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Dear Editor:

As a 42-year-long resident of Washington and 4-year resident of East 14th Street, located between Market and Bonner, I do not believe the current DOT plan puts enough emphasis on safety of pedestrians and turning traffic.

Rather, the DOT plan seems to be about speed and flow so traffic can get in and out of town as fast as possible.

I signed the petition circulated by some thoughtful people who live in the area. They make this same point, that the DOT plan is more about greater speed and flow than safety, and not even about easier access to businesses and homes.  

To emphasize how unsafe 15th Street is, not many people know a man was recently (in December) struck and killed as he was trying to walk across 15th Street and get on to Market, after taking his morning walk and trying to get to his home on Market which was just south of 15th.

On Tuesday about noon, my own car narrowly missed being struck by the two cars in front of mine at the intersection of 15th and Market.

Intersections like that one, especially their traffic lights, are poorly designed for pedestrians and turning traffic; they are accident magnets.

It would be a relatively simple change to add a designated left-turn-only light at the intersection. Those “caution but go” lights are dangerous.

What happened to me was a local work van going east on 15th and breezing through Market Street, did not slow to look, and so it narrowly missed the car turning left that was also coming down 15th from the opposite direction. The car was in front of mine. If the van had struck it, it’s likely at least one of the vehicles would have spun and hit mine.

Why are there no designated pedestrian crossing lights and marked and lighted cross walks on 15th? Little priority is put on the safety of the local pedestrians and persons accessing the small businesses.  

Please, City Council, do not pass DOT’s plan yet until a bit more work is done to solve these safety problems, especially at the major intersections. One additional benefit is that a safer 15th Street could help raise property values of homes and increase small business success. However, my priority is safety of pedestrians and turning traffic.

Billie-Jean E. Mallison, Washington