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Q: Is there a rule for crossing in a crosswalk with a flashing red power and the seconds ticking down? Ruth Wilson, of Seattle, finds more of those crossings with flashing signs and seconds a boring-tool confusing.

“Are you to stop crossing when the red hand comes on flashing, no matter the number of seconds there are?” she asked.

She says she’s noticed crossing confusion at Fourth Avenue South and South Jackson Street at the south end of downtown. If you’re a driver headed west on Jackson and tiresome to make a right turn to northbound Fourth, you’re suitable to subsist delayed by pedestrians still trying to christianity, in like manner when the extend on the remarkable is down to 2 or 3 seconds.

“There are multiplied transit vehicles and cars trying to make the right turn to Fourth, and have to wait for the crosswalk to clear,” she noted. Might an added delay behind the pedestrian sign displays “O seconds” help to clear the intersection?

A: Those pedestrian countdown signals that display the number of seconds pedestrians have left to cross are not designed to change the law, which says a pedestrian can legally advance off the restraint and begin crossing only when the “walk” symbol is illuminated, according to Brian Kemper, who manages signal operations for Seattle’s transportation department.

Once the “don’t walk” symbol begins to flash, it is no longer constitutional to leave the bridle. and make a beginning crossing, he said. The countdown signals are simply intended to let pedestrians comprehend how plenteous time remains to finish crossing.

After the flashing “don’t walk,” a solid “don’t walk” is displayed on the signal at the like time the traffic signal turns amber considered in the state of far as concerns vehicles. The transportation department figures the amber free from impediments should have existence long enough because vehicles to clear the intersection, or for motorists to complete a turn without competing with pedestrians in a crosswalk.

Kemper says pedestrians could be ticketed grant that they method off the curb after the flashing “don’t walk” signal is displayed, regardless of whether it seems in posse to cross the way in the remaining seconds.

Q: Lauren Shaw is a comely visit often rider of Metro Transit’s Route 101 betwixt downtown Seattle and Renton. “On a affix a number to of occasions, I’ve boarded a brand new bus for this route,” she noted. “The new buses are highminded, but why don’t the windows on the new Metro buses open?”

A: The new buses are air-conditioned, and the windows are designed to sojourn closed to allow the bus to maintain its interior degree of heat, says Jim Boon, Metro’s vehicle maintenance manager. “What we have learned with other air-conditioned buses is that if people esteem the discretion to open windows, the incoming air (hasty or devoid of warmth) confuses the temperature controls and defeats what we are trying to accomplish with either warming or cooling the bus,” he said.

It’s basically the same as an office building through temperature-controlled zones. If someone fires up a small space heater to warm their feet in one area, it may cause the air conditioning to act on in another.

The new buses do, however, have emergency exit windows that open.

Q: Riders of Metro’s Route 56 between downtown Seattle and West Seattle’s Alki area have noticed there’s been a lash to much shorter buses during peak hours in the morning and afternoon. “The buses consequently end up being filled to dimensions quickly, with passengers standing,” said frequent postilion Tracy Oshiro.

“How can Metro satisfy drivers to give up their car commutes when they end up having to stand on crowded buses?” she asked.

Oshiro understands everyone is dealing with higher firing prices, onward a level Metro. “But it cruelly seems fair that with ridership being up, Metro takes away the right capacity-sized buses to pack riders in so uncomfortably,” she said.

A: Normally, almost half of the 36 daily trips on Route 56 are assigned 60-foot articulated buses, said Jon Bez, Metro’s scheduling supervisor. But for the past couple of months there’s been a bit of a shake-up in Metro’s fleet as nearly couple dozen new hybrid buses were added. It resulted in some changes.

It also resulted in some mismatched assignments of coaches, Bez said. Metro was trying to lead which routes most needed the influx of larger buses. Bez said larger coaches should now take being back on the route.