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No tickets for BAT lane violators…yet

November 14th, 2008 · Comments

UPDATE:  The MCC tells us they have petitions at ACE Hardware in The Village for people who want to sign.

UPDATE:  The Seattle Police Department has issued this statement retracting their original media release about BAT lane violations following the MCC meeting last night:

On October 15th, we indicated that the Seattle Police Traffic Section would be conducting enforcement of Business Access and Transit (BAT) Lane violations along the 15th Avenue West corridor.  This is no longer the case.

Public education on these roadway changes will continue, with enforcement of violations to occur at a later date.  Additional announcements on this subject will be forthcoming!


                                                                                                                                                                 

A crowd of over fifty people vented their frustrations about the city’s BAT (business, access and transit) lanes tonight but there was some good news from the meeting.  Seattle Police announced they will not be enforcing BAT lanes rules yet and no tickets will be issued to drivers for awhile.  This reverses our report from October 15 when the city warned they would issue tickets to anyone who violated the rules of the BAT lanes.

The city now says it was premature in saying they would issue tickets for BAT lane violators.  

A number of issues were brought up tonight, as Eric Widstrandt (left) and Bill Bryant from Seattle’s Department of Transportation attempted to explain the BAT lanes to residents, many of whom expressed anger and frustration over the lanes devoted to buses on 15th Ave West.

The city representatives were invited by the Magnolia Community Club (MCC) to address resident’s concerns.

Magnolia resident Mark Bloome said that it feels like the BAT lanes are going to stay in place no matter what residents say and others echoed that concern.  There were also complaints about the lack of information given to the neighborhoods impacted by the lanes before they were installed.  

Residents from Magnolia, Queen Anne and Ballard attended the meeting.  Some accused the city of being heavy handed and not listening to citizen’s concerns and others called the BAT lanes ridiculous and said the signage and usage rules were confusing.  One woman said her drive now takes 15-20 minutes longer because of the increased traffic in the two lanes left for cars.  Another resident told the city reps that he really did not believe they would change their minds no matter what they heard from people at the meeting.  A long line of people waited to ask questions and make comments. 

Bryant and Widstrandt said they can’t evaluate the lanes fully until the signal timing system is finished which won’t be for a few months.  They also plan to tweak problems on a case by case location for specific locations.  They said they would consider allowing van pools to use the BAT lanes along with buses but they are not considering allowing car pools in those lanes.

They listened to a number of people express concerns over the confusing signage. They admit they ‘oversigned’ the area in an effort to explain the rules.  The crowd broke into applause a number of times when people criticized the BAT lanes.  One of the comments that drew the most applause was the suggestion that the city cover the signs with bags until they have the issues worked out. 

While a majority of people at the meeting opposed the BAT lanes, two bus riders testified that their commutes were shorter because of the BAT lanes.

The MCC also unveiled a petition asking the city to make safety improvements to the BAT lanes.  They will be circulating to Magnolia residents in the next few weeks.

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  • Its about time they enforce, I have a business on the street and since the lanes have been in place I have seen probably 18 accidents. Every Morning I drive down the bridge and I get over ASAP even though I am only going 2 blocks south, and every morning I see people just ripping down the Bat lanes as if its their own personal speed lane, I assume these are the same people that cut in lines as well, because they are special.
  • cynicali
    Joey, I'm pretty sure that you confused progressive thinking with extolling smug satisfaction.

    And yeah, Seattle's full of it.
  • Jeremy on Crown Hill
    @ Mark Bloome -- Really? You need a freakin park and ride somewhere on 15th because you live in MAGNOLIA? Why not take a bus to 15th? There are at least 4 that run regularly through Magnolia. Or you could bike there. Or walk there. Or have your wife drop you off in the morning, but to believe that you need a park and ride is absolutely ridiculous.
    I ride the bus to and from work nearly every day. I work the graveyard so I am going against the flow most of the time. The bus lanes have cut nearly 30 minutes off of my commute home in the morning.
  • Joey
    Wow some of you are completely selfish and short sighted. As someone who works downtown and lives in Ballard, the BAT lanes are a godsend.

    My commute on the bus just got sooooo much better and much much quicker.

    I thought Seattle was supposed to be progressive?
  • cynicali
    I'm all for incentivizing public transit, but this seems like a piss-poor way of doing it. My commute time (Ballard to Tukwilla) has increased about 15 minutes. Were I to take public transit, that commute time would roughly double. It sure seems to me that this has done nothing more than keep congestion levels up and cars on the road longer.
  • Howard Stambor
    The City clearly does not understand the logic of its signage or the logic of how its restriction should work. According to the City's interpretation/application of its own rule, the only thing a car can do in the bus lane is turn right, no matter what time it is. But if you can drive in the bus lane only to turn right, then the hours restriction is meaningless. And if you can PARK in the bus lane outside of restricted hours (you can! and people do!), then surely you ought to be able to drive in them (to the extent that a parked car does not prevent you from doing so).
  • Min Wang
    I think the two guys presenting were bigger asshats then the drivers that oralax was talking about. Especially that Widstrand fellow. It is almost like he thinks he is sooo important and there is no way the average person could comprehend the genius of his stuipid signs.
  • mark bloome
    Magnolia residents are coming under continual super-urbanization from the City's growth with no benefit. The BAT lanes do not serve our community as their are no park and ride lots so we can drive to Elliott/15th and then use the buses. The BAT lanes slow us down, take our vaulable and limited time away from our families while we wait in the jammed traffic, and as we wait we generate green house gases.
    There is no question that the City will not listen to us, as the BAT lanes increase development which is what the SDOT people said and the elected officials are hell bent on development.

    perhaps we should consider who we vote for mayor next time and for city council and make transportation issues key to our support!
  • Billinator in Ballard
    I was not at the meeting, so pardon me if I am repeating, but the signs are absolutely confusing. Some say busses only during certain hours which logically means cars during the off hours. Then you hit a right hand turn only sign which means you can't be in the lane. This patter repeats over and over.

    On the merits, if this really speeds up bus traffic appreciably, I am in favor of it even thought it will slow me down as a car-user. But let's make data-based decisions. If there is not sufficient proof of appreciably increased bus movement, then let's not have it be bus only simply because it feels good or seems like the right thing to do.

    What kind of evidence might we look for as to effectiveness as a bus only lane?
  • Kyle
    Wasn't it just parking in those lanes before the construction? Yes, there wasn't supposed to be any during rush hour, but there was always that *one* car still there, with a ticket on the windshield.
  • Orslax
    I think the BAT lanes are great, it is incentive for people to take the bus.

    I know from personal experience this has reduced the bus commute time from Ballard to downtown (unless the bus can't pass a biker , but oh well )

    I also enjoy driving more now there are less asshats speeding down the right lane and cutting in at the last minute causing all the traffic in nearby lanes to have to break and let them in, because some people feel the need to pass on the right and cut in.
  • Bob
    Can't you people see you're slowing down Tom's commute from the cannery back home to his charwoman mother and their children?
  • Tom
    Man, what a bunch of whiners. How hard it is to read the signs and do what they say? It has made my bus ride faster so I am all for it. Seems like there are bigger problems in the world than confusing road signs!!
  • Not a fan of BAT
    Was it just me or did anyone else at that meeting think those two city guys were awfully smug? They kinda acted like they thought we were all too dumb to figure out their lanes.

    At least I can keep driving in the lanes without getting a ticket.
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