Pedestrian crossings in Seattle

File:December 2022 - Seattle 19.jpg with white stripes in Seattle in 2022]]

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) typically paints white stripes{{Cite web |title=Street Paint Is Really Expensive, Apparently |url=https://www.seattlemet.com/news-and-city-life/2011/01/street-paint-is-very-expensive-apparently |access-date=June 3, 2023 |website=Seattle Metropolitan |language=en-US}} and uses thermoplastic for crosswalks. In 2014, the agency began testing methyl methacrylate (MMA) on crosswalks.{{Cite web |last=Lucia |first=Bill |title=A promising moment for Seattle pedestrians {{!}} Crosscut |url=https://crosscut.com/2014/08/seattle-pedestrian-safety-crosswalk-lane-striping |access-date=June 3, 2023 |website=Crosscut.com |language=en |archive-date=January 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127054439/https://crosscut.com/2014/08/seattle-pedestrian-safety-crosswalk-lane-striping |url-status=live }} The city's crosswalks are typically painted in a "piano key" pattern with two blocks of white spaced closely together. Crosswalks on state highways maintained by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) use other patterns, including "ladder bars" with even spacing.{{cite report |author=Otak |date=September 1997 |title=Pedestrian Facilities Guidebook |pages=120–121 |url=https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/publications/manuals/fulltext/m0000/pedfacgb.pdf |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |accessdate=June 13, 2023}}

Following the installation of Seattle's rainbow crossings in 2015, SDOT and the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods (SDON) launched the Community Crosswalks program. According to KOMO-TV, "People can submit their own designs, but the design must include two white horizontal stripes. It also cannot include text or symbols. Designs will only be considered for locations that already have a marked crosswalk in place."{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=September 14, 2015 |title=Seattle neighborhoods allowed to design custom crosswalk art |url=https://komonews.com/news/local/seattle-neighborhoods-allowed-to-design-custom-crosswalk-art |access-date=June 3, 2023 |website=KOMO |language=en |archive-date=May 5, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210505110447/https://komonews.com/news/local/seattle-neighborhoods-allowed-to-design-custom-crosswalk-art |url-status=live }}{{unreliable source?|date=June 2023}}

Washington state law requires drivers to stop for pedestrians at most intersections, painted or otherwise, unless posted signage specifically prohibits pedestrians from crossing. In 2022, an informal survey of 1,000 Seattleites completed by SDOT showed 70 percent of drivers said they stop for pedestrians at painted crosswalks. SDOT said less than 20 percent of drivers stopped for pedestrians during observations.{{Cite web |date=March 21, 2022 |title=What are the 'driver report card' signs being installed in Seattle? |url=https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/seattle-driver-report-card-signs/281-0d86f039-8a2a-45f4-8ee4-0348c60f829f |access-date=June 3, 2023 |website=king5.com |language=en-US |archive-date=May 12, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220512042642/https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/seattle-driver-report-card-signs/281-0d86f039-8a2a-45f4-8ee4-0348c60f829f |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Regimbal |first=Alec |date=March 23, 2022 |title=SDOT installs 'driver report card' signs at city intersections |url=https://www.seattlepi.com/local/seattlenews/article/Seattle-driver-report-card-signs-17021857.php |access-date=June 3, 2023 |website=Seattle Post-Intelligencer |language=en |archive-date=May 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230523221902/https://www.seattlepi.com/local/seattlenews/article/Seattle-driver-report-card-signs-17021857.php |url-status=live }}

{{Main|Rainbow crossings in Seattle}}

In 2015, eleven rainbow crossings were installed at six intersections on Capitol Hill to commemorate and improve safety for members of the LGBT community. The privately funded crosswalks inspired the creation of other colorful pedestrian crossings throughout the city. The Federal Highway Administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation said the crosswalks were potentially unsafe. SDOT disagreed and has since sanctioned the installation of other artistic crossings.

{{Expand section|date=July 2023}}

Following Capitol Hill's rainbow crossings, multiple crosswalk painted red, black, and green appeared on Martin Luther King Jr. Way in the Central District.{{Cite web |date=August 6, 2015 |title=Several crosswalks in Seattle's Central District painted red, green and black |url=https://www.kiro7.com/news/several-crosswalks-seattles-central-district-paint/28761304/ |access-date=June 3, 2023 |website=KIRO 7 News Seattle |language=en |archive-date=November 22, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191122050330/https://www.kiro7.com/news/several-crosswalks-seattles-central-district-paint/28761304 |url-status=live }} It was later revealed that community activists with the United Hood Movement had painted four crossings. According to Ellis Simani of the South Seattle Emerald, the crosswalks "[paid] homage to the Pan-African Flag, which serves as a symbol of pride, empowerment, and black liberation for many within the African American community".{{Cite web |last= |date=July 3, 2016 |title=The Long Path to a "Red, Black and Green" Central District |url=https://southseattleemerald.com/2016/07/03/the-long-path-to-a-red-black-and-green-central-district/ |access-date=June 3, 2023 |website=South Seattle Emerald |language=en-US |archive-date=August 14, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220814101701/https://southseattleemerald.com/2016/07/03/the-long-path-to-a-red-black-and-green-central-district/ |url-status=live }} SDOT initially said in a statement, "While we are supportive of community building activities, we must ensure that the city's crosswalks remain recognizable and safe. We are reviewing what action should be taken." SDOT later worked with community members to paint multiple crossings with the colors of the pan-African flag in the Central District.{{Cite web |date=August 6, 2015 |title=Crosswalks marked with colors of Pan-African flag |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/central-district-crosswalks-marked-with-colors-of-pan-african-flag/ |access-date=June 2, 2023 |website=The Seattle Times |language=en-US |archive-date=December 1, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221201202129/https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/central-district-crosswalks-marked-with-colors-of-pan-african-flag/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last= |date=August 8, 2015 |title=Rogue Pan-African Makeover Sparks New Central District Crosswalk Design |url=https://southseattleemerald.com/2015/08/08/rogue-pan-african-makeover-sparks-new-central-district-crosswalk-design/ |access-date=June 3, 2023 |website=South Seattle Emerald |language=en-US |archive-date=January 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127134903/https://southseattleemerald.com/2015/08/08/rogue-pan-african-makeover-sparks-new-central-district-crosswalk-design/ |url-status=live }} The first crossing was painted at 23rd Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Way in March 2016. The crosswalk was remodeled when 10 more crossings were painted a few months later.{{Cite web |last=Oxley |first=Dyer |date=June 13, 2016 |title=More cultural crosswalks coming for Seattle pedestrians |url=https://mynorthwest.com/316318/more-cultural-crosswalks-coming-for-seattle-pedestrians/ |access-date=June 2, 2023 |website=MyNorthwest.com |language=en |archive-date=May 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506024218/https://mynorthwest.com/316318/more-cultural-crosswalks-coming-for-seattle-pedestrians/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Keeley |first=Sean |date=June 15, 2016 |title=Central District getting 11 more Pan-African crosswalks |url=https://seattle.curbed.com/2016/6/15/11944124/central-district-pan-african-crosswalks |access-date=June 3, 2023 |website=Curbed Seattle |language=en |archive-date=December 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206211112/https://seattle.curbed.com/2016/6/15/11944124/central-district-pan-african-crosswalks |url-status=live }}

By September 2015, painted crossings had appeared at Phinney Ridge and Rainier Beach. Piano keys were painted outside A-1 Piano on Phinney Ridge. In Rainier Beach, a crossing was painted using green, red, and yellow, which are the colors of the flag of Ethiopia.{{Cite web |last=Browning |first=Paige |date=October 24, 2018 |title=Colorful Crosswalks Are Coming To Seattle |url=https://www.kuow.org/stories/colorful-crosswalks-are-coming-seattle |access-date=June 3, 2023 |publisher=KUOW |language=en |archive-date=October 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019211943/https://kuow.org/stories/colorful-crosswalks-are-coming-seattle/ |url-status=live }} A Seattle Globist contributor wrote, "This effort seems to be a continuation of the pan-African flag-themed paint jobs that happened in the Central District a few weeks ago... According to a notes posted nearby, the aim was to raise concerns about gun violence, gentrification and incarceration."{{Cite web |last=Herz |first=Ansel |title=The Morning News: Seattle to Crack Down on Drivers Blocking Intersections, Police Vow to Track Down Local Shooters |url=https://www.thestranger.com/news/2015/08/26/22761222/the-morning-news-seattle-to-crackdown-on-drivers-blocking-intersections-police-vow-to-track-down-local-shooters-virginia-tv-reporters-kille |access-date=June 3, 2023 |website=The Stranger |language=en}}

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| footer = Among artistic pedestrian crossings in downtown Seattle are the memorial for John T. Williams (top), another the intersection of 7th and Westlake (middle), and one by Duy Vo in the Little Saigon part of the Chinatown–International District (bottom)

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In 2016, a memorial crosswalk was painted at Boren Avenue and Howell Street in downtown Seattle to commemorate Native American woodcarver John T. Williams, who was killed by a police officer in 2010.{{Cite web |date=September 11, 2016 |title=Seattle crosswalk dedicated to memory of woodcarver killed by police in 2010 |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/crosswalk-dedication/ |access-date=June 2, 2023 |website=The Seattle Times |language=en-US |archive-date=December 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221203061400/https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/crosswalk-dedication/ |url-status=live }} The crossing was a collaboration between SDOT, SDON, and the Seattle Indian Health Board. A dedication ceremony for the artistic crosswalk, which features a repeated design of a "White Deer Person" and is intended to promote peace, was held in September.{{Cite web |last=Phan |first=Suzanne |date=September 10, 2016 |title=Memorial crosswalk dedicated for Native American man killed by Seattle police officer |url=https://komonews.com/news/local/memorial-crosswalk-dedicated-for-native-american-man-killed-by-seattle-police-officer |access-date=June 2, 2023 |website=KOMO |language=en |archive-date=May 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220526021929/https://komonews.com/news/local/memorial-crosswalk-dedicated-for-native-american-man-killed-by-seattle-police-officer |url-status=live }}

In 2017, artist Will Schlough designed four concepts for crosswalks at the intersection of 7th Avenue and Westlake Avenue. The project was spearheaded by the Downtown Seattle Association.{{Cite web |last=Lloyd |first=Sarah Anne |date=April 20, 2017 |title=Seventh and Westlake getting a crosswalk makeover |url=https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/4/20/15376932/seventh-westlake-crosswalk-design-dsa |access-date=June 13, 2023 |website=Curbed Seattle |language=en}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |last2= |first2= |title=Seventh and Westlake Crosswalk |url=https://downtownseattle.org/public-space-projects/seventh-and-westlake/ |access-date=June 13, 2023 |publisher=Downtown Seattle Association |language=en-US}}

In 2017, crosswalks designed by Vietnamese American artist Duy Vo were painted at the intersection of 12th Avenue South and South Jackson Street in the Little Saigon part of the Chinatown–International District.{{Cite web |last1=Browning |first1=Paige |last2=Campbell |first2=Katie |date=December 7, 2021 |title=Seattle's Little Saigon is keeping its culture alive with or without 'real commitment' from officials |url=https://www.kuow.org/stories/seattle-little-saigon-is-keeping-its-culture-alive-with-or-without-real-commitment-from-officials |access-date=June 3, 2023 |publisher=KUOW |language=en |archive-date=September 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923071447/https://www.kuow.org/stories/seattle-little-saigon-is-keeping-its-culture-alive-with-or-without-real-commitment-from-officials |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last1=Denkmann |first1=Libby |last2=Leibovitz |first2=Sarah |date=June 6, 2022 |title=Is a proposed light rail station in the International District good news or bad? |url=https://www.kuow.org/stories/is-a-proposed-light-rail-station-in-the-chinatown-international-district-good-news-or-bad |access-date=June 3, 2023 |publisher=KUOW |language=en |archive-date=March 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230321203554/https://www.kuow.org/stories/is-a-proposed-light-rail-station-in-the-chinatown-international-district-good-news-or-bad |url-status=live }} Known as the Little Saigon Community Crosswalks, the blue and white crossings depict a swimming turtle and lotus plants. According to the International Examiner: {{Blockquote|Vo created a design meant to represent the Vietnamese American experience. The turtle has been present for centuries in Vietnamese mythology and is strongly associated with luck, longevity, and perseverance. The lotus symbolizes beauty and strength in the face of adversity. The blue water gradient is a nod to the ocean that borders Vietnam and depicts a sense of adaptability, a quality that Vietnamese immigrants and refugees had to embrace in order to rebuild their lives in new countries and cultures.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=August 1, 2017 |title=Little Saigon crosswalks reflect neighborhood's identity and Vietnamese American resilience in the face of change |url=https://iexaminer.org/little-saigon-crosswalks-reflect-neighborhoods-identity-and-vietnamese-american-resilience-in-the-face-of-change/ |access-date=June 3, 2023 |website=International Examiner |language=en-US |archive-date=November 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221129103313/https://iexaminer.org/little-saigon-crosswalks-reflect-neighborhoods-identity-and-vietnamese-american-resilience-in-the-face-of-change/ |url-status=live }}}}

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Juliana Kang Robinson's temporary public artwork Alone Together was installed at an all-walk intersection at University and 1st Avenue, near the Seattle Art Museum, in 2019. The work has six "separate but thematically connected" images. According to Madison Miller of the Mercer Island Reporter" {{Quote|In Robinson's design, bears are the main character in the illustrated series of images. The images reference a Korean creation myth and serve as a reminder that people — like animals — share the same needs and strengths. Robinson's intent is to showcase that all people can find refuge and strength in togetherness and that all families belong together.{{Cite web |date=August 14, 2019 |title=MI artist completes Seattle public artwork |url=https://www.mi-reporter.com/news/mi-artist-completes-seattle-public-artwork/ |access-date=June 14, 2023 |website=Mercer Island Reporter |language=en-US}}}}

File:Seattle, Washington, in July 2023 - 02 (cropped).jpg, 2023]]

In 2022, artist Tariqa Waters completed work on a crosswalk at the intersection of Occidental Avenue South and South Jackson Street in Pioneer Square.{{Cite news |title=New artistic crosswalk installed in Pioneer Square |url=https://www.djc.com/news/ae/12150947.html |access-date=2023-07-25 |website=Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce |language=en}}

In September 2021, residents painted a crosswalk at the intersection of Greenwood Avenue North and North 83rd Street.{{Cite web |last=Baume |first=Matt |title=After Waiting Years for Cities to Act, People Are Painting Their Own Crosswalks |url=https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2022/05/31/74150490/after-waiting-years-for-cities-to-act-people-are-painting-their-own-crosswalks |access-date=June 2, 2023 |website=The Stranger |language=en |archive-date=May 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230524125510/https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2022/05/31/74150490/after-waiting-years-for-cities-to-act-people-are-painting-their-own-crosswalks |url-status=live }} They were reportedly frustrated from waiting for crossings to be installed. SDOT removed the crossings six months later. Initially planned to be completed in 2021, but delayed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain issues, SDOT painted crossings in October 2022.{{Cite web |date=November 17, 2022 |title=SDOT removes second 'unauthorized' community-painted crosswalk |url=https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/sdot-removes-second-community-painted-crosswalk/BUARQNLWXRHEJGNJHIY5ABT2OY/ |access-date=June 2, 2023 |website=KIRO 7 News Seattle |language=en |archive-date=April 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404185646/https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/sdot-removes-second-community-painted-crosswalk/BUARQNLWXRHEJGNJHIY5ABT2OY/ |url-status=live }}

Community members painted a zebra crossing at Harvard Avenue and Olive Way on Capitol Hill on November 14, 2022. SDOT removed the crosswalk two days later.{{Cite news |date=December 1, 2022 |title=The Case for Guerrilla Crosswalks |language=en |work=Bloomberg.com |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-12-01/when-crosswalks-go-rogue |access-date=June 2, 2023 |archive-date=January 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230109160711/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-12-01/when-crosswalks-go-rogue |url-status=live }} SDOT said in a statement, "We have heard the message loudly and clearly that the public wants more crossing and safety improvements. We appreciate the passion which has driven someone to paint their own crosswalk, however this is not the right way to voice your desire for change." On social media, the agency said, "we are always interested in working with residents and businesses on ways to make walking safer and more comfortable and will evaluate the intersection to see how we might replace the unauthorized crosswalk. In the meantime, it will have to be removed."{{Cite web |last=Vargas |first=Karina |date=November 16, 2022 |title=Rogue crosswalk at busy intersection of Capitol Hill removed by SDOT crews |url=https://komonews.com/news/local/crosswalk-capitol-hill-removed-unauthorized-sdot-seattle-pedestrian-foot-traffic-walk-safety-transportation-community |access-date=June 2, 2023 |website=KOMO News |language=en |archive-date=December 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221218034831/https://komonews.com/news/local/crosswalk-capitol-hill-removed-unauthorized-sdot-seattle-pedestrian-foot-traffic-walk-safety-transportation-community |url-status=live }}

Council member Andrew Lewis criticized SDOT's decision to remove the crosswalk.{{Cite web |last=Kent |first=Jackie |date=May 26, 2022 |title=Seattle City Councilmember calls out SDOT for painting over crosswalk residents painted |url=https://komonews.com/news/local/seattle-city-councilmember-calls-out-sdot-for-painting-over-crosswalk-residents-painted |access-date=June 2, 2023 |website=KOMO News |language=en}}

• Crosswalks in North America
• Pedestrian crossings in Portland, Oregon

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category| Pedestrian crossings in Seattle}}

• [https://www.seattle.gov/transportation/projects-and-programs/programs/pedestrian-program/community-crosswalks Community Crosswalks] at Seattle Department of Transportation
• {{YouTube|id=K6iKXzGY7Q4|title=Seattle mayor unveils new rainbow crosswalks on Capitol Hill}}, KIRO 7 News
• {{YouTube|id=bv0q2iWM6tI|title=City to install official crosswalk after unsanctioned painting}}, FOX 13 Seattle

{{Portal bar|Transport|United States|Visual arts}}

Seattle

Category:Pedestrian infrastructure in the United States

Category:Public art in Seattle

Category:Road infrastructure in Washington (state)

Category:Transportation in Seattle