Sue VanDlac of Everett, who works in Bothell, said red-light runners also are a problem at Bothell-Everett Highway and 220th Street SE. “I know of several people who have been in traffic accidents there,” she said, noting at least three fender-benders in as many years, often during the morning commute or lunch rush.
Bothell traffic engineer Jamal Mahmoud can see the intersection from his office. He’s been keeping an eye on it since hearing about VanDlac’s concern, and he also walked the area.
No changes are planned for the intersection, although Mahmoud stressed he’s happy to talk to folks about their concerns. “This is purely enforcement.”
Bothell Police Sgt. Ken Seuberlich said that, like Everett, red-light cameras are not in the works.
“From an officer standpoint, most collisions at red lights have to do with distracted drivers,” he added.
Looking at the most recent crash data for the city, Capt. Bob Woolverton noted there was one collision at the intersection over November and December. There were no injuries.
Taken together with other data he’s looked at, it doesn’t appear that the intersection is necessarily considered a problem. “We certainly don’t see a greater number of collisions there than we do anywhere else in the city,” Woolverton said.
So, the takeaway here may simply be a reminder to be a good defensive driver — and be ready for the inevitable (unprintable) driver.
Mahmoud, the traffic engineer, put it best: “Sometimes people do what they want to do.”
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