Seattle police and the city’s Department of Transportation plan to conduct Business Access and Transit (BAT) lane and intersection anti-blocking enforcement 4-6 p.m. Thursday on Columbia Street near Second Avenue and on Fourth Avenue near Spring Street.
Officers and city DOT staff will give people citations and warnings if they violate posted boundaries on BAT lane usage. Only buses are allowed to use the Columbia Street BAT lane. Other vehicles can use this lane only for making right turns and accessing parking areas.
Drivers who block intersections also will receive citations and warnings. Blocking intersections happens when vehicles illegally stop in a way that hinders traffic and/or pedestrian movement.
The efforts are part of the Vision Zero in Seattle initiative, which aims to eliminate traffic-related deaths and serious injuries by 2030.
The program also aims to educate the public about these traffic laws as they’re being enforced. It is important for transportation infrastructure to operate smoothly for the safety and economic wellbeing of a region.
The enforcement measure is significant because 45 percent of commuters to the downtown area use mass transit regularly.
