School Zone Signage

Since 2007, SDOT has installed or improved school zone signage at more than 150 eligible schools in Seattle. Schools are eligible for school speed zone signs if they have a K-12 program approved by the Washington State Board of Education and they enroll more than 20 students.

Signs are generally placed in compliance with national standards, Seattle Municipal Code and SDOT’s guidelines on school zone placement. School speed zones consist of the following:

• An advanced warning sign located 300 feet before the start of the school speed zone.
• A speed zone sign (“20mph When Children Present”) 300 feet in advance of the school property boundary or marked school crosswalk.  “When Children Present” is legally defined by any of the following conditions:
1. School children are occupying or walking within the marked crosswalk.
2. School children are waiting at the curb or on the shoulder of the roadway and are about to cross the roadway by way of the marked crosswalk.
3. School children are present or walking along the roadway, either on the adjacent sidewalk or, in the absence of sidewalks, on the shoulder within the posted school speed limit zone which extends 300 feet in either direction from the marked crosswalk.
• An “End School Zone” sign indicating the end of the school speed zone.

SDOT has also installed or upgraded thousands of school crosswalk signs. These signs use a bright fluorescent yellow-green color, and include a downward facing arrow pointed towards the crosswalk, calling greater attention to locations where children will be crossing.

Flashing Beacons
SDOT operates more than 50 sets of flashing beacons around the city. The flashing beacons are an effective part of a wide range of tools that SDOT and the Police Department use to ensure that children get to and from school safely. Locations are selected based on traffic volume, speed, collisions, roadway conditions, vehicle types, and number of students walking to school.

The beacons are mounted along with school speed zone signs that read “20 miles per hour when children are present or lights are flashing."  They are programmed to flash during hours when most children are walking to and from school.

If you have questions or concerns regarding the operation of existing beacons, contact Carol Coryell at (206) 684-5067, or carol.coryell@seattle.gov.