The in basket: Tom Wisniewski said in an e-mail, “When one is traveling ‘east’ on Highway 16 toward Tacoma there are signs stating ”Correctional Facility – Do Not Pick Up Hitchhikers” but there are no similar signs on the westbound side of the highway.
“Do they think no one wants to escape to Kitsap County?”
The out basket: Claudia Bingham Baker of state highway’s Olympic Region says they just provided what the Department of Corrections requested near the Purdy women’s prison.
So I asked Corrections, and Norah West of their public relations staff had to ask around before telling me, “It’s likely that years ago, when the original signage request was made to the Department of Transportation, the Department of Corrections requested a sign for eastbound lanes since the facility is on the eastbound-facing side of Highway 16.
“We’ll certainly look into whether it makes sense to request that DOT place a similar sign for the westbound lanes. We’d also recommend that, no matter which side of the road, drivers use universal caution and common sense when encountering pedestrians on the highway.”
