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4th Avenue S, North of S Industrial Way To improve pedestrian access across 4th Avenue South, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) removed the unsignalized marked crosswalk on 4th Avenue South between South Industrial Way and South Spokane Street. SDOT also added curb ramps to all corners of the signalized crossing at 4th Avenue South and Industrial Way and relocated Metro bus zones closer to the traffic signal. SDOT completed a technical analysis of the crosswalk and determined that it no longer met federally established guidelines that seek to ensure pedestrians are crossing the street in the safest locations. The alternatives considered for improving this marked crosswalk were reducing the number of travel lanes or installing a new traffic signal. However, given the importance of 4th Avenue South as a motor vehicle travel route, SDOT could not recommend a reduction in the number of travel lanes. This location also failed to meet federal standards for the installation of a pedestrian signal, which require counts of 100 pedestrians an hour for a four-hour period or 190 pedestrians in a single hour. Consequently, SDOT removed the marked crosswalk in October 2006. The preferred pedestrian crossing on this section of 4th Avenue South is now either the signalized intersection of 4th Avenue South and Industrial Way South or at the pedestrian crosswalk signal south of South Spokane Street . |
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