Last Thursday November 14th, at around 4 in the afternoon, a woman was hit on NE 55th and 27th Ave NE. The Ravenna Bryant Community Association has written to Peter Hahn (peter.hahn@seattle.gov), Director of the Seattle Department of Transportation, asking him to review the speed and crossing issues on the entire NE 55th corridor from 25th NE to 35th NE. We urge residents to write to him, as well. Here is our letter:
November 18, 2013
Peter Hahn, Director, Seattle Department of Transportation
P.O. Box 34996, Seattle, WA 98124-4996
RE: Pedestrian hit by motor vehicle on NE 65th Street
Dear Mr. Hahn,
On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Ravenna-Bryant Community Association (RBCA), I am writing to tell you about a serious hit and run event that occurred in our community and to ask for your assistance. On Thursday, November 14th at about 4:00 p.m., a female pedestrian was hit by a driver on NE 55th Street near 27th Avenue NE, and was carried on the windshield of the vehicle for 40 feet. Our community is devastated by this incident, but few of us are surprised.
Vehicles are often seen on NE 55th travelling at unsafe speeds, moving down the hill without any stop lights, crosswalks, or any other reason to temper their speeds. Vehicles going eastbound on NE 55th gain speed as they prepare to climb the steep hill that starts around 28th Avenue NE. Because there is no crosswalk along NE 55th between 35th NE and 25th NE, pedestrians often dash across the street and hope that no vehicles are approaching them or that the vehicles will slow for them.
We respectfully ask you to please review the speeding behavior on this arterial, and to assess the need for crosswalks or other traffic calming measures.
Sincerely,
Tony Provine, President