SEATTLE– Police pulled over numerous drivers during Thursday's afternoon commute in Seattle as part of a special enforcement program aimed at educating people about the laws of bus lanes.
Over the past years, numerous lanes of traffic throughout Seattle have been changed to limit who can travel in which lanes at certain times. And for some drivers, it can be complicated.
SDOT says all of the new rules and restricted lanes are put in place in an effort to improve traffic throughout the city.
"One of the challenges we have is moving transit reliably through the city," said SDOT Director Scott Kubly. He adds that Thursday's enforcement effort was just one of the many things SDOT is trying to do to help traffic move smoother.
"It's not about tickets, it's about getting people to stay in the right lane," said Kubly.
One of the motorists that was pulled over was Morgan Rose.
"I was riding my motorcycle in a bus only lane," Rose admitted.
Rose has lived in Seattle for just over a year. While he's aware that bus-only lanes exist in Seattle, he is thankful he was given a lesson and a warning, rather than a ticket.
"Giving out warnings and educating people is 100% the right thing to do," he said, adding that he plans to be more aware of street signs and restrictions.
The problem is police can't be everywhere at once to educate drivers, so moving forward, SDOT and SPD plan to do targeted, routine enforcements.
"Different locations at different times so that we can get folks all across the downtown, all across the city, focused on following the rules," Kubly explained.
SDOT says it comes down to drivers paying attention to signs and markings in the road, and being courteous to drivers around them.
While police aren't condoning breaking the rules, along with SDOT, they're hoping these reminders can help make Seattle a better place to drive.
If you have any questions about markings in the road or lane restrictions, you can call SDOT at (206) 684-ROAD (7623).
