Another Pedestrian Fatality in Port Angeles
Another pedestrian was killed in Port Angeles this past Monday at an intersection on East Front Street. Compared to suburban California where I used to live, drivers are generally a lot more courteous and attentive here.
Still, there are plenty of drivers who just go barreling through the crosswalks. I don’t want to comment on this particular tragedy since it’s still under investigation.
There's one particular type of close call that I've seen repeatedly. It always happens on a busy one-way street with two lanes (e.g. First Street and Front Street). A pedestrian is ready to cross, and the traffic in the closest lane stops. Traffic in the further lane keeps moving, for whatever reason. And the pedestrian keeps walking, looking straight ahead; doesn’t look toward the traffic to make sure the cars in the other lane have stopped.
I've lost count of how many times I've seen that exact scenario. Either the driver slams on the bakes at the last second, or goes blitzing through the intersection and barely misses the pedestrian. This is a tragic accident waiting to happen.
Drivers and pedestrians both need to be careful and attentive, especially now with all the construction and traffic tie-ups going on.
Still, there are plenty of drivers who just go barreling through the crosswalks. I don’t want to comment on this particular tragedy since it’s still under investigation.
There's one particular type of close call that I've seen repeatedly. It always happens on a busy one-way street with two lanes (e.g. First Street and Front Street). A pedestrian is ready to cross, and the traffic in the closest lane stops. Traffic in the further lane keeps moving, for whatever reason. And the pedestrian keeps walking, looking straight ahead; doesn’t look toward the traffic to make sure the cars in the other lane have stopped.
I've lost count of how many times I've seen that exact scenario. Either the driver slams on the bakes at the last second, or goes blitzing through the intersection and barely misses the pedestrian. This is a tragic accident waiting to happen.
Drivers and pedestrians both need to be careful and attentive, especially now with all the construction and traffic tie-ups going on.
posted by Tom Harper at 6:53 PM
12 Comments:
I wish both First and Front would be two way traffic. I'm sick of the "oops" and a tourist is heading in the wrong direction (happens several times a day during the height of the tourist season), and the streets are just too wide for a pedestrian to cross safely, not to mention the 35mph speed limit on a great portion of the streets (sometimes with a 40+ mph traffic flow speed). And, it's bad for businesses!!!
How many times have you driven past, or turned at the wrong spot, and missed where you were heading to, and instead of going ALL THE WAY around the block again, just gave up?
What is the logic? It's totally non-intuitive, and not like anything I've ever seen ANYWHERE...and, it's dangerous.
maybe the cops could hang out downtown more often and write some tickets (jaywalking, speeding, failure to yield, running stop signs, etc), make some money, crack some heads, eat some doughnuts, you know, do cop stuff.
Its amazing how much people better people follow the rules when they are randomly yet frequently enforced.
Downtown isn't the problem....people then to NOT speed downtown...and the "street is narrower. After Lincoln is when the race begins on First Street...it goes from 20 to 35. After Peabody, the traffic flow picks up to at least 35, if not 40. I don't see pedestrians crossing mid-block, but more at the UNMARKED cross walks, on a large, wide boulevard....and they are hardly noticed, totally blend in. Plus, they're so far OVER (with the two lanes and the two, very, very wide "parking lanes") that you just do not notice them.
The design of two one-way streets like that is idiotic. It detracts and hinders both the economic growth of the community AND the safety of it's members. It doesn't work in Cincinati any better than it works here (some early city planning moron thought our town should be laid out like his stupid home town with alternating direction streets throughout the downtown). It's basically a SLUM. Businesses folded years ago.
Perhaps in a thriving CITY the alternating one way city blocks can work, but in an area that is too spread out it makes no sense at all. Downtown is flailing because of this. How many of you actually avoid going downtown with the low speed limits, the lack of parking, and the "memory tricks" trying to figure out if you've gone past it sufficiently while traveling on Front Street? And, when it comes to the WIDE part...who can remember while driving on Front, which street you turn at to get to the post office, Swains, to get to the Viking Sew and Vac, or to get to Wave Cable? It's not enough to know something is "on First" or "on Front" you have to know the nearest cross street.
I don't like the two one way streets at all, and think it's dumb.
where in the heck can cops eat donuts in this town?
anywhere they want, or they will crack your head.
but...who sells donuts? We need a donut shop in town!
No idea about that. I have no need of doughnuts because I am not a cop.
Do you think if PA had a doughnut shop, there would be more cops?
Saaaay, that IS a good idea. More doughnut shops! More cops! Win-win.
well, if there WERE a donut shop, there would a place where cops could EAT donuts instead of cracking heads....that would be win-win?
Yesterday I had a donut. Last night I dreamed of driving around aimlessly in a crown vic wearing nothing but a badge and a gun looking for more donuts. What does it mean? It was very frightening....
Who knew that Obi-Wan Kenobi was telling Luke to apply at the local police department? "Go with the force, Luke"
I believe it was Darth Vader that said that, not Obi Wan, my young padiwan.
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