Q: Richard Brucks of Bellevue was used to the strong smell of diesel when driving behind a Metro bus and wonders about the new fuel that does not create the sickening stink. A A: Jim Boon...
Q:
Richard Brucks of Bellevue was used to the strong smell of diesel when driving behind a Metro bus and wonders about the new fuel that does not create the sickening stink.
A:
Jim Boon, Metro’s manager of vehicle maintenance, said new hybrid buses have a cleaner exhaust because of their electric drive system and because Metro uses an ultra-low-sulfur diesel.
Since 2002, all Metro buses have been using this fuel, which is made by two refineries in the area. By the summer of 2006, it will be the only fuel available for diesel engines.
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“Reducing the sulfur content of the fuel takes away much of the odor of diesel combustion,” Boon said. “We also have upgraded all of our bus engines to the latest computer-controlled injection technology, which has reduced the smoke you typically see when a bus is pulling away from a stoplight.”
Q:
John England, who lives near Lake City Way Northeast, wants to protect the city’s parking strips.
“It seems like everyone parks their cars, trucks and SUVs all over the curbs and, worse, on top, destroying all planting between the curb and the sidewalk. Isn’t there a city law preventing drivers from running up on the curb like this?”
A:
The law is clear that vehicles may not park on planting strips or sidewalks unless they have a permit to do so, said Katherine Casseday, director of traffic management for the Seattle Department of Transportation. She said violations may be reported to the Police Department’s nonemergency number, 206-625-5011.
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Q:
Lynda Bui of Seattle has noticed traffic-counter boxes at 35th Avenue Southwest and Southwest Juneau Street, an intersection she describes as a common accident location. She wonders about the results of those surveys.
She said motorists often use Juneau to connect with Delridge Way Southwest. During rush hour, vehicles often are lined up waiting to make turns or to cross 35th, which is four lanes wide.
“This corner is begging for traffic improvement,” Bui wrote. “North of this intersection already has a traffic light and south of it a crosswalk with lights. A lot of this is human error — the accidents, but can’t we help it somehow? Also, can you find out how many accident reports there are for this intersection?”
A:
According to the city’s Casseday, the latest traffic-volume study on 35th was done in August 2004 around Southwest Thistle Street, about 1.5 miles north of Juneau. The study revealed that about 18,000 vehicles travel north and south on 35th on a typical weekday.
While an average of about four collisions have been reported each year at 35th and Juneau over the past 10 years, that is not enough to earn a spot on the city’s list of locations with the highest frequency of collisions. Most of the collisions involved a southbound left-turning vehicle being struck by a northbound vehicle as the southbound one tried to make the turn, Casseday said.
“In most of these, the driver of the left-turning vehicle likely misjudged the speed of an approaching vehicle, resulting in a collision,” she said. “The data from speed studies conducted in 2001 suggests there is not a speeding problem at this location.”
She said city officials visited this location recently and noticed no visual obstructions such as tree limbs blocking the views of oncoming traffic. In addition, the location would probably not meet the criteria for a new traffic signal due to the low volume of vehicles entering Delridge from Juneau.
“In short, there are no easy solutions at hand for this location,” Casseday said. “We will continue to monitor it, however, for any patterns or problems we can address.”
Bumper Kudos
Dianne Garcia wants to thank the Green Bus Stop Project volunteers who obtained a matching grant to pay for benches, landscaping and trash cans at four Metro bus stops in Magnolia.
“I use the benches and find they do create a welcoming and comfortable place,” Garcia said.
Susan Gilmore: 206-464-2054 or sgilmore@seattletimes.com