Victor C. Harris of Everett writes: Can anyone provide a valid reason for school zones being 20 mph on only one side of a school?
In this state, I have seen school zones on arterials of all speeds and residential streets reduced to 20 mph. In each case, however, it’s only on one side of the school property. Turn the corner and you’re often on a residential street with a limit of 25 mph.
Drivers on connected streets are still in a school area and children can be on any one of the four sides but we only make an effort to protect them only on one side. I find this to be a serious contradiction with public safety.
Dongho Chang, traffic engineer for the city of Everett, responds: School speed zones must follow state law when we establish them. The law (RCW 46.61.440 and WAC 468-95-330) limits the school speed zones area to 300 feet from the border of the school or school crosswalk. We can establish the school speed zone as permitted by this law, but cannot have a speed zone beyond what is legally allowed. School speed zones in Everett are in effect for both direction of the speed zone.
Everett works with each school to identify the walking routes that students and parents are instructed to use. The school speed zones are enacted at school crosswalks and walkways that are actively monitored and guarded by the school. We will inspect each of our school speed zones to ensure all of the signs are in place.
Steve Corotas of Everett writes: I was recently stopped and detained by a police officer at 8 a.m. on a Sunday while riding my bicycle on Colby Avenue in downtown Everett. That’s a dangerous stretch for a bike rider, due to the angle-in car parking on Colby. Car drivers parked there are blind to oncoming traffic when backing out, so if they aren’t moving very slowly, a bike rider would have to make a fast stop and could easily end up having a collision.
I was riding my bike on the sidewalk safely and completely in control. Most, if not all, the businesses were closed, there were maybe a couple people on that sidewalk at that time on Sunday morning. I don’t understand why I was stopped. I’ve tried to find the city ordinance regarding bicycles on sidewalks, but found one only on skateboards.
I get the one about skateboards, because they tend to do a lot of stunts, injuring themselves and chipping concrete edges.
Common sense tells me, if we are under control, not putting people in danger, not causing damage, then this law (if it exists regarding bicycles), should not be enforced.
Robert Goetz, spokesman for the Everett Police, responds: It is a violation of the Washington Administrative Code (WAC 308-330-555) to ride a bicycle on the sidewalk in a business district, which is where this person was stopped.
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