Dangerous By Design: Candidate Perspectives on MLK Way

This is part 3 of a 3-part series.

Over the past two days, we've discussed the hazardous conditions of MLK Way and outlined a few possible changes the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) and Sound Transit could implement to improve safety for everyone.

A 2-car Link train on MLK Way in 2010. (Oran Viriyincy)

To recap, the potential improvements discussed included minor and major changes. The minor changes are:

• Additional signage to warn drivers and pedestrians of nearby trains
• Pedestrian crossing gates at stations or at all crossings
• Vehicle crossing gates at intersections adjacent to stations or at all intersections
• Traffic signal adjustments (eg: to allow a halfway pedestrian crossing to stations)

The major improvements are larger projects that may take several years to complete. These include:

• Removing one or more track crossings for vehicles and/or pedestrians
• Prohibiting left turns at some intersections
• Adding raised crosswalks between the sidewalk and Link stations
• Repurposing one traffic lane in each direction to be on-street parking
• Repurposing one traffic lane in each direction to be a business access and transit (BAT) lane
• Repurposing one traffic lane in each direction to be a protected bike lane
• Grade separating Link by elevating or burying the tracks
• Grade separating Link by building overpass and/or underpasses for vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

All of these improvements are technically possible. Implementing them is a political issue because local officials are responsible for authorizing changes to the right-of-way.

At the local level, MLK Way is within the jurisdiction of five elected positions: Mayor of Seattle, Seattle City Council District 2 and at-large Positions 8 and 9, and King County Executive. All five of these positions are on the ballot this November. The Seattle Transit Blog reached out to the candidates for these positions to learn about their perspective on MLK Way traffic safety, Sound Transit's planned improvements, and the potential improvements mentioned above. While the Seattle Transit Blog has endorsed a candidate in each of these races, we want to share the perspectives of all candidates. For each position, candidates are listed alphabetically by last name.

Mayor of Seattle

The Mayor of Seattle has the most say when it comes to making MLK a safe place for all users. Through SDOT, the Mayor can push for specific changes or provide political cover for the agency's decisions. The Mayor of Seattle also serves as a member on Sound Transit's Board of Directors. This year, incumbent Bruce Harrell is running against Katie Wilson.

The Harrell for Seattle campaign did not respond to our questionnaire. During Bruce Harrells administration, SDOT completed the MLK Jr Way Safety Project. This project transformed MLK Way between Rainier Ave S and S Judkins St by replacing one general traffic lane in each direction with a protected bike lane. While a 2020 study from Toole Design found that similar changes on MLK Way south of Rainier Ave are feasible, Harrell has shown zero interest in making any changes to the street design on this segment. Harrell's involvement in removing safety upgrades on the nearby Lake Washington Blvd suggests his administration does not prioritize making streets safer, especially in Southeast Seattle.

Katie Wilson thinks the changes planned by Sound Transit are better than nothing but are unlikely to be sufficient". She argues that we should also be seriously looking at longer-term solutions including grade separation and pedestrian structures like overpasses". When asked if we should reduce crashes on MLK at the expense of lowering vehicle throughput, Wilson said Yes. People speed unacceptably on MLK, and getting drivers down to safer (and legal) speeds - whether through lane reduction or other means - will by definition reduce motor vehicle capacity. Safety first!". Wilson declined to rank her preference on the improvement ideas mentioned above, stating: I don't have enough information at hand to do a firm ranking-considerations include cost, safety benefits, other benefits/costs for the various modes. In general, I would prioritize changes that encourage mode shift towards transit/walking/biking and get us closer to our Vision Zero goals".

Katie Wilson's full responses are available here.

Seattle City Council District 2

The Seattle City Council District 2 seat represents the International District, SODO, Mount Baker, Beacon Hill, Rainier Valley, Georgetown, and Rainier Beach. All of the at-grade Link tracks in Seattle are located in D2. As a member of the City Council, the representative can allocate funding for safety improvements in the City budget and can advocate for change in City Hall. This year, Adonis Ducksworth and Eddie Lin are running for the position.

Adonis Ducksworth supports Sound Transit's planned changes and thinks these changes would be sufficient to increase safety significantly". He also suggests adding pedestrian signals at more intersections. Ducksworth will prioritize using the Transportation Levy funds to improve pedestrian and bike safety, expand sidewalks and curb ramps, and advance efforts to slow down traffic in high-risk corridors like Rainier Ave and MLK". When asked if we should reduce crashes on MLK at the expense of lowering vehicle throughput, Ducksworth said Reducing motor vehicle capacity is a sacrifice worth making for reducing crashes and enhancing public safety. We need to protect our community first and if that means narrowing roads to reduce speeds, expanding sidewalks and curb ramps, or introducing other forms of motor vehicle slowing then we should absolutely be prioritizing that". Of the minor improvements listed above, Ducksworth supports adding pedestrian gates, adjusting traffic signal timings, and adding additional train warning signs. Between the major improvements listed, Ducksworth prefers removing one or more track crossings for vehicles and/or pedestrians and repurposing one lane in each direction to be a business access and transit lane or protected bike lane.

Adonis Ducksworth's full responses are available here.

Eddie Lin sees Sound Transit's planned improvements as an important first step" but argues they are likely insufficient". In addition, Lin supports SDOT taking proactive steps to prevent collisions from occurring, whether between cars or between a car and a pedestrian, and to reduce vehicle speeds on MLK as higher speeds increase both the frequency and severity of crashes". When asked if we should reduce crashes on MLK at the expense of lowering vehicle throughput, Lin says he will prioritize reducing crashes on MLK, even if it reduces motor vehicle capacity", adding Safety must come first". Of the minor improvements listed above, Lin prefers adding pedestrian gates, adding vehicle crossing gates near stations, and traffic signal adjustments. Lin added that he supports all of the minor changes listed, but ranked them based on how effective they seem in protecting pedestrians". He is open to changing his preference based on safety data, community engagement, and speaking with transit experts", as long as safety is still prioritized. For the major changes, Lin supports grade separating the Link tracks. He acknowledged that is a long-term solution and supports adding raised crosswalks as a more immediate improvement.

Eddie Lin's full responses are available here.

Seattle City Council Position 8

The Seattle City Council Position 8 seat is a city-wide position. Similar to D2, this representative can allocate funding for safety improvements in the City budget and can advocate for change in City Hall. As a city-wide council member, this representative will be less focused on specific issues in one district. This year, incumbent Alexis Mercedes Rinck is running against Rachael Savage. Unfortunately, neither campaign responded to our questionnaire.

Seattle City Council Position 9

The Seattle City Council Position 9 seat is a city-wide position. Similar to D2, this representative can allocate funding for safety improvements in the City budget and can advocate for change in City Hall. As a city-wide council member, this representative will be less focused on specific issues in one district. This year, incumbent Sara Nelson is running against Dionne Foster.

Dionne Foster supports Sound Transit's planned changes as an important step to reducing collisions but recognize[s] that there is more that could be done". She supports traffic calming measures near stations and Sound Transit studying a more systemic solution including pedestrian overpasses and grade separation". Foster mentioned her experiences getting hit by a car as both a pedestrian and as a driver on Rainier Ave and recognizes how these incidents are preventable with better infrastructure. When asked if we should reduce crashes on MLK Way at the expense of lowering vehicle throughput, Foster says she will prioritize reducing all types of crashes on MLK even if it results in reduced motor vehicle capacity". Of the minor improvements listed above, Foster prefers vehicle and pedestrian crossing gates at all intersections. Between the major changes, Foster prefers removing left turns at some intersections, adding raised crosswalks near stations, and repurposing one lane in each direction to be a business access and transit lane. Foster added: As a train rider and a South Seattle resident I'm committed to working at the City level to ensure we build a transit system that serves users with reliable and safe service. That means working diligently with transit riders, advocates, planners and neighbors to make safety improvements that will make our communities thrive in the long term".

Dionne Foster's full responses are available here.

Sara Nelson thinks Sound Transit's planned changes are a step in the right direction" but is not sure if they will be sufficient to significantly reduce collisions between train and other road users. She adds until [the changes] been enacted and some time has passed, there's no way of knowing if it will be enough". When asked if we should reduce crashes on MLK at the expense of lowering vehicle throughput, Nelson agreed and said we must make it safer to walk and bike while incentivizing people to get out of their cars and onto public transit. As we accommodate changing needs, we must continue to evaluate ROW performance and safety because sometimes our changes can produce unintended consequences". Of the minor improvements listed above, Nelson prefers adding vehicle and pedestrian crossing gates at all intersections. Between the major changes, Nelson prefers grade separating the Link tracks and repurposing one traffic lane in each direction to be a protected bike lane.

Sara Nelson's full responses are available here.

King County Executive

The King County Executive is responsible for managing King County. While the Executive cannot direct SDOT or Sound Transit to make specific changes, they are a powerful influence in both organizations. The King County Executive also serves as a member on Sound Transit's Board of Directors. This year, two King County Councilmembers are running for election: Claudia Balducci and Girmay Zahilay. Both candidates currently serve on Sound Transit's Board of Directors.

Claudia Balducci thinks the planned Sound Transit changes are all important steps" but that more should be done, such as speed limit reductions, lane reconfigurations, vehicle gates, restricted movements, and intersection closures or consolidations". When asked if we should reduce crashes on MLK at the expense of lowering vehicle throughput, Balducci agreed and emphasized the disruptive impact that crashes can have on our region. Balducci added that she does not believe this is a simple either-or question. Before making decisions that could reduce motor vehicle capacity, we need to analyze what that capacity is currently serving. Is it general-purpose traffic? Freight mobility? Could other modes-like transit, bikes, or scooters-help absorb demand and improve safety?". Of the minor improvements listed above, Balducci prefers adding vehicle and pedestrian crossing gates at all intersections. Between the major changes, Balducci prefers removing one or more track crossings for vehicles or pedestrians, prohibiting left turns at some intersections, and adding raised crosswalks near Link stations. She added that she supports all of the potential solutions but that they should be implemented based on the goals and outcomes we're trying to achieve". Balducci sees grade separation as a potential ST4 project and thinks the current safety issues can be substantially addressed through a combination of the first five major fixes, along with other recommendations in Sound Transit's 2025 At-Grade Crossings Master Plan". Note: the first five major fixes" refers to all of the major changes except grade separation and converting a traffic lane to on-street parking.

Claudia Ballducci's full responses are available here.

Girmay Zahilay thinks the planned Sound Transit change are necessary short-term steps" but are not sufficient on their own to deliver the safety and reliability outcomes we owe riders and neighbors". When asked if we should reduce crashes on MLK at the expense of lowering vehicle throughput, Zahilay agreed saying safety and reliability must come first. Every serious crash is a tragedy and also cascades into regional delays for Link riders. Slowing speeds, simplifying intersections, and giving pedestrians safe, predictable crossings are worth the tradeoff. This is an equity issue for the South End, which has carried the burden of the at-grade decision for years, and a reliability issue for the entire network as new extensions open". Zahilay did not rank his preference for the minor changes, but supported all the options. He added that priority should be given to low-hanging fruit' meaning those that can be implemented quickly and easily now, but we should pursue all options". Regarding the major changes, Zahilay supports all of the options if they are found to be technically feasible". Due to the impact these changes could have on local residents, Zahilay would seek community input on which options should be prioritized". He added that he will press Sound Transit and our partners to study and scope larger fixes, such as selective grade separation and eliminating redundant crossings where feasible, while pursuing federal funding to make these improvements possible".

Girmay Zahilay's full responses are available here.

Next Steps

It is encouraging to hear near-universal support from these candidates for making MLK Way a safer road for everyone. Maintaining MLK Way in its current form will result in more preventable serious injuries and deaths. Each position plays an integral role in ensuring SDOT's priority for safer streets.

In addition to local leaders, residents can influence change in our community. As a reminder, ballots need to be in by Tuesday, November 4th.