WASHINGTON — At first, the white lines zig-zagging the middle of the lane look like a mistake.
Over the weekend, a crew from the Washington State Department of Transportation painted the lines on State Route 9 near Stanwood-Bryant road.
"I've seen these when I spent some time growing up in Europe," said Mark Bandy, a WSDOT traffic engineer.
That gave him an idea for drawing drivers' attention as they approach a crossing of the Centennial Trail, a popular walking and cycling path.
Bandy doesn't report a huge safety problem at the crossing, but neighbors Bill and Martie Jantz have seen plenty of close calls.
"I'm really worried somebody is going to get hit, that's going to be bad, it's going to be sad," said Martie Jantz.
There is a crosswalk with a light system activated by a button, but neighbors say there are two problems: cyclists who don't use the button and drivers who don't stop for people in the crosswalk.
The zig zags are the first in the state.
"It's a little test we're going to do at this location," Bandy said.
WSDOT plans two in Concrete soon, and one next year in Fall City, for a total cost of less than $6,000.
If they work, more could be on the way.
"Anything that helps people to get the idea I think is a good idea," Bill Jantz said.
KIRO
