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It is a tiny thing in the scheme of things of 2.4 miles of new bus stops, transit priority, new crosswalks, and better sidewalks. Enjoy it while you can. Unlike other crosswalks in Seattle, 14th and Madison has a vintage bell that rings when it is time to cross the street, but as the city works to finish the RapidRide G project and increase pedestrian safety through initiatives like creating lead time intervals for pedestrians and full-way crosswalks, the old bell — maybe the last of its kind on Capitol Hill — won’t remain for much longer.
“We will be replacing old equipment and modernizing the traffic signal to meet federal standards for ADA accessible crossings,” Ethan Bergerson, press secretary for SDOT, told CHS.
Once installed, the new crosswalk button will trigger an electronic voice message when it is safe to cross the street. The button will also vibrate for individuals who cannot hear the spoken message or see the walk symbol. The intersection will continue to have automatically displayed head-start walk signals.
“The new signal will also prioritize buses to help RapidRide G and other bus routes move through the intersection efficiently and reliably,” Bergerson said.
It isn’t all loss at 14th and Madison for Seattle transit and transportation nostalgia fans.
SDOT plans to add a new crosswalk along the north side of E Madison and as part of targeted improvements to street crossings throughout the city. Mayor Bruce Harrell’s $1.35 billion transportation levy proposal would target additional improvements to crossings to reduce traffic collisions, fatalities and severe injuries, his office says. Harrell proposed $107 million in Vision Zero and School Safety funding over the next eight years in the levy plan.
The city is also working on an update to its Vision Zero Action Plan that is hoped to build upon the 2023 top-to-bottom review of the Initiative with the goal to end all traffic-related deaths and serious injuries by 2030. Key actions for this year include adding pedestrian head-start walk signals, or leading pedestrian intervals, to 100 more traffic signals city-wide.
“This will bring the total number of these signals to above 700 traffic signals in Seattle—nearly three-quarters of the traffic signals where this is feasible,” Bergerson said. “In the past, we have seen nearly a 50 percent drop in the number of people hit by turning cars at crosswalks with this improvement.”
SDOT also plans to add No Turn on Red signs to 100 more intersections across the city, which will bring the total number of No Turn on Red signals to 275 intersections in Seattle. This is roughly 25 percent of the intersections in Seattle with traffic signals. Citywide, 38 intersections will be painted with new crosswalks.
“We also re-paint about 1,500 faded crosswalks each year and build at least 1,250 new curb ramps for people with disabilities,” Bergerson said.
17th Ave and E Union will receive newly painted crosswalks with additional features like speed cushions, flashing lights, and potentially curb bulbs. Pedestrian head start walk signals and No Turn on Red restrictions will be implemented on E Harrison St and Broadway E; Broadway and E Mercer St; Broadway and E Roy St; and Broadway and E Thomas St, among others.
SDOT is actively working on building new signals at other E Madison crossroads including 12 Ave; 13th Ave; 15th Ave; 17th Ave; and 18th Ave. Over the next few months, SDOT will continue to install new and upgraded signals.
CHS reported here on the final months of construction on the sometimes painful and tough to travel through road on the way to completing the new RapidRide G line. The new route will promise six-minute service during most hours of the day between 1st Ave downtown and MLK Jr Way in Madison Valley with stops across First Hill and Capitol Hill along the way when it debuts at the end of summer.
As for the old bell at 14th and Madison, it is still ringing and still sounding a bit like the opening of a new round of the eternal fight between Seattle pedestrians and Seattle drivers over crossings and safe streets each time it does.
The city has apparently lost track of the history of the bell and when it might have originally been installed, Bergerson said.
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