New technology and targeted enforcement are at the center of two new community safety programs announced today by King County Executive Ron Sims and King County Councilmember Greg Nickels. These new traffic safety tools are part of a major $5 million effort to combat pedestrian accidents in communities throughout King County.
“Since launching our traffic safety initiative two years ago, King County has been steadily building programs to reduce accidents and create safer neighborhoods,” Sims said. “Today, we are announcing two additional tools we hope will save lives - an experimental ‘Lightguard’ warning system in White Center that alerts motorists when pedestrians are in the crosswalk and the Selective Traffic Enforcement Plan (STEP) that expands our pool of motorcycle traffic officers assigned to neighborhoods. These officers will focus solely on reducing traffic and pedestrian problems on busy arterials in the County.”
“It’s all about making our streets safer for all of us-kids, seniors and ‘tweeners,’”said King County Councilmember Greg Nickels.
The new experimental pedestrian crosswalk, located at 16th Avenue Southwest and Southwest 104th Street, is one of several new traffic safety improvements that have been made recently in White Center and other communities. The County recently received approval from the Federal Highway Administration to test the warning device.
When activated by a pedestrian, a series of amber flashing lights warn motorists that someone is in the crosswalk. If the device proves successful in changing driver behavior, the County will consider using the technology at other intersections with high pedestrian volumes. The $23,000 Lightguard crosswalk was made possible through a $15,000 grant from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.
In addition to new technology, the County is using targeted traffic enforcement to make streets safer. The King County Sheriff’s Office and Road Services Division have just completed an effort to hire six motorcycle traffic officers who are now assigned to patrol arterials that are experiencing a high volume of traffic problems and complaints. Unlike routine enforcement efforts, the Selective Traffic Enforcement Plan (STEP) is counting on education to change the behavior of motorists who fail to obey speed limits.
Through verbal warnings, traffic information, radar readerboards and citations, the officers are working to raise driver awareness of safe driving habits. This high visibility and one-on-one interaction with motorists is expected to serve as a strong deterrent to speeding and unsafe driving in unincorporated areas of the county. Residents can request traffic enforcement on their street by calling (206) 296-3311, 24 hours a day.
The Lightguard warning device and STEP program compliment other speed and accident reduction efforts currently underway in King County. Given the unique safety needs of both fast growing and older urban communities, the County and citizen committees have been working for many months through the Neighborhood Enhancement Program (NEP) to identify ways to make their neighborhoods safer.
The program is already producing a variety of safety improvements, including new reflective safety signs, sidewalks, school pathways, shoulder improvements and concentrated enforcement. So far, the program has targeted White Center, Boulevard Park, Preston and Fall City. Future NEP communities will include West Hill and Jovita. King County plans to invest a record $5 million on pedestrian and traffic safety improvements and services in 2000.
