West Seattle toplines from Viaduct briefing: Early installation of Avalon bus lane; Water Taxi parking; more

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

WSDOT and King County Metro both had news for West Seattle commuters during the “one month till the 9-day closure” briefing that just wrapped up in the shadow of a soon-to-be-demolished Alaskan Way Viaduct section.

The toplines (per executives who happen also to be West Seattleites – Matt Preedy, deputy program director for WSDOT [photo right], and Christina O’Claire, senior transportation planner for Metro):

*The Avalon Way northbound bus lane through the Luna Park business district, expected to be installed sometime in the next few months as the county prepared for next year’s RapidRide debut, may be in place early – before the 9-day Viaduct closure. And that won’t be temporary – that would be permanent, even though RapidRide isn’t scheduled to start in West Seattle until fall of next year.

Seven more key points for West Seattle commuters, ahead:

*Metro expects that the average bus travel time between West Seattle and downtown will double during the closure.

*Some of the plans for “making it easier to get to the West Seattle Water Taxi” during the closure, as hinted during the original date announcement a few weeks ago, are taking shape. Key among them: Making Harbor Avenue an “all-day parking” zone for the duration. And they’re still talking with the Port of Seattle about some “temporary park and rides.”

*The West Seattle Bridge is one of the points that will get extra attention from WSDOT “incident response” trucks and Seattle PD officers during the closure, to keep it as free from extra trouble as possible.

*For those asking “what will the best routes be,” WSDOT says they wlll have specific point-to-point recommendations out within days.

*Only a few hundred yards of the Viaduct’s south end wlll be completely demolished during the closure; for the stretch south of there, Preedy says the top deck will be taken down all the way to Holgate, which is necessary because the new section of 99 can’t be opened with that deck still standing.

*The 9-day closure may end early. Preedy said that the contractor has a “disincentive” for running long – $100,000 a day – and may well take fewer than 9 days; the current schedule, closing the Viaduct 7:30 pm Friday, October 21st till 5 am, Monday, October 31st, is a generous estimate for how long it will take.

*WSDOT also issued a reminder that the northbound section will not be closed for the duration. While it will be closed completely to Royal Brougham in both directions, and southbound in its entirety from the Battery Street Tunnel to the West Seattle Bridge, you can get onto northbound 99 from the Royal Brougham onramp 5 am-7 pm weekdays, and other peak times.

More to come.

13 Replies to "West Seattle toplines from Viaduct briefing: Early installation of Avalon bus lane; Water Taxi parking; more"

  • Always confused September 20, 2011 (1:09 pm)

    I thought harbor ave was all day parking anyway? That doesn’t seem to be the problem…it’s the quantity of parking. There aren’t any spaces available after 8am now…over the next couple of weeks, I’m sure that will be back closer to 7:30. We need a bigger shuttle that runs as late as the Water Taxi does. Simple but effective for sure!

  • Mel September 20, 2011 (1:37 pm)

    Shhh! Keep it quiet or the City will start ticketing all the Park ‘n’ Riders who already park on Harbor!

  • Margaret Evans September 20, 2011 (2:21 pm)

    thanks for keeping us informed.

  • caspar babypants September 20, 2011 (3:46 pm)

    what do you find in a jellyfish mind
    thoughts of ice cream
    thoughts of trucks
    thoughts of chocolate
    thoughts of ducks
    I don’t think so but then I don’t know

  • clark5080 September 20, 2011 (3:59 pm)

    As far as the as viaduct closure goes has there been any info as to how they are going to squeeze two lanes into the northbound existing on ramp next to the Seahawks field?

  • Kelli S September 20, 2011 (5:44 pm)

    Thank you and hats off to Caspar Babypants for the reminder to lighten up. Much needed.

  • David September 20, 2011 (10:56 pm)

    @clark5080

    Here’s how the WSDOT thinks the 2 lane squeeze will work.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0aaX8s3MME&NR=1

  • hmmm September 21, 2011 (12:16 am)

    How about running a passenger or car ferry from the Fauntleroy dock to downtown…..

  • redblack September 21, 2011 (6:13 am)

    clark: that will be the configuration – 2 lanes each direction through there at 25 mph – from october 2011 until the DBT is open.

  • Dunno September 21, 2011 (7:25 am)

    Casper made me think. I’ll roller skate to work,
    Of course I’ll have to wear my roller derby gear to make thru those downtown sidewalks!!

  • RobertSeattle September 21, 2011 (10:24 am)

    I’ve never seen a Viaductomy performed. :-)

  • genesseehillmike September 21, 2011 (9:01 pm)

    Finally, the closure is getting some publicity in local press. People that I talk to who aren’t from W. Seattle are just finding out about this. I’ve spent an hour or two reading the articles and looking at this website and others. I see no solution to the gridlock (other than bandaids like the water taxi or bromides like “work from home” – hey, you guys work from home why don’t you). I can’t believe that the City let planners get away with this closure without having sequenced some of the street construction around it so there would be more and wider alternative routes.

  • nizzle September 22, 2011 (4:29 pm)

    i’ve started using the water taxi to get to/from work in downtown. getting to the taxi (730a), i’m the only one on the shuttle. on my way home (530p) it’s me and maybe 4 other people. wondering how many more people will start using the water taxi….

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