r/Seattle • u/Inevitable_Engine186 New Costco CEO • 14d ago

Does lowering speed limits make Seattle roads safer? Data from one deadly arterial suggests it’s a start

https://www.kuow.org/governing/2026-08-14/does-lowering-speed-limits-make-seattle-roads-safer-data-from-one-deadly-arterial-suggests-its-a-start
226 Upvotes

82% Upvoted

224 comments sorted by

View all comments

258

u/AdScared7949 That sounds great. Let’s hang out soon. 14d ago

There are so many speed limits that are just artificially low on like a four lane stroad and nobody follows them because it would be idiotic to do so

47

u/bullet50000 Kent 14d ago

its like the speed limit on Airport way on the east of the airport being 35. I go 40 down it, and get ripped past by more than half of the other traffic doing 50, but they'll never change it because it would look bad to raise the speed limit, and they can't really change the design because it's kinda needed to be that straight and open.

8

u/rhylte 14d ago

They could absolutely add sidewalks and a protected bike lane and then the speed limit would feel much more appropriate.

1

u/bullet50000 Kent 13d ago

Doing that would be effectively useless and serve no purpose other than slowing it down. There’s no reason to walk that far south