|
Week of Apr. 7, 2008
These safety projects are done by the gallon
County crews repaint yellow lines on Renton Ave. South. | Talk about improving road safety, and most people envision new stop signs, adding turn lanes, or installing a new sidewalk. Those are all important projects, but for King County traffic engineers safety begins right where the rubber hits the road.“The newest and smoothest road can still be dangerous if you don’t have easy-to-see painted and raised pavement markings that keep motorists safe,” said Lindy Jenson, superintendent of roads traffic maintenance for the King County Road Services Division. “We are very diligent in monitoring the condition of the traffic signage, painted striping, and reflective buttons on the roads we maintain, and have an aggressive schedule to keep up with the work.” The start of spring marks the beginning of the painting season for traffic maintenance crews, who also do other safety work such as replacing stop signs. Jenson said a five-person crew just spent four months working both night and day shifts to check the condition and reflectivity of the pavement markings and roadside signage countywide, plus traffic engineers inventoried all the roads to see if buttons were missing or damaged. Now, the focus switches to completing all the projects on that lengthy to-do list. This year’s work program started on March 31 and will continue for several months. Approximately $1 million is budgeted for the safety maintenance work this year. “We’ll be painting now through October on every dry day that we can,” said Jenson. “On each day that we paint, we’ll be going through about 400 gallons of yellow and another 400 gallons of white.” The crews are repainting many miles of both the yellow center-lane striping and the white pavement markings that delineate lane dividers, fog lines, crosswalks, and directional signs. Both colors are reflective in the dark because tiny glass beads are mixed into the paint.
All of the yellow and most of the white paint is a traditional mixture that can be laid down on the street in long continuous lines by a truck with paint nozzles attached to the undercarriage. It has drying agents added to it, so that the top surface dries in less than two minutes. It means the roadway is drivable almost immediately, and traffic does not have to be delayed very long by the painting crews.Jenson said the long-line striping throughout the county is repainted at least once a year, with a twice-a-year schedule on busy arterial roads. The white markings used for crosswalks and arrows are done with a thermoplastic paint that has to be applied using a handcart. It is much more durable for high-traffic areas, but also more expensive. Jenson said those markings are usually repainted every three to five years depending on how much wear-and-tear traffic volumes in that location create. Safety buttons – also called turtles – are used on the edge of the yellow centerline and on white travel lane lines to help with the reflectivity. They are usually installed every 40 feet along the roadway. They are replaced on a three-year cycle, and when they go missing or get damaged. The maintenance crews also install rumble strips of varying types and designs in areas where motorists need an advance warning about changing traffic conditions. “The other thing we usually do around April 1 is to take down our ‘Watch out for ice’ signs,” said Jenson. “But I think this year, we’re going to leave them up for a few more weeks.” Residents in unincorporated King County are encouraged to report any safety problems on county roads by calling (206) 296-8100 or 1-800 KC ROADS. The phone line is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
William Johnson (left) and KCDOT Director Harold Taniguchi. | King County Director of Transportation Harold Taniguchi recently honored a crew from the King County Road Services Division who came to the rescue of fellow county employees trapped by a heavy snowfall. On Jan. 31, workers from the county’s Office of Information Resource Management responded to a report of problems at a county radio tower on Rattlesnake Ridge in East King County. They worked until late into the evening correcting the problems to ensure that emergency radio traffic could continue without disruption.
Radio tower at Rattlesnake Ridge. | Once they resolved the problem, they were unable to descend Rattlesnake Ridge due to the heavy snowfall and blizzard conditions. Upon learning that they were trapped in the snow, Road Supervisor Jeff Granlund sent a grader and the two-person crew of William Johnson and Blake Rees to dig them out. It took until 7 a.m. the next morning for everyone to get safely off the mountain.
Mariners return for second homestand 
The Seattle Mariners are back home Friday through Tuesday, and Metro is offering a variety of service for the games against the Angels and Royals. For weekday games, there is plenty of regular Metro bus service traveling to and from the stadium area. Use Metro’s convenient online Trip Planner to research which routes provide the best connection from your home or office to the ballpark. For night and weekend games, there is special service to 13 outlying park-and-ride lots. The fare for special buses is $3 each way. This premium park-and-ride service operates after weeknight games and both before and after weekend games. It is not available for weekday games that begin before 5 p.m. See Metro Online for all the Mariners service details. |
|
Dalai Lama’s visit could disrupt traffic The Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists worldwide, is expected to visit the Seattle area from Thursday, April 10 to Tuesday, April 15. There are many events planned during his visit, and some may attract huge crowds that could cause traffic disruptions and transit delays. During his six-day trip, he is scheduled to make appearances at gatherings at the University of Washington, Key Arena, Qwest Field, and the Seattle Center. Traffic congestion is expected in those areas, and motorists and bus riders should plan for delays.
Ride Metro to this weekend’s Green Festival Discover that “It’s Easy Being Green” at King County’s educational pavilion during the upcoming Seattle Green Festival, April 12-13, at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center in downtown Seattle. And you can be even greener, by riding Metro to the event. The county’s pavilion is just one of the 300-plus exhibits scheduled for the big event. It will feature special discounts and incentives for green products, plus tips on connecting to the many resources that King County offers. Visitors will have an opportunity to talk with several county transportation experts at the festival. King County Metro Transit staff will share tips on how you can reduce your carbon footprint—and save money—by taking the bus, sharing a ride, biking or walking. They’ll also show you how easy it is to create a personalized bus trip using Metro’s popular online trip planner. Our transportation experts can also turn you into an eco-driver by helping you sort out all the considerations when purchasing a hybrid vehicle. They’ll also share tips that have helped the county reduce emissions in its own vehicle fleet. And if you are planning some improvements around your home or property, our road experts can share some tips on how to incorporate green building techniques into you projects. | Subscribe to DOT DashSign-up to receive an e-mail text version of "Transportation Today," along with other significant DOT news by sending an e-mail to us with subscribe King County DOT Dash in the subject line.
|
