Seattle has gained its second set of painted crosswalks (http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2015/08/with-central-district-pride-mlks-crosswalks-painted-red-black-and-green/), painted black, green and red (from the Pan-African flag) to represent the African American community in the Central District.
Honestly, these ones need some kind of outline (colored white...if that's too controversial, then yellow or something bright)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.capitolhillseattle.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F08%2FIMG_6312.jpg&hash=5f4301962865dd249bfbb0998f02d1bd818e9dfe)
Earlier in the year, several rainbow crosswalks (http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2015/06/mayor-murray-set-to-unveil-rainbow-crosswalks-on-capitol-hill/) (with white outlines!) debuted in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, an area where the LGBT has historically claimed as its own.
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3708/19595827208_977529e170_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/vRBJHN)
Rainbow crosswalk on Broadway (https://flic.kr/p/vRBJHN) by SounderBruce (https://www.flickr.com/photos/sounderbruce/), on Flickr
You know there's a crosswalk there whether or not anything is painted, right?
Quote from: NE2 on August 06, 2015, 08:41:30 PM
You know there's a crosswalk there whether or not anything is painted, right?
Yes, but taking a previously visible and painted one and making it harder to see isn't safe/smart.
Quote from: Bruce on August 06, 2015, 08:43:03 PM
Quote from: NE2 on August 06, 2015, 08:41:30 PM
You know there's a crosswalk there whether or not anything is painted, right?
Yes, but taking a previously visible and painted one and making it harder to see isn't safe/smart.
Agreed. WSDOT and its constituents are big into not painting crosswalks at every possible crossing point, so there was obviously a reason they had one there to begin with. To go and make it basically invisible seems to go against the point in the first place.
Hate to say it, but these crosswalks aren't official:
http://www.kirotv.com/news/news/several-crosswalks-seattles-central-district-paint/nnDmt/
From SDOT:
Quote
"While we are supportive of community building activities, we must ensure that the city's crosswalks remain recognizable and safe. We are reviewing what action should be taken."
http://www.lowellsun.com/breakingnews/ci_28508446/im-big-trouble-billerica-selectman-paints-crosswalks-police
Billerica, MA, my dear neighbor town has had some of it's own "painted" crosswalks in the news recently.
HOLY SHIT good news Bruce:
http://www.king5.com/story/news/local/seattle/2015/08/06/seattle-wont-paint-over-rogue-crosswalks-in-central-district/31258623/
Quote
Seattle now says it will not paint over Pan-African themed crosswalks that have shown up in the Central District.
Quote
Instead, city transportation crews will put white reflective tape alongside the red, green, and black hand-painted stripes.
Quote
The tape will serve as a temporary solution to make the crosswalks safer. It's expected to be installed sometime Thursday night.
And what's with the "no parking within 30 feet" sign? Why not just put a standard "No Parking" sign to mark the point where you can't park?
And the city responds in just the right way.
SDOT has a pretty good track record with guerrilla improvements: http://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2013/07/15/sdot-makes-guerrilla-installed-protected-bike-lane-permanent/
Quote from: Bruce on August 06, 2015, 06:52:19 PM
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.capitolhillseattle.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F08%2FIMG_6312.jpg&hash=5f4301962865dd249bfbb0998f02d1bd818e9dfe)
That car that's turning in the pic makes me want eye bleach...they effed that car up something terrible.
They are just referring to official crosswalk markings. Yes, the spokesperson didn't use the exact and proper wording.
Quote from: SectorZ on August 06, 2015, 09:33:23 PM
http://www.lowellsun.com/breakingnews/ci_28508446/im-big-trouble-billerica-selectman-paints-crosswalks-police
Billerica, MA, my dear neighbor town has had some of it's own "painted" crosswalks in the news recently.
I heard a few days ago the charges were dropped.
From Seattle Bike Blog (hopefully the image works)...oh my, that does not look good in the sunlight.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F1p40p3gwj70rhpc423s8rzjaz.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F08%2FIMG_2552.jpg&hash=778b1125ac2c64819fd8e8065dd4fa2cb7a7b082)
Quote from: Pete from Boston on August 09, 2015, 02:51:46 PM
Quote from: SectorZ on August 06, 2015, 09:33:23 PM
http://www.lowellsun.com/breakingnews/ci_28508446/im-big-trouble-billerica-selectman-paints-crosswalks-police
Billerica, MA, my dear neighbor town has had some of it's own "painted" crosswalks in the news recently.
I heard a few days ago the charges were dropped.
The charges were dropped, but Mr. Simolaris agreed to pay $4,200 in restitution.
Quote from: Bruce on August 06, 2015, 06:52:19 PM
Earlier in the year, several rainbow crosswalks (http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2015/06/mayor-murray-set-to-unveil-rainbow-crosswalks-on-capitol-hill/) (with white outlines!) debuted in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, an area where the LGBT has historically claimed as its own.
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3708/19595827208_977529e170_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/vRBJHN)
Rainbow crosswalk on Broadway (https://flic.kr/p/vRBJHN) by SounderBruce (https://www.flickr.com/photos/sounderbruce/), on Flickr
It's nice and bright, easy to see. However, it makes me think more of the Rainbow Bridge from
Thor, and
The Avengers. :bigass:
Quote from: jakeroot on August 11, 2015, 07:38:52 PM
From Seattle Bike Blog (hopefully the image works)...oh my, that does not look good in the sunlight.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F1p40p3gwj70rhpc423s8rzjaz.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F08%2FIMG_2552.jpg&hash=778b1125ac2c64819fd8e8065dd4fa2cb7a7b082)
This is just terrible by comparison. Even with the white lines, the colors are just too dark for standard roadway use, IMHO, in that fashion. Maybe if they took a cue from the rainbow-styled one above and did the colors horizontally across the road, it would look a lot better.
Quote from: Brandon on August 12, 2015, 10:00:30 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on August 11, 2015, 07:38:52 PM
From Seattle Bike Blog (hopefully the image works)...oh my, that does not look good in the sunlight.
http://1p40p3gwj70rhpc423s8rzjaz.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/IMG_2552.jpg
This is just terrible by comparison. Even with the white lines, the colors are just too dark for standard roadway use, IMHO, in that fashion. Maybe if they took a cue from the rainbow-styled one above and did the colors horizontally across the road, it would look a lot better.
I agree. There is great potential for this crosswalk, and many others. But to be fair, it was something done in the night by a couple of petty no-goods trying to express an opinion (white crosswalks in black neighborhoods are...racist?). Long-term plans (http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/central-district-crosswalks-marked-with-colors-of-pan-african-flag/) do call for this crosswalk to be updated:
Quote from: Seattle Times
Kubly said the city plans to work with the community in the coming weeks to finalize locations and layouts. In the meantime, city workers will put temporary tape on the crosswalks to restore their reflectivess.
Quote from: roadfro on August 14, 2015, 04:53:19 AM
In Nevada, most applications of the "no pedestrian" sign used to indicate a crossing restriction usually have a supplemental plaque beneath that says "use crosswalk" with an arrow pointing towards the nearest available crossing (this is not an MUTCD-standard sign, as far as I know).
It is MUTCD standard. No Pedestrians is R9-3 and the use crosswalk placard is R9-3bP. Per 2009 MUTCD section 2B.51.
My concerns are two fold - In Washington, studded tires are legal in the winter, and many people drive with them through out the winter months, and tear up any roadway markings that cross the lane. This will likely make the rainbow crosswalks look like crap in the spring, and why I still maintain that a 7 piece zebra/continental crossing would be more effective in the long run, or make each of the segments of a zebra/continental crossing all of the colors.
Second, with the PAF style crosswalk, get some regulation paint or adhesive crosswalks there, in the correct colors, but with some reflectivity. That way they are safer, and look a hell of a lot better.
Quote from: TEG24601 on August 14, 2015, 11:10:58 AM
...why I still maintain that a 7 piece zebra/continental crossing would be more effective in the long run, or make each of the segments of a zebra/continental crossing all of the colors.
Sometimes they are effective, but sometimes the jurisdiction goes too far with the tire gaps (read: King County, image below). If they used a consistent width between the zebra marks, like (this (http://thumbnails.cbc.ca/maven_legacy/thumbnails/159/664/bc-crosswalk-mercier-121207.jpg)), I think the zebra might be better.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FEsY5pOq.jpg&hash=563dd87fa8237c91232f7075c2499dc825e9e3ec)
Quote from: Big John on August 14, 2015, 10:41:23 AM
Quote from: roadfro on August 14, 2015, 04:53:19 AM
In Nevada, most applications of the "no pedestrian" sign used to indicate a crossing restriction usually have a supplemental plaque beneath that says "use crosswalk" with an arrow pointing towards the nearest available crossing (this is not an MUTCD-standard sign, as far as I know).
It is MUTCD standard. No Pedestrians is R9-3 and the use crosswalk placard is R9-3bP. Per 2009 MUTCD section 2B.51.
Well, that's what I get for posting late at night. I looked at the MUTCD and completely missed the text and pic of the sign... Either that, or I looked at a completely different section. :pan:
Good enough for this topic...
A crosswalk in Baltimore where they painted lines to make the crosswalk more visible...but just didn't get the entire job done! I guess it's possible the pic was taken prior to. Unless someone else is in the area I'll try to check it out next time I'm in the area.
https://goo.gl/maps/njpKVzQEojR2
In September, a new crosswalk design was painted at Boren & Howell in Seattle, to honor John T. Williams, who was fatally shot by police at the intersection in 2010. The incident (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_John_T._Williams) was very controversial and became the catalyst for a DOJ investigation of Seattle PD that continues today in the form of oversight.
http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/crosswalk-dedication/
(https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5573/30909280055_d9fe041dde_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/P6m96D)
John T Williams Memorial Crosswalk (https://flic.kr/p/P6m96D) by SounderBruce (https://www.flickr.com/photos/sounderbruce/), on Flickr
The intersection of 7th and H NW in DC, near Verizon Center and better-known to some as the "Barnes Dance intersection," has these odd markings. I have no idea what, if anything, they represent and I haven't tried to find out.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi31.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc378%2F1995hoo%2Fe7cf551d5eda6552111b329b4a09485d_zpskgzyrj9s.jpg&hash=81d8764af95fc962f853f2637f8612450ae5b8a4)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi31.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fc378%2F1995hoo%2F2c0e12f628182c2f0942591bbf0d4790_zpsgstbfrvv.jpg&hash=357ba6a15d69f7be48ec3ea212040c5b5582c6b1)
Edited to add: Seems it's supposed to channel Chinatown. The animal figures represent the Chinese zodiac. The stuff in the diagonals is supposed to be a dragon.
You'd think the Chinese gate on one side of the intersection would give it away... ;-)
I saw the half-completed version back in June. Looks pretty good and I hope Seattle gets a similar painted sidewalk (and pedestrian scramble) treatment around our Chinatown/International District.