Getting There: What does a hula hoop pedestrian-crossing sign mean?
A reader writes: “The pedestrian crossing sign is the diamond shaped sign with a walking stick figure against a yellow background. These are fairly common signs. However, occasionally I see the pedestrian crossing sign with a circle around the walking stick figures hips (like a hula hoop). What is the significance of the pedestrian crossing sign with the circle?” Answer: Eric Widstrand, city traffic engineer for the Seattle Department of Transportation, says the hula hoop is a sticker (which is graffiti) that has been applied to the sign to make it look like the pedestrian is hula-hooping. “There is no significance to the hula-hoop sticker from a traffic operations point-of-view. Signs with graffiti can be reported by calling (206) 684-7587,” Widstrand says. (If you Google “hula hoop pedestrian signs,” you”ll see the stickers are associated with a band called the “The String Cheese Incident.” Question: Bob Thompson asks: “Why was Stewart Street paved with concrete in the north two lan
