Blocking the Box? Don’t do it on Mercer at Dexter!

Due to complaints, including yours truly one morning, SDOT has finally decided to do something about people traveling eastbound on Mercer blocking the box at Dexter and not allowing north/south flow on Dexter.

To address the problem of drivers blocking the intersection and preventing traffic from moving, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) on Sunday striped the Mercer Street and Dexter Avenue North intersection, and hung more noticeable overhead warning signs. The Mercer East project is additionally deploying uniformed police officers at the intersection on Monday, September 17, from 7:00-11:00 a.m. and from 3:00-7:00 p.m. to reinforce the law’s requirements with noncompliant drivers.

With Mercer East project construction continuing through summer 2013 and major roads like Fairview Ave N currently closed, the street modifications will help prevent drivers from “blocking the box” and aid traffic in moving along the corridor. SDOT continues to monitor and adjust the signal timing through the corridor to best support all traffic flow.