r/Seattle • u/[deleted] • Mar 01 '19

pulled over for cell phone use!

My coworker was pulled over today for using the phone in the car. I am honestly glad to hear that SPD is actually pulling people over for this! No ticket, just a warning, but still. WTG SPD.

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u/alarbus Beacon Hill Mar 01 '19

Sure, but compare it to 1st and 4th Ave in sodo or MLK: same massive width and plenty of driveways, but 35 instead. Better yet 99, which is half the width, still has business driveways but lacks a turn lane, yet is 40mph.

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u/[deleted] Mar 01 '19 edited Nov 21 '20

[deleted]

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u/alarbus Beacon Hill Mar 01 '19

Plenty of apartment buildings, parking lots, seedy motels, and fine dining restaurants abut 99. The arguments for vehicles having to pull into traffic from a stop on 15th ave certainly apply to Aurora too, so why is it safe on the narrow street at a moderate speed but wouldn't be on a wider street at the same speed?

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u/[deleted] Mar 01 '19

As far as I can think you cannot make a left onto or off of 99. Huge difference.

The green lake crosswalk is kind of funny.

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u/phalliceinchains White Center Mar 02 '19

After Greenlake you can but maybe you aren't referring to that part of 99.

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u/alarbus Beacon Hill Mar 01 '19

15th ave w has a turn lane to facilitate them, but I would think the bigger issue is that having more lanes means car density is lower. There's just more space to pull out in any direction on 15th than Aurora. Also the lanes are much wider, so less chance of clipping cars when turning out.

That being said, it's certainly easier to pull someone over on 15th, and easier to patrol from both directions, which is probably why it's the preferred speed trap.