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“Children At Play” signs
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The City of Spokane Valley does not install “Slow, Children at Play” signs.
Traffic studies have shown that these signs do not increase driver awareness enough to reduce the potential for a pedestrian accident. Placing such a sign on the street may increase the chance of an accident because it can give parents and children a false sense of protection.
Educating children about traffic safety is the best way to reduce risk. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has a useful tip sheet to help teach children about safety while walking and bicycling.
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20 mph School Zone / ”When Children Are Present”
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WAC 392-151-035 The Washington State Department of Transportation defines "when children are present" as:
1. School children are occupying or walking within the marked crosswalk.
2. School children are occupying or waiting at the curb or on the shoulder of the roadway and are about to cross the roadway by way of the marked crosswalk.
3. School children are present or walking along the roadway, either on the adjacent sidewalk or, in the absence of sidewalks, on the shoulder within the posted school speed limit zone which extends three hundred feet in either direction from the marked crosswalk. |
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Blind Child Area / Deaf Child Area Signs
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If requested by the parent of an impaired child, the City of Spokane Valley will install these signs on local and collector class streets after completion of an engineering analysis. Signs will only be installed for children under the age of 12. The parent must include a physician’s statement of the child’s impairment with the initial application. Please contact the traffic engineering department to request an application. |
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Flashing Yellow Arrow Signals
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Several new flashing yellow arrow signals have been installed for improved traffic flow and increased driver convenience. Here's how they work |
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MUTCD (Manual On Uniform Traffic Control Devices)
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The MUTDC is a federal publication governing design and placement of all traffic controls (signs, signals, and pavement markings).
The State of Washington has adopted the 2003 MUTCD with select modifications.
2003 United States Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration MUTCD
Washington State Department of Transportation MUTCD Modifications |
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Private Road Signing
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The City of Spokane Valley has adopted the Spokane County Standards for Road and Sewer Construction. Per section 3.22 of that document, the City of Spokane Valley does not furnish, install, or maintain signs for private roads including stop signs or street name signs for private roadways intersecting public roads.
Owners of private roads may install their own signs in accordance with the MUTCD, (see above) and upon approval from the City Engineer when installing signs at intersections with public roads. Prior to installing signs where private roads intersect with public roads, approach permits shall be obtained. |
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Right of Way at Uncontrolled Intersections
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Right-of-Way at an Uncontrolled Intersection is established by the Washington State Legislature, RCW46.61.180:
“(1) When two vehicles approach or enter an intersection from different highways at approximately the same time, the driver of the vehicle on the left shall yield the right-of-way to the vehicle on the right.
(2) The right of way rule declared in subsection (1) of this section is modified at arterial highways and otherwise as stated in this chapter.” (see RCW 46.61.180)."
STOP or YIELD signs are installed to provide safe traffic control at intersections when certain conditions are met. These factors include: type of roadways involved, accident history, traffic volumes and limited visibility. Each of these can be factors for installing either YIELD or STOP signs. At intersections where the basic requirements for the above factors are not met, studies have shown that uncontrolled intersections with low traffic volumes and low speeds will experience the same or lower accident rates than controlled intersections.
STOP or YIELD signs placed on a side street make the opposite street become the "through" street or the “collector street,” as it is called in traffic engineering. Once established, speeds on "through" streets will increase because the driver knows that the person from the other direction is required to stop or yield at the intersection. Whereas, if neither of the approaches to an intersection is controlled, both directions of travel tend to slow down. |
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Stop Signs
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Federal and State regulations require the installation of all traffic control devices, including STOP signs, to follow the guidelines in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). The MUTCD is published by the U.S. Department of Transportation and is the national standard for Traffic Control Devices.
Before installing a new STOP sign, the Spokane Valley Traffic Engineering department must conduct an engineering study of the intersection.
STOP signs may not be used to control speeding. There is no real evidence to indicate that STOP signs decrease the overall speed of traffic. Impatient drivers view the additional delay caused by unwarranted STOP signs as "lost time" to be made up by driving at higher speeds between STOP signs. Unwarranted STOP signs breed disrespect by motorist who tend to ignore them or slow down without stopping. This can sometimes lead to tragic consequences. |