West Seattle traffic: Saturday stop-n-go, and what’s ahead

| Alaskan Way Viaduct | Transportation | West Seattle news

About 1 o’clock this afternoon – according to Brian Presser from TouchTech Systems in The Junction, who shared the photo – drivers heading westbound on the West Seattle Bridge would have seen that bumper-to-bumper traffic headed eastbound. (What? You left before West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day was over?) Backups have historically been fairly typical when the Alaskan Way Viaduct is closed – as WSDOT warned almost two weeks ago that it would be this weekend – but the photo gives us one more excuse to remind you that the reason for this closure will also affect Highway 99 drivers between West Seattle and downtown for at least the next few years: Crews are reconfiguring the section between The Bridge and the stadiums to be two lanes each way, to facilitate the next steps in construction of the South End (Holgate-to-King) Viaduct replacement (which is a separate project from the tunnel-or-? project for the Central Waterfront). So this is what you’ll find when The Viaduct reopens early Monday:

(It’s explained further here.) The vague end date is because, as WSDOT explains it, it all depends on what happens with the plan for the Central Waterfront section; the South End project, they say, is designed to connect to whatever eventually is built, tunnel or something else.

chas redmond May 14, 2011 (11:39 pm)

So it’s useful to note that from a point three years ago to the present we have lost 8 vehicle travel lanes in the North-South direction between downtown and the rest of the southern end of the city. 8 travel lanes removed with nothing in place – a few extra buses here and there and no SPD on duty after hours. Once again I would note that West Seattle is taking not only the brunt of the inconvenience associated with the Viaduct replacement project – but we’re the only area in the city who is taking ANY inconvenience. And what has the city, county or state done to mitigate this situation – essentially they have done nothing – as mentioned a few extra buses here and there and a few SPD officers on duty during daylight hours but did you notice the complete lack of any support from SPD or SDOT today. I’d venture that SDOT is really not doing anything except publishing timetables for work and not providing anything in terms of alternate routes. So, anyone concerned with this should be writing Tom Rasmussen and the other City Council members and noting the complete lack of EFFECTIVE mitigation for the 66 thousand West Seattle bridge users and the 20 thousand transit users who are being inconvenienced to the tune of additional 10, 20 or 30 minutes each day on their trips. Yeah, once again West Seattle is taking the brunt of the pain and according to SDOT we’re not on the list of any grade-separated transit. Somehow it seems that the West Seattle community has become the city’s dump ground for transportation impact. Equity – yeah, that’s a term which we should start bandying about because after the Deep Bore Tunnel is complete and in operation – getting to anywhere from West Seattle by car, by bike, on foot, or by transit will involve additional 10 to 20 minute trips – no savings of time based on the new Viaduct replacement plans. So, where is that grade separated rail connection? Oh, the city says we’re not qualified. Hmmmm- I say it’s time to call the equity card and demand grade separated transit for West Seattle if we are to continue to be the SDOT victim poster children. Did you all have a fun time this weekend. If not – write, call or visit Tom Rasmussen and definitely give Pete Hahn a call and tell him that SDOT isn’t doing a good enough job.

neighbor May 15, 2011 (12:07 am)

What’s frustrating is when you go onto the wsdot site, linked from this article, and click on commute alternatives you just get more links to trip reduction programs and alternatives to driving alone. Plus a bunch of stuff about cyclists. Nowhere are there maps for alternative routes…but then I guess there aren’t any.

One question I do have is about the merge from the WS Bridge onto northbound 99. If the eastern-most lane is to be a BUS lane, how are we supposed to merge into traffic. Seems kind of dangerous to me.

TR – any information about that bus lane and the merge pattern?

Thanks!

WSB May 15, 2011 (1:15 am)

Hey ‘neighbor’ – Re: commute alternatives, I hope to get a little time tomorrow to put together a little map/item that may be old news for most folks but I know from past experience that not everybody knows about all the back ways (Highland Park to 1st Avenue South Bridge – or even the new 4th Avenue offramp – etc.). Re: the merge pattern, I don’t have the simple answer on that. WSDOT called a media briefing on short notice (announced late Friday for Sat. morning) and my plea to see if I could talk to somebody TODAY (Sunday) instead, has gone unanswered. So our current plan is to get out really really really early – at least it’s light in the 5 am hour this time of year – on Monday, and drive the route for a firsthand look at the lane reconfiguration, turning around the info before most commuters hit the road. – TR

Alex May 15, 2011 (12:14 am)

This sucks. I spent over an hour just trying to get downtown today, and it wasn’t even crowded down there. If this is our future, then its time to start looking elsewhere for a place to live. That’s hard for me to say, as I’m a 3rd generation west seattleite, but we’ve all got to be practical. Our neighborhood once boasted 15 minute drives to downtown, and now it doesn’t. Simple as that.

Diane May 15, 2011 (12:34 am)

I took the 56 downtown at 12:30 to go to the Maritime Fest on the waterfront; our bus was in the middle of all this eastbound traffic that was a complete parking lot from top of bridge all the way out to I-5 (I called you guys to let you know); BUT, our bus whizzed through it all in 5 mins in the bus-only lane; traffic was not bad at all on 1st Ave, or 3rd/4th which is new detour route for 56; I walked down to Fest through Pioneer Square, and it was such a delight to have the viaduct closed; so nice & quiet; I look forward to that quiet being permanent when the viaduct comes down; it was a perfect day on the waterfront
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coming back on the 56 was another matter; it was 20 mins late leaving downtown (reliability is a HUGE issue) and after getting through all the Sounder’s traffic, our bridge opened for boat traffic, backing up everyone for another 10 mins; which made me late for work
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if they hadn’t raised the price of round trip for Water Taxi to $7, I would have taken that, as I’ve done in past years
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I do wish we had more reliable, more frequent transit
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and I am very curious to see how that new lane configuration on the 99 will work out, or not

kootchman May 15, 2011 (12:38 am)

The City Council is putting the boots to us. First, we declare traffic untenable. Too many users…then, we give Messers Gayce and Cain a freebie to add more residents and raise the building heights and add more commuters… so, the tunnel is really a gift to two private developers and we get the BILLIONS in taxes and no cost overrun protections… that about cover it? The state, will now make 99 as frustrating as possible to “prove the point”… gotta get that union labor bankroll and all those development fees. Why call Rasmussen? He has fallen asleep.

kootchman May 15, 2011 (12:40 am)

Shut up west Seattle residents! SDOT and City Council know better…they are the government.

sun*e May 15, 2011 (8:02 am)

@WSB – you are the best and I brag about you every chance I get.
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As far as the tunnel goes – is everyone forgetting that it will be a 2 lane tunnel? I suppose taking 99 down to 2 lanes tomorrow will be a kind of test of what it’ll be like taking 3 lanes down to 2. In all my years in commuting to work via the viaduct, losing that third lane anywhere along the way always created a parking lot and didn’t let up until my exit to work on Dexter Avenue N. After being in this mess yesterday @ 1pm and 1/2 hour late to a very important event @ Gilda’s Club, I definitely do not miss my former commute. I now live and work in beautiful West Seattle… YEA!

Mack May 15, 2011 (8:05 am)

Imagine all of the whining on the Monday morning commute. Everybody needs to leave at least 20 minutes earlier.

Watertowerjoey May 15, 2011 (8:09 am)

Great, another bus lane allowing them to jump the que.

While I understand and respect the reasons for these bus only lanes, the impact is the “slinky effect” created when they nose in that backs traffic up for miles! Busses don’t just merge in easily, forcing cars to brake to a complete stop. It’s not efficient.

Ricky Bobby May 15, 2011 (8:43 am)

Charlie foxtrot accomplished.

Dunno May 15, 2011 (9:00 am)

Chas,
Well written, I hope you’ve forwarded what you’ve written on. What gets me is, why can’t we complete one or two projects before starting others. Put more contractors, labor focused finishing on ramps, off ramps, 1st ave, spokane street, ect. Instead, it seems work just putts along. This seems to be one big tangled mess now. If we did this during WW2, we’d all be speaking German, Japanese, or Italian.

CandrewB May 15, 2011 (10:07 am)

Admittedly, this is just a layman’s observation, but what is it with the length of time required to build something here? I5 in Everett seemed like it took five+ years. I5 in Tacoma has been under some form of construction since we were transferred here ten years ago. In Chicago you have your Summer construction months and you avoid whatever roads are under construction for that season. By next season it will be done and on to the next. And they have unions and studies and all that too. I am honestly asking why it takes so long?

ltfd May 15, 2011 (11:05 am)

“… it was such a delight to have the viaduct closed; so nice & quiet; I look forward to that quiet being permanent when the viaduct comes down; it was a perfect day on the waterfront”.
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I’m sorry Diane, but the city’s own study states that noise, traffic, and the pedestrian experience will be the same or WORSE after the viaduct demo/tunnel build.
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Because the SR99 Tunnel will be tolled, some people will go to the surface streets in order to bypass the toll. The city’s study shows that the pedestrian experience will deteriorate compared to the current pedestrian experience in the waterfront area- due to projected traffic (in each possible traffic routing scenario); the waterfront/Alaskan Way, Western Ave, 1 & 2 Avenues, and all of the connecting streets will be NOISIER, BUSIER, MORE CROWDED. That is per the study commissioned by Seattle.

WorldCitizen May 15, 2011 (11:30 am)

Light rail sure would be nice….

driver May 15, 2011 (12:19 pm)

If you need to go north today, Olson to 1st to 99 @safeco is WIDE open. Skip the bridge and i5.

WSB May 15, 2011 (12:24 pm)

Guess what – WSDOT **just** announced the viaduct reopened early. We’re off to get a look at the lane configurations. Never mind that 5 am plan!

dreck May 15, 2011 (1:10 pm)

i fell like a criminal, is living in west Seattle a crime?
Did the city offered us more bus? at least one solution : nothing
Nobody is complaining?
Politics are playing with people life

supernova72 May 15, 2011 (2:14 pm)

Not sure why but now I’m feeling like paying the monorail tax on my vehicle for three years wasn’t a suck a great investment. Guess that’s why it’s called a “tax”. Wonder where those funds went?? Poof, gone.

That’s when the buss was $1.50 vs. $2.25.

CandrewB May 15, 2011 (3:43 pm)

supernova72, since I bought my car in June, I and thousands of others had to pay for four years. Beth Goldberg, the current mayors budget director, at the time said we would get it back or at least a refund due to the profits realized when the Monorail group sold their properties. Of course we didn’t receive anything and there wasn’t word-one said about it ever again.

Neighbor May 15, 2011 (6:09 pm)

Is the Vashon ferry still going to be loading/unloading from WS? How many cars per day does this add going through WS?

supernova72 May 15, 2011 (7:16 pm)

CandrewB. Thanks for that additional information on the reimbursement part. At one point I believe the tax was 1.3% of vehicles value so those with newer expensive cars were really getting the shaft so to speak. Enough tax revenue to buy several properties and for whatever reason when they sold them, it must have all gone to help pay “administrative” costs : – ). My motorcyle was $200 per year which didn’t settle to well with my wallet.