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Business owner pushes for safety at Burien intersection
A Burien business owner is urging city officials to improve pedestrian safety after his surveillance camera captured multiple dangerous collisions at the intersection of Southwest 152nd Street and 10th Avenue.
BURIEN, Wash. - A Burien business owner is urging city officials to address a dangerous intersection outside his building after capturing numerous vehicle collisions on his security cameras.
JJ Grieve, owner of the School of Professional Home Inspections, has operated his business at Southwest 152nd Street and 10th Avenue Southwest for a decade. He installed a surveillance camera 10 years ago and reported hearing frequent car crashes during that time.
Grieve expressed concern that the ongoing traffic issues could eventually lead to a fatal accident, specifically highlighting the risk to pedestrians in the busy commercial area.
Surveillance footage captures frequent collisions
According to Grieve, most of the collisions at the intersection occur when drivers run the stop sign or attempt to make left turns into oncoming traffic.
"I've seen a lot of pretty serious accidents and really, a lot of close calls with people," Grieve said. "My main concern is about pedestrian safety."
The most recent notable crash captured on his camera occurred in April and involved a Lexus SUV. Grieve noted that traffic traveling on 152nd Street is not required to stop, and drivers frequently exceed speeds of 25 to 30 mph.
"The person that hit them was going pretty fast," Grieve said regarding the April collision. "Considerably faster than any other cars at that time."
City leaders acknowledge community concerns
The intersection sits in a high-traffic district surrounded by local businesses, including restaurants, bars, a gelato shop, and a local theater. Grieve stated the combination of heavy foot traffic and speeding vehicles creates a high risk for T-bone collisions.
Grieve has shared his concerns and surveillance footage with the Burien City Council.
Burien Mayor Sarah Moore acknowledged the situation, noting that she is familiar with both the specific intersection and Grieve's security footage.
"Thank you for bringing up these questions about the intersection at 152nd and 10th SW," Moore said in a statement. "I am familiar with the intersection, with this specific footage, and with the ongoing community concerns about this location, and have shared recent messages about it with city staff, to ensure that it is on their radar."
Moore explained that the city council's role is to provide the policy framework and budget priorities for traffic safety, directing specific operational inquiries to the city's communications division.
Public works evaluates risk and funding
Burien Public Works Director Rod Steitzer stated that public engagement for the city's Transportation Master Plan and Comprehensive Safety Action Plan previously highlighted the intersection as an area of concern.
"While our safety analysis does not place this particular intersection high on the list for injury risk, we heard those community concerns and made sure that the SW 152nd Street and 10th Avenue SW intersection was included in both plans," Steitzer said. "These plans both have many important safety projects we are aiming to address through strategic deployment of limited resources."
Steitzer stated that when the city is able to undertake the project, crews will conduct a study at the intersection to identify improvements that can be prioritized within the City's Capital Improvement Program.
Currently, 10th Avenue Southwest displays signage in both directions to notify drivers that cross traffic does not stop, and parking has been restricted by 30 feet to keep sightlines clear. Steitzer added that he has directed staff to continue exploring other feasible interim solutions to increase safety.
Calls for immediate safety measures
Until a permanent solution is reached, Grieve suggested that installing a roundabout could provide a practical way to control the flow of vehicles.
"We need to slow people down in the intersection. That's it," Grieve said.
Grieve stated he remains ready and willing to collaborate with local leaders on a fix, adding that he hopes a permanent safety measure can be implemented before a fatal tragedy occurs.
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The Source: Information in this story comes from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle reporter Dan Griffin.