Curious About Your Car's Weight? | The Seattle Times

Q: Is it legal or even advisable for private motorists to use state weigh stations, many of them located along major freeways, to weigh their vehicles? Jesse Birchman, of Kirkland, says he’s always been curious about the actual weight of his car, and if use of weigh stations is open to anyone, how does one go about doing so?

A: The state is not in the habit of weighing passenger cars for private parties, says Lt. Kevin Zeller of the Washington State Patrol’s Commercial Vehicle Division. But there have been exceptions, such as at the Nisqually scale off northbound Interstate 5 in Pierce County, just south of DuPont, which has been used by military personnel who need a certified weight for a military transfer or cross-country move. The staff at that scale have accommodated the military at no charge.

The state’s weigh stations are primarily for weighing commercial vehicles to make sure they’re in compliance with state weight and equipment standards.

As an alternative for those curious about the weight of their own vehicles, there are a number of private scale houses around the state that, for a fee, can weigh your vehicle. Several are listed online at www.dol.wa.gov/vehicleregistration/scales.html. It’s probably best to call ahead to confirm hours of operation, and ask about fees. If you can’t find a scale house near you on that list, check under “scales” in a phone directory, or call a vehicle-licensing office for a recommendation.

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Q: Northeast Seattle resident Harry Murphy has been trying, with no apparent success, to get the city to install a “Stop Here for Pedestrian” sign at Sand Point Way Northeast and Northeast 110th Street, near his home, if for no other reason than the safety of school youngsters. He points out that there are three schools nearby, two of them for elementary youngsters.

“Several kids try to cross the busy intersection when school is in session,” he said, and a fair amount of traffic seems to rarely obey the 30 mph speed sign posted near the intersection.

Ironically, there’s a “Stop Here” sign posted on Sand Point Way just a few blocks away, at Northeast 103rd Street, and he’s noticed such signs posted elsewhere in the city, where there seems to be less traffic. “Why is this?” he asks.

A: Apparently, the city is not inclined to install “Stop Here” signs where additional driver guidance on where to stop near marked crosswalks may not be needed. So where might they be needed? Eric Widstrand, the Seattle transportation department’s city traffic engineer, says such places include multilane or curved roadways, or where a driver might not expect to see a crosswalk.

But the transportation department says the crosswalk at Sand Point Way Northeast and Northeast 110th Street is in good shape and has good visibility. There are two fluorescent yellow-and-green school pedestrian signs at that crosswalk, Widstrand says, as well as pedestrian signs north and south of the intersection to give motorists advance warning of the crosswalk.