One of the nice things about living on an island is that, generally speaking, we aren’t all running around like chickens with our heads cut off as is the rule in Seattle and other metropolitan areas. The pace is such that we can slow down a bit and enjoy living in a rural environment.

Of course, there’s still the manic dash to-and-fro Seattle that an estimated one-third of the island’s working adults perform five days a week, which may occasionally cause them to roll through a red light or two on their way home to a hot meal.

A perfect example is the dreaded intersection involving  SR-305 where it divides Sportsman Club Road and Manitou Beach Drive. According to the DOT’s Steve Bennett (see below), who has the frantic job of analyzing road traffic, it was decided – after many years of hearing islanders complain about the dangerous intersection – to allow northbound drivers to turn right only on a green light. At least that’s what the sign there says.

The main culprit, according to Bennett, is the fact Moran Road ends at Manitou Beach Drive – parallel and just a few feet east of the highway. The other deciding factor on establishing the no-turn-on-right sign a few months ago involved state law. Bennett and others observed that too many people weren’t coming even close to stopping before turning right at the red light, which is exacerbated by the fact there’s heavy traffic there.

Interestingly, Bennett said, he has received some 20 calls about the intersection during the last couple of weeks, and the callers were split on the issue. He said that’s unusual because  most people who like something DOT has done won’t bother to call.  So, don’t expect the red to translate as green anytime soon.

_________

Correction

Citizens should call DOT’s Steve Bennett at 360-357-2673 to comment on the  ”no-right-turn” sign at the SR305-Manitou Beach Drive intersection, not the city number published in a March 4 letter to the editor.