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Description:

• The Rainier Avenue South Traffic Safety Corridor is approximately 8 miles in length, extending from 75th Avenue South north to South Dearborn Street.

• It serves a diverse population of users including drivers, bicyclists, transit users and pedestrians, as well as a large population that speaks English as a second language.

• Rainier Avenue is the “main street” for the business districts and residential neighborhoods of McClellan Station, Genesee, Columbia City, Hillman City, Othello and Rainier Beach.

• The average vehicle traffic load ranges from 18,000 to 42,000 vehicles per day.

• 1,743 collisions occurred between January 2002 and December 2004 or nearly 50 collisions per month. Two percent (2%) of these collisions involved fatal or disabling injuries and three percent (3%) were alcohol-related.

• The majority of crashes occurred during daylight hours (74%) and during clear weather (66%). The peak time of day for crashes is 3:00pm.

• Crashes were fairly evenly distributed through out the year with the exception of August when crashes are 41% higher than the monthly average.

• The highest numbers of crashes occur on Saturdays and Sundays and the fewest occur on Mondays.

Significant Characteristics of Crashes:

• Rear-end, angle and sideswipe (same direction) are the three most common types of collisions

• Failing to yield, following too close and inattention are the three leading contributing cause of collisions.

• Driving under the influence, exceeding safe speed and failing to yield are the three leading causes of fatal and disabling injury crashes

• Failure to yield to pedestrian/cyclists collisions occur three times more often than similar roadways in the region.

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