Efforts by a group of residents to improve conditions on 14th Avenue Northwest have largely focused on the streets design and up-keep that they believe poses a safety threat to drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists, though statistically, the city doesn't see the avenue as particularly dangerous.

Peter Locke, a leader of the movement to improve the street, said residents are concerned about the lack of visibility related to cars parked in the wide median at the middle of the street.

Lack of median maintenance has caused overgrown weeds, also making it difficult to see and avoid other vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists, said Locke.

Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) collision records from the last five years show there have been a total of 248 accidents involving automobiles, pedestrians, and bicyclists on 15th, 14th and 8th Avenues Northwest between Northwest Market Street and 65th Street Northwest.

All three streets are arterials, but 14th is considered a minor arterial.

For the last five years on this stretch of 14th Avenue Northwest there have been 90 collisions with 46 percent resulting in injuries. The most prevalent type of accident was a right angle accident, commonly known as a T-bone, accounting for about 64 percent of all collisions on that road. The second most common accident was left turn collisions at 17 percent and less than 1 percent was rear end and side sweep accidents.

Most accidents occurred at intersections where there is no traffic signal, only stop signs and yield signs.

On 15th Avenue Northwest, there were 120 collisions in the last five years with about 47 percent resulting in injuries. Rear end collisions were the most common at more than 39 percent, 26 percent were right angle collisions, less than 7 percent were left turn and 11 percent were side sweeps.

The SDOT report indicated 8th Avenue had 38 collisions occur with 52 percent of them resulting in injuries. About 31 percent were right angle accidents, 18 percent were rear end collisions, less than 5 percent were left turn and less than 1 percent were side sweep incidents.

Two accidents involved bicyclists on 14th and 15th Avenues and there were seven incidents on 8th Avenue. Accidents concerning pedestrians included three on 14th, four on 15th and two on 8th. Regardless of these figures, Locke said residents are highly concerned for pedestrian and driver safety on 14th Avenue.

Wayne Wentz, traffic operations manager for the Seattle Department of Transportation, said he doesn't consider the number of right angle collisions on 14th to be excessively high.

Because 14th Avenue isn't as busy as 15th or 8th, the likelihood of collisions common with traffic congestion, such as rear end and side sweep accidents, would be lower and right angle accidents would be higher, said Wentz.

"There just isn't much of an opportunity for any other kind of accident than a right angle on 14th," he said. "The worst on that stretch of 14th is the intersection of 14th and 60th Street with nine collisions in the last five years. That doesn't trigger any red flags for me."

No singe intersection on 14th has had more than two collisions per year, said Wentz. He considers that to be "pretty normal for a street in the heart of a neighborhood."

The city considers an intersection a concern when it has at least five accidents per year.

When entering 14th Avenue from a residential street from the east or west, drivers must cross one side of the street to the median at the center of the road. There, they are required to yield to oncoming traffic before turning left or crossing the road.

The parking strip of vehicles and large campers parked on the median often block the yield signs, said Locke.

Wentz said SDOT added stop lines at the yield signs about a year ago because they "had some level of concern," mostly from citizen complaints.

"We needed to remind people that they would be entering another direction of traffic," he said.

Locke agreed that the stop lines have helped but is not convinced they solve any problems on 14th.

"One major problem is that you essentially have to cross two streets to get across 14th or to turn left," and that factor, combined with low visibility, increases the opportunity of an accident, he said.

Wentz said it is still too early to calculate if the stop lines have had any effect on driver safety.

Spokeswoman for the Seattle Police Department Debra Brown speculates that right angle accidents, two types found to be most prevalent on 14th and 8th Avenues, are often the result of drivers running red lights and stop signs or overlooking yield signs.

But without studying every accident report involving a right angle collision, it is impossible to determine if specific traits of 14th or 8th Avenues could be associated with the higher percentage of right angle accidents, said Brown.

Locke and the group of concerned residents have applied for a $15,000 Department of Neighborhoods Matching Funds Grant for what they are calling the "14th Avenue Northwest Visioning Project." With the money, they hope to make significant strides towards improving the street, both for safety and aesthetic value.

For Northwest Visioning Project meeting dates and information, or to offer feedback; visit www.14avenw.org.