It's about convenience.
'Stop' lights and speed "limits" are neither.
Nor are the obstacles* littering our highways and byways.

*which'd be YOU, and yours.
Get the FUCK outta the WAY.
We got Places to GO!

[Isn't my Car Special?!]
[Here's some garbage!]

If the accidents seem to be concentrated in a particular area simple turn the street into a pedestrian-bike only area of about 4-5 blocks with only emergency and utility vehicles allowed.

The southern part of Seattle has many shoulderless roads (and terrible sidewalks). It's not surprising that drivers are doing 40 in a 25 zone. Rainier is especially bad - narrow and serpentine.
A real solution would include more than a couple billboards - but don't hold your breath. I thought about moving to the south end years ago - but the thought of biking there killed that idea.

If Mayor Durkan or SDOT or SPD were to announce additional safety patrols (i.e. more tickets) to reduce reckless driving down Rainier, Charles would lead The Stranger’s writers in complaining about the city’s ‘targeting’ of minority and low-income drivers.

One interpretation of SDOT's campaign advising/admonishing pedestrians to wear bright colors is that it amounted to victim blaming. So I am glad someone in the city government thought better and pulled the ads. The next logical step is real safety measures on Rainier, but [lengthy cynical diatribe suppressed].

Before we can expect the cops to enforce traffic laws more stringently, the cops have to start obeying the laws themselves. I read the ST article this morning, then in perfect irony a cop car entirely blocked a crosswalk in front of me this afternoon. And that was not the first time. And then there are prominent government vehicles, like busses, that regularly run stale yellow lights and red lights, instead of setting an example and stopping safely.

A rare good article from Charles, although characteristically he muddies it by mixing in an unrelated issue, stepped up fare enforcement on transit. Transit cops are not in the SPD and they answer to different bosses who are not part of the Seattle city government.

We need more traffic enforcement on Rainier, as well as a redesign that doesn’t create random bus lanes and forced lane changes. The recent work to realign lanes is a fucking joke. I would be shocked if there are not MORE collisions because lanes for cars and buses randomly appear and disappear. Just pick a structure and apply it to the full stretch of this road.

The one traffic ticket I have received in my life was on Rainier Avenue in a huge confusing intersection. I went through a yellow-to-red light and got snagged by a traffic camera. The thing is, I had never driven that stretch of road and was so confused by the complicated intersection that I didn't even see the traffic light. I don't drive down there - it's just too scary for me. I can't even imagine being a pedestrian and trying to navigate. Driving north from Greenlake to Edmonds on Aurora used to be utterly terrifying but it's great now, with sidewalks, well-marked lanes and pedestrian signals. How about a similar upgrade for Rainier? Transit cops, pffft.

Maybe if clueless black people would stop crossing roads in the midst of traffic, on green light (for cars) while ignoring the oncoming cars there would be less "targeting of minorities". They're isn't any. Those fucktards are putting themselves in harm's way, and are just BEGGING to get run over. It's even worse at night where you can't see them.