E-mails flag dangers in Bellevue

Q: Longtime East Bellevue resident Jim Cox has been exchanging e-mails with Bellevue officials for well over a year about a speeding problem through his neighborhood, specifically along tree-lined Main Street between 140th Avenue Northeast and 156th Avenue Northeast. Those exchanges have become a bit terse.

Cox says it's not unusual for vehicles to exceed the posted 25-mph speed limit, perhaps oblivious to marked crosswalks and pedestrians in their path. Bellevue's Sammamish High School also is in that vicinity.

He's suggested overhead signs above crosswalks, and signs in the Main Street median where crosswalks are located to get the attention of drivers.

"If any of you were to stand on the north side of Main Street and observe both pedestrian and vehicle traffic for any length of time, I am certain that you will observe several close calls," said one of his e-mails, directed to Bellevue's city manager, City Council members, police and others.

"I hope that someone who receives this e-mail will finally do something about this issue because I honestly believe this is an accident waiting to happen," another e-mail said. "Hopefully someone will finally take action and correct this very unsafe situation before my prediction of a fatality pedestrian accident occurs," said a third. There have been many more.

A: Speeding is a problem along that milelong stretch, city officials concede. In an e-mail response to Cox, a police spokesman noted that more than 400 speeding tickets were issued along that stretch within a 12-month period, and during another 12-month period more than 600 citations had been written.

A large fluorescent yellow-green crosswalk sign has been installed to draw attention to crosswalks closest to the school. Street lighting was checked, and the city concluded the lighting was adequate.

"Let me assure you we are in the process of making improvements, but that there are challenges faced by our engineering staff that have impacted the schedule for accomplishing the improvements," wrote Charlie Bush, an aide in the city manager's office.

"In short," he continued, "when the city does not have right-of-way to make certain improvements, or when utility companies, which are not controlled by the city, are involved, projects can take some time to come to fruition."

Bush said shrubs along Main Street have been trimmed back to improve traffic sight lines. But the city is hesitant to remove trees, knowing how area residents feel about tree removals.

"We systematically monitor and consider where resources need to be applied to improve safety throughout [our] street system," said Bush. "Pedestrian safety is a partnership between drivers being attentive to their surroundings, pedestrians using care while crossing the street, and the city of Bellevue providing reasonable treatments to facilitate pedestrian circulation."

Bush said the city is considering flashing beacons on poles in the street median at some crosswalks. And the city is open to other ideas.

The bottom line, Bush said, is that the city wants Cox to know he's not being ignored.