replaced old broken sidewalks that were a patchwork of cracked and buckled concrete and asphalt.

In the Finn Hill neighborhood north of Kirkland, the county filled in 1,200 feet of missing sidewalk links near Sandberg Elementary School on 84th Avenue Northeast and made some drainage improvements.

East of Renton on 144th Avenue Southeast, crews built an 8-foot-wide asphalt walkway on the west side of road to serve students traveling to Maple Heights Elementary. They also added concrete curbing to separate pedestrians from vehicle traffic, and made drainage improvements.

This pathway east of Woodinville was designed to accommodate pedestrians and equestrians.

A similar project on 148th Avenue Northeast east of Woodinville was designed to accommodate both horses and humans. Last year, county crews cut back a hillside to improve sightlines for drivers on the curved road. That created room for pathway that was built this past summer. Curbs and gutters were installed on either side of walkway, and then gravel was laid down gravel to create a pathway for pedestrians and equestrians.

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Updated: March 07, 2007

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