Seattle Reducing Speed Limits

Posted Tuesday, September 13, 2016 by Andrew Charles Huff

Speed limits in and around downtown Seattle will likely be reduced late this year to 25 mph, and the residential speed limit to 20 mph. The reason? To reduce traffic injuries.

Assuming the City Council approves this month, road crews would begin putting up 500 new signs in November. In addition to downtown, arterial speed limits around Seattle Center, South Lake Union, Capitol Hill, First Hill, and the Chinatown International District also would be lowered to 25 mph.

Additionally, Seattle will also begin eliminating un-signaled crosswalks on four-lane streets and adding speed bumps of various sizes as well as protruding sidewalks.But one problem Seattle faces is whether the city’s relatively small police force will effectively enforce lower speeds. The traffic unit already struggles with Mercer Street gridlock, conducting crosswalk stings citywide and consistently clearing the bus lanes leaving downtown.

Currently, the standard speed limits are 30 mph on Seattle arterials and 25 mph on residential side streets, unless otherwise marked.

Traffic-collision studies show that a person struck at 20 mph has a 90 percent chance of survival, nearly twice as good as someone hit by a vehicle traveling 30 mph,