Mayhem on Market | Lane markings on Snoqualmie Pass

Q: It's pretty clear a number of motorists in Ballard don't share the Seattle Department of Transportation's view about what we'll call "the mayhem on Market."

In last week's Bumper column, Ballard resident Rolf Petersen expressed his disdain for traffic exiting the state liquor store's parking lot in the 2800 block of Northwest Market Street, blocking westbound traffic on Market while trying to turn east. His suggestion: a right-turn only sign at the lot's exit, close to where Market forks to allow westbound traffic to continue straight or curve left onto Northwest 54th Street toward the Ballard Locks.

But traffic-management honchos didn't embrace his suggestion. The city says lane markings are adequate, a left turn from that parking lot is legal, and there's been only one accident reported at that location in the past three years.

For many, that wasn't an acceptable response.

"Does the [Transportation Department] need to wait until there are more accidents at that location before something is done about it?" asked Jennifer Clark of Ballard.

"The city once again gives a pat answer," said Adam Braun, also a Ballard resident. "The parking lot at the Ballard liquor store is a number of accidents waiting to happen."

Braun was among many who pointed out that the liquor store is in a new building that used to be a vacant lot and has been open less than a year — since early February. "So the reporting statistics for accidents cited are rather inadequate," said Braun.

Said David Ortman of Seattle: "Isn't it common sense that trying to turn left out of a business in midblock across two lanes of traffic is not a good idea?

"The city's response seems to be that only after a number of reported accidents would the city consider putting up a right turn only sign. Whatever happened to prevention?"

A: The city hasn't yet restricted left turns at that location, but maybe this is the compromise: To assist drivers in seeing approaching traffic more readily, Wayne Wentz, the Transportation Department's traffic-management director, said a "No Parking Zone" sign will be installed next to the liquor-store driveway.

"This is not to say that drivers exiting the driveway will not still have to nose their vehicles out to obtain a good line of sight," he said, "but it will enable them to see the approaching traffic more easily to judge when they can safely exit the driveway."

Q: Headed across Snoqualmie Pass on a dark and rainy evening, Snohomish resident Doug Trotter found himself in traffic not heavy enough to slow him down "but heavy enough to raise my tension a few notches."

A contributor to the tension, he said, was the faint white lane markings that became nearly invisible in the dark and the rain. "Why are there not inset reflectors through the pass, as there are in other mountain roads, even other stretches of Interstate 90?"

A: State Department of Transportation (DOT) spokesman Mike Westbay said I-90 at Snoqualmie Pass is painted at least twice a year with a product that contains glass beads to provide reflectivity. Lane markings are even recessed into a channel ground into the pavement to protect them from snow plows and other traffic. But heavy truck traffic, studded tires and even the department's own maintenance crews quickly wear down the paint, he said.

"Unfortunately, when it rains, water covers the recessed markings, significantly reducing or even eliminating the paint's reflective capabilities."

The DOT is researching and testing products to find better solutions to address visibility issues at the pass. But, Westbay said, there are few, if any, products that can withstand the harsh environment at the pass. And the state wants to avoid alternative products that are costly, time-consuming to apply, and not as durable as the state would like.

"In the meantime," he said, "we will continue to explore other options to improve visibility." The DOT recently installed glare screens — they're green and look like fins affixed to the top of the concrete highway divider — along the 18-mile stretch between Hyak and Easton on the east side of the summit. That's to reduce headlight glare.

Q: Susan Benner of Clearview, Snohomish County, asked for a little help getting a traffic light changed where Cathcart Way intersects with Highway 9, south of the city of Snohomish. The northbound left-turn lane on Highway 9 is regulated by its own signal — a green turn arrow — with no left turns permitted at other times. In other words, there's no free left turn, even on a solid green light.

"Therefore, cars waiting at that light wait for some time for the light to cycle through, even though there is no oncoming traffic. There should be either a sign or signal adjustment allowing free left turns westbound onto Cathcart Way," he said.

A: That suggestion may not be a bad one, but Mike Mansfield, the state transportation department's assistant traffic engineer for Snohomish County, said heavy traffic on Highway 9 during the morning and evening commute periods would make it dicey for drivers to safely turn left on a solid green light.

"Some would take a chance and dart through oncoming traffic, which would significantly increase the risk of head-on and T-bone collisions," he said. So, the state has opted to not allow left turns, except on the green turn arrow when oncoming traffic has a red light, at that intersection.