Traffic Goes Too Fast Past My House!

Seattle is unique in that it has well over 1,000 neighborhood traffic circles spread throughout the city.  They’re effective at reducing accidents at intersections.  They also reduce speeds at the intersection and multiple traffic circles can reduce speeds along the entire street corridor.  Seattle Department of Transportation receives many requests for traffic circles, although there are funds to install only about 10-15 each year.  Traffic circles are prioritized on how many accidents have occurred at the intersection, as well as on the measured speeds and traffic volumes.

Not all intersections are suitable for traffic circles. For example, traffic circles and most other traffic calming devices cannot be installed on streets that are Seattle Fire Department primary emergency response routes, because of their effect on emergency response times.

There are several steps involved in acquiring one for your neighborhood:

If preliminary analysis suggests, after you attend the initial community meeting and complete the application, that your intersection is a strong candidate for funding, you will be asked to confirm community support by getting signatures on a petition. A minimum of 60% of households and businesses must be in favor of the traffic circle. If it falls within the City’s criteria, they’ll conduct a speed and volume analysis, and the highest-scoring intersections will be constructed – always a matter of current funding too. If you’ve made it this far, you’ll go on to design and construction, followed by landscaping – now you’ve made your community safer!

For more information, go to www.seattle.gov/transportation/trafficcircles.htm…