Changes are coming to a pedestrian crossing on busy 164th Street at I-5 in Lynnwood.
The Washington State Department of Transportation plans to enlarge a traffic island there, reducing the number of lanes that feed the I-5 on-ramp from two to one.
Currently, the far-right lane goes directly onto the on-ramp. The second lane, for high-occupancy vehicles, allows cars to travel straight on 164th Street or turn right for the on-ramp.
“While all vehicles are supposed to signal their intent, we know it doesn’t always happen, and that’s where the crosswalk do-si-do comes in,” writes Mike Allende in a WSDOT blog post on the subject. “Are they turning, or aren’t they?”
After the changes, the HOV on-ramp lane will begin after the crosswalk.
The work is slated to begin soon, as weather allows, and is expected to be completed by the end of June.
The $25,000 price tag is being paid from safety improvement funds.
Other improvements also are planned, including a flashing beacon pedestrians can activate and extra paint on the pavement. Work could begin in the fall on that task list. No cost estimates were available for that phase.
Have a question? Email us at streetsmarts@heraldnet.com. Please include your name and city of residence. Look for updates on our Street Smarts blog.
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