Speed limits dropping 5 mph on some state routes through Seattle

SEATTLE - Crews installed more than 150 new signs as the speed limit drops by 5 mph on some state routes through the City of Seattle.

The Washington State Department of Transportation approved lowering the speed limits on parts of state routes that run along surface-level streets in Seattle.

The first phase of the change includes portions of:

State Route 523 (NE 145th St)
State Route 522 (Lake City Way NE)
State Route 513 (Sand Point Way NE, NE 45th St, and Montlake Blvd NE)
State Route 99 (Aurora Ave N, E Marginal Way, and W Marginal Way)

The new speed limit signs are being installed about every quarter mile, according to the Seattle Department of Transportation.

The City of Seattle recently reached its goal of reducing the speed limit on most major roads to 25 mph to improve pedestrian safety.

Nearly 2,500 new 25 mph speed limit signs have been installed along 415 miles of arterial streets in Seattle. The city has an interactive map you can check to see which streets have the 25 mph speed limit.

The changes are part of the city's Vision Zero initiative to end traffic-related deaths on Seattle streets by 2030.

SDOT says lowering vehicle speeds is critical in lessening the amount and severity of crashes: "When drivers slow down by just a few miles per hour, it has two main powerful effects. First, it makes crashes less likely to occur in the first place. And second, a person who is hit by a driver traveling at lower speeds is much more likely to survive the incident."

Data from case studies in five Seattle neighborhoods found the lowered speed limit with additional signs resulted in a 20-40% drop in the number of crashes in those areas.

The department said it also updated its traffic signal policy to give pedestrians more time to cross the street and created automatic walk signals at more intersections.

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