Zoom-zoom along South Genesee Street... there's no repercussion

Installation of the new athletic area -- large enough to boast a football field with goal posts -- at Genesee Park means more users and more traffic along South Genesee Street.

You'd think that the city, in his infinite wisdom, would adjust the speed limit along South Genesee Street along the perimeter. Guess again. Traveling east-bound on Genesee, the posted speed limit is 30 miles per hour at South Genesee and 41st Avenue South.

Is 30 miles per hour kosher under the law? Seattle Municipal Code (SMC) 11.52.100 says: "Except in instances where a lower maximum speed is provided... no person shall operate any vehicle at a speed in excess of twenty (20) miles per hour when passing any marked school or playground crosswalk or when within any marked school or playground zone when such marked crosswalk or zone is fully posted with school or playground speed limit signs. The speed zone at the crosswalk shall extend three hundred (300) feet in either direction from the marked crosswalk, and the school or playground zone may extend three hundred (300) feet from the border of the school or playground, but may include only area consistent with active school or playground use."

http://clerk.ci.seattle.wa.us/~scripts/nph-brs.exe?d=CHAP&s1=11.52.h2.&Sect6=HITOFF&l=20&p=1&u=/~public/chap1.htm&r=1&f=G

Some design genius created a street-level athletic field, which seems like a recipe for disaster when the errant ball journeys off the field and onto Genesee.

Seattle politicos tell us that the city is busted -- not merely flat broke, but millions of dollars in the hole. Couldn't the city generate revenue by busting speeders on Genesee? A human park denizens complained to the city about speeders... and asked that the city's Department of Transportation (DOT) install speed bumps -- or in the nomenclature of the DOT, "physical traffic calming devices." (Seriously.) Given that Genesee is a two-lane arterial -- and the favored "road diet" is not plausible -- the city could install "speed cushions" to address the problem.

http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/ntcp_physical.htm

Progress at the city moves as slowly as If you want to see the speed limit reduced on Genesee, contact the City of Seattle's Department of Transportation:

http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/contact.htm

Maybe the city will revisit the speeding issue before a soccer mom or somebody's child gets creamed.