TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday updates, including bridge-crash backup

(Latest bridge and Viaduct views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
5:58 AM: No ice to worry about this morning – it’s been rainy overnight and well above freezing. Today’s traffic advisory is for anyone who drives along the downtown waterfront: Starting this morning, Alaskan Way surface traffic between Madison and Pike shifts to the new temporary road under The Viaduct, to make way for seawall-replacement work. It’s all explained here.

7:09 AM: ‘Fender-bender’ on the eastbound bridge, says a tipster. No fire/medic callout.

7:36 AM: As commenters are noting, major bridge backup. And now there’s an aid callout.

8:01 AM: To clarify – the aid callout is for a DIFFERENT crash. The “fender-bender” was earlier and did not involve a fire/medics callout. Then came this one, which is just west of the exit to 99, and DID require a callout. If you haven’t left the house yet, and can wait, we highly suggest you do.

8:11 AM: One of the bridge cams is focused on the crash but we don’t know for how long, so here’s a screengrab for posterity:

8:20 AM: Tow truck spotted headed that way. Live traffic cam currently shows fire and police staged across three lanes, routing traffic around to the right. Commenters note that buses were not routed off the high bridge for some time.

8:23 AM: And until the camera pulled back again, it appeared the scene was clearing! (few minutes later) Police are still in the bus lane.

8:33 AM: Hate to be the bearer of bad news but now there is apparently a stalled vehicle parallel with Nucor, blocking a lane, per police, heard on the scanner.

8:43 AM: Per comments, that’s in the left lane. Meantime, just for the record – One commenter says it took an hour to get from Upper Fauntleroy to the Trader Joe’s vicinity; to the south, no better, @catfishianne said via Twitter that it took more than a hour to get from Roxbury Safeway to 99.

8:53 AM: Looks like the crash scene before the 99 exit is clear after about an hour and a half – here’s a screen grab of the camera a few minutes ago:

No update on the stalled car.

9:02 AM: The low bridge was open for marine traffic and is now reported to be back open to vehicles. One more note IF you commute beyond 99 onto Elliott along the north downtown waterfront and beyond – there is a rollover crash at Elliott/Harrison (map) that emergency crews are dealing with right now.

9:15 AM: If you waited to leave – note from the cameras (more views on our Traffic page) that it’s still very busy, even without new incidents to complicate things, and it’s still raining. Wait a while longer if you can; if you can’t, drive slowly and safely! We will continue to update here IF any additional incidents happen – the daily traffic update is always linked atop the “TOP STORIES” list on the WSB sidebar.

10:02 AM: On the peninsula, a school bus was involved in a collision at 12th/Henderson. (Added – photo courtesy of Keith – note the pickup on the sidewalk under the tree:)

No reports of injuries – fire/medics were NOT called out.

11:02 AM: An exchange of note via Twitter, involving newly inaugurated Mayor Ed Murray:

4:26 PM: A crash has closed the 1st Avenue South onramp to the westbound West Seattle Bridge, though it doesn’t sound like it will be closed for long.

110 Replies to "TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday updates, including bridge-crash backup"

  • NeighborMom January 7, 2014 (7:07 am)

    7:05 and bridge is backed up to Fauntleroy. Where did all these cars come from?!?

  • me January 7, 2014 (7:08 am)

    accident on bridge. traffic a mess.

  • me on 28th Ave SW January 7, 2014 (7:17 am)

    There is (or was) a disabled car in the right lane of NB99 just past the stadiums on the ramp up to the deck. It was there at 7, no police, no tow truck. 99 was crawling from the moment I got on it, left home at 6:35.

    • WSB January 7, 2014 (7:36 am)

      28th, via Twitter, Kim said that the 99 stall is cleared. So all this is apparently “just” the bridge.

  • NeighborMom January 7, 2014 (7:21 am)

    As you’re coming down the span accident is in right I5 lane. One very smashed vehicle and then another vehicle a little ways further. After that, clear to I5. 99 looks miserable, too. Access from Delridge isn’t bad, but the 99 line goes almost to the span.

  • Shell January 7, 2014 (7:23 am)

    Back to school + EVERYONE back to work + a few sprinkles = traffic nightmare!

  • Soosan January 7, 2014 (7:24 am)

    Four light cycles to get on the bridge (and then sit) from SB 35th. Ugh

  • Annie January 7, 2014 (7:26 am)

    Backed up all the way up Admiral, use alternate route, oh, right, there is no alt route…

  • Greta January 7, 2014 (7:32 am)

    Amazing how a simple minor accident delays my commute 30+ minutes. I am glad to only be renting in West Seattle…not sure how much more of this I can take.

  • Add January 7, 2014 (7:32 am)

    Admiral to bridge backed up to the viewpoint. Looks like all alternate routes equally bad (Delrudge, etc). Plus it’s still so dark and rainy! Settling in for a realllly long commute Ugh.

  • Minda January 7, 2014 (7:33 am)

    Yeah, probably happened because someone was driving and texting – stop it!

  • Jolly January 7, 2014 (7:34 am)

    Fauntleroy backed up to Fairmont Park

  • Wsandrew January 7, 2014 (7:35 am)

    Hey drivers and cops. Please remember “if it steers it clears”. There is no reason for these vehicles to be sitting on the West Seattle Bridge for 30 this morning, slowing us all down.

  • Ian January 7, 2014 (7:36 am)

    They came from all the new units going up in WS. I have noticed a huge difference just between this time last year and now. Then I was able to get on the bridge by 7:05 and get only light, if any, traffic. Now I have left as early as 6:45 on many mornings and have been stuck in heavy traffic. Guess I need to leave at 6:30 now.

  • West Seattle since 1979 January 7, 2014 (7:39 am)

    Avalon Way is backed up too. And the on ramp to the bridge looks like it’s not moving much.

  • Lindsey January 7, 2014 (7:46 am)

    Fauntleroy was backed up and I sat for 10 mins. Gave up, turned around, and went down to Delridge. Slightly better but still crawling.

  • Thomas January 7, 2014 (7:46 am)

    2+ car collision on WS bridge just east of the bridge apex. Fire/police on scene.

  • West Seattle since 1979 January 7, 2014 (7:48 am)

    The accident is right before the on ramp to 99. I saw a Medic One leaving and a fire truck still there. I hope everyone is going to be ok. The traffic is still backed up, even the bus lane is partially blocked.

  • Deborah January 7, 2014 (7:48 am)

    Cars should not be allowed to park on 35th and gauntlet, the back up to admiral north of here would not be this bad, I don’t want on the bridge by I can not get passed because the right lane has parked cars. 35th going south is wide open, if I could only get passed.

  • Soosan January 7, 2014 (7:50 am)

    Medics stuck in traffic behind us, right by Nucor.

  • mel January 7, 2014 (7:50 am)

    Admiral past viewpoint, Avalon, Delridge, Fauntleroy, and a line all the way up 35th as far as u can see up the hill. I’ve never seen anything like this in over ten years. Oh, lets cut some metro routes.. just for fun.

  • stb January 7, 2014 (7:51 am)

    Fauntleroy backed up all the way to Juneau.

  • RoseWash January 7, 2014 (7:52 am)

    2nd day in a row traffic has made me late for work. This is so frustrating.

  • Mia skeffington January 7, 2014 (7:54 am)

    45 minutes on the bridge, still next to the steel factory. Now a fire truck is trying to squeeze by. Boo :-(

  • smokeycretin9 January 7, 2014 (7:54 am)

    Come on people… if it steers, it clears! Move your car out of the way if it’s just a fender fender.

    • WSB January 7, 2014 (7:56 am)

      Smokey, we have updated since. There is now an incident that involves injuries.

  • RoseWash January 7, 2014 (7:57 am)

    Also, fender bender?? Just passed the accident and there was cop cars and firetrucks. Pretty sure that wasn’t a fender bender.

    • WSB January 7, 2014 (8:00 am)

      Again, re: “fender bender” – that was an EARLIER crash. This is a LATER crash.

  • Gatewood Resident January 7, 2014 (7:58 am)

    I saw this coverage and am taking the Dumar/Holden route down to 99. I haven’t reached 16th and we are hardly moving.

  • IXOBBP January 7, 2014 (7:58 am)

    On the 7:45 116 express from Morgan Jct. Traffic backed up from Morgan Jct to the WS Bridge. Stay home :(

  • Laura January 7, 2014 (7:59 am)

    Left my house at 7:03. Just now approaching the high rise of the bridge. This is ridiculous. I don’t understand why accidents don’t get cleared off the roads more quickly in this city. Stupidest thing I’ve ever seen.

  • quinkygirl January 7, 2014 (8:01 am)

    I’ve been in my car on Fauntleroy for 20 minutes and haven’t even gone a mile. EDIT: (8:15 ) 35 minutes from 40th to Alaska. Sigh. Don’t leave your house right now

  • Jolly January 7, 2014 (8:04 am)

    Holden to 99 alternate has taken me 35 minutes to get on 99 from Morgan junction.

  • Brenda January 7, 2014 (8:05 am)

    39th Ave SW is NOT an Arterial. Accident right outside my house, my car nearly missed. Slow down you freak drivers!

  • Molly M January 7, 2014 (8:06 am)

    Just got onto bridge from admiral way after 45 min. There’s a tow truck with lights flashing now entering bridge.

  • CEA January 7, 2014 (8:06 am)

    Harbor Ave backed up from the 7-11 to the bridge!

  • Toshi January 7, 2014 (8:07 am)

    When I drove over the bridge at around 6:50 I saw two separate appearing incidents:

    1) Ford truck with a quite crumpled front end. Looked like there might have been a still driver inside, certainly not walking around! This was just west of the 99 exit, in the bus lane.

    2) Range Rover and Accord minor rear-end accident blocking the right of the two through lanes slightly more east of the prior. Drivers walking around, looking ok.

  • dj January 7, 2014 (8:09 am)

    20 mins from Alki to the entry to the bridge. Ugh.

  • IXOBBP January 7, 2014 (8:09 am)

    On 116 X to downtown. Busses are being rerouted to lower bridge per dispatch.

  • Enough January 7, 2014 (8:10 am)

    Radio news report said an hour to get out of WS. I’ve had too many of these commutes. Staying put, going to work late again.

  • Eugene January 7, 2014 (8:10 am)

    The tow truck just showed up.

  • Sue January 7, 2014 (8:10 am)

    An hour after the first accident, Metro is just NOW rerouting buses off the upper level bridge. it’s taken 40 min to get from the Junction to Nucor!

  • Sapna January 7, 2014 (8:10 am)

    This is really frustrating!!! I live on alki, left home at 7:40 it’s 8:10 now and I’m still on alki

  • Brian January 7, 2014 (8:11 am)

    Traffic is still majorly backed up. It took me 40 minutes to get from Mt St Vincent to Avalon.

  • supernova72 January 7, 2014 (8:11 am)

    More than a fender bender. The full size Ford Bronco has major front end damage. 30 mins from Taco Time to the accident. Hope everyone is OK…

  • Zach January 7, 2014 (8:12 am)

    Left Fauntleroy/California intersection at 7:25 and just made it to Fauntleroy/Oregon (at 8:10). Sign says 43 minutes to 4th. This is the worst I’ve ever seen.

  • Babs January 7, 2014 (8:15 am)

    On bus from junction has taken 45 minutes to get down Avalon to turn onto bridge. Grrr.

  • GAnative January 7, 2014 (8:15 am)

    Been stuck on Oregon for over 20 mins now due to Fauntleroy drivers BLOCKING THE BOX!

  • Enough January 7, 2014 (8:15 am)

    Mid span photo above appears to show accident is in bus only lane? Did cars come to rest there or was the accident caused/happend because cars were driving in or crossing over the bus lane? A similar accident happend last year in almost the same spot because of illegal use of the bus lane. !

  • et January 7, 2014 (8:16 am)

    Standstill on the crest of the bridge. Sigh.

  • RS January 7, 2014 (8:16 am)

    Wouldn’t it be nice to have a non-road transit option, like all the other real cities have?

  • Mel January 7, 2014 (8:17 am)

    This is one morning I am thankful to be a Water Taxi commuter!

  • Amy January 7, 2014 (8:18 am)

    At 7:30 SB 35th was really backed up to SW Edmonds. I turned around from Avalon at 7:50 and noticed SB 35th traffic backed up all the way to High Point. A txt from a bus passenger who left 35th and Morgan on a 21x at 7:20 was still not to the bridge at 8 pm. Expect 45 minutes to even get to the West Seattle bridge…

  • NW January 7, 2014 (8:23 am)

    WEST SEATTLEITES NEED TO PULL TOGEATHER AND START FILLING EVERY SEAT IN A VEHICLE WHAT WITH SOCIAL MEDIA AND EASY ACCESS TO FORUMS THE INTERNET IT’S PROBLEMS LIKE THIS TRAFFIC MESS THAT HOPEFULLY WILL GET YOU ALL THINKING TOGETHER FOR A SOLUTION.

  • Lura Ercolano January 7, 2014 (8:24 am)

    It ha taken 30 minutes to go from High School to view overlook on Admiral.

  • dj January 7, 2014 (8:27 am)

    Blockage breaking

  • Teacher Lauren January 7, 2014 (8:29 am)

    Been stuck on Fauntleroy next to the old Chevy dealership for more than 20 min.

  • CW January 7, 2014 (8:30 am)

    This morning will be the norm in 3-5 years.

  • Ron January 7, 2014 (8:30 am)

    Gave up and came home. Oregon backed up to calif , then went to admiral which was backed up to calif. Nothing moving as far as I could see anywhere

  • EJ January 7, 2014 (8:32 am)

    This is bad! I left my house at 7:30 in Upper Fauntleroy and I’m sitting next to Trader Joe’s at 8:33!! I’m not feeling very confident that I will make it to work in Bellevue by 9:00… I guess my little kindergartners will be doing morning routine by themselves (with a lovely adult helper assisting them until I get there, of course)!

  • IXOBBP January 7, 2014 (8:34 am)

    On 116 X, per radio dispatch from Metro, the accident is “mostly” cleared. Busses told to use regular route again.

  • lvbebe January 7, 2014 (8:35 am)

    Heads up – stalled car in the left bound lane at the bottom of the hill going onto the bridge

    • WSB January 7, 2014 (8:39 am)

      Thanks LVbebe, I heard that on the scanner and added it to the narrative above …

  • Steve January 7, 2014 (8:37 am)

    8:35 traffic starting to move onto bridge.
    speedometer actually registers motion

  • Enough January 7, 2014 (8:39 am)

    @Ganative. Isn’t that so frustrating!!! I’ve been asking SPD to enforce that intersection for years and the result has been .. nothing.

  • C-to-the-B January 7, 2014 (8:47 am)

    Damaged truck is on the tow truck – should be cleared soon! They’re in the bus lane, so traffic is moving normally again …. Was a brutal 49 minute commute, but I’m just getting on the 99 & those leaving home now should be OK. Stay safe, fellow WSites.

  • sonic January 7, 2014 (8:47 am)

    And now. to round out the hellish commute trifecta… the lower bridge is open to ship traffic.

  • Enough January 7, 2014 (8:53 am)

    Keep building more condos and apts. Yeah!

  • IXOBBP January 7, 2014 (8:54 am)

    On the 116 X. Traffic starting to move. We’ve made it to Avalon. Now, everyone just keep it together so we don’t have any more delays.

  • mercedes peterson January 7, 2014 (8:55 am)

    it has taken over 1 hour and 20 minutes to get from Juno and 35th 2 Delridge and ANDOVER via Avalon! Jeez

  • clementine January 7, 2014 (8:56 am)

    I remember when WS real estate firms used advertise that it was only 15 minutes to downtown from West Seattle. Those were the good old days.

  • Soosan January 7, 2014 (8:57 am)

    Left Genesee Hill 7:15, arrived Virginia Mason 8:30. Normally takes <15 minutes.

  • Have Fun January 7, 2014 (9:02 am)

    Nothing like a city that was developed to be a permanent one horse town trying to cram as many people as possible into a small area with no modern infrastructure updates taking place for 100 years. Can’t wait until the day I see this bumpkin-wannabe-big-city in my rear view mirror.

  • IXOBBP January 7, 2014 (9:10 am)

    On 116 X, just turning onto WS Bridge from Avalon.

  • AlkiGrl January 7, 2014 (9:12 am)

    Thanks, WSBlog, for the updates. At least I have news and entertaining posts to read as I wait.

  • Obvious January 7, 2014 (9:21 am)

    Just remember: You aren’t in traffic, you are traffic.

  • Al January 7, 2014 (9:21 am)

    Traffic is nuts and they keep building condos. West seattle seems to be the main way for folks on the ferries to get to down town. Just saying. :)

  • Mark January 7, 2014 (9:22 am)

    Hooray for the Water Taxi! Remember folks, last sailing in the morning is 8:45am.

  • LMama January 7, 2014 (9:23 am)

    Is the “fender bender” the accident where the red truck (Bronco?) plowed into the backside of another vehicle? At 6:49 this morning? From my perspective (in the rightmost lane, a hundred feet back), it was a simple case of a driver not paying enough attention to the cars ahead of him and trying to stop suddenly on wet pavement. Really hope the person that was rear-ended wasn’t hurt too badly – the red truck hit him/her pretty hard.

  • Susan January 7, 2014 (9:26 am)

    On the 120 and speeding past the mid span backup to 99 and I5. The bus is definitely the way to go, especially if you can catch it on Delridge.

  • Chanel January 7, 2014 (9:27 am)

    It’s been an hour and a half just driving kids to two different schools in West Seattle. As we trudged in an hour late, I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude that it could have been so much worse and at least we were all safe.

  • Terry January 7, 2014 (9:30 am)

    And low level bridge is opening again.

  • Teri January 7, 2014 (9:30 am)

    How is the traffic coming out of West Seattle now? I’m thinking of making a second attempt to get to work, but will continue to work from home if it is still at a standstill. Thanks!

  • beaglenut January 7, 2014 (9:31 am)

    Don’t drive until you’ve completely woken up. Always put your headlights on. Stop playing with your phone. That alone solves half the issue with the bridge.

  • BMC January 7, 2014 (9:34 am)

    Needed to get to Pathfinder from Admiral. Usual routes all backed up. Ended up going SO on Delridge, turned up at STEM school and then North. Took nearly 25 min rather than 8-10 min (with no traffic).

  • Enough January 7, 2014 (9:34 am)

    @Obvious • What is your solution?

  • k January 7, 2014 (9:43 am)

    My fear is this will become the norm when the tunnel is complete (if ever). One accident in a tunnel will result in backups like this routinely.

  • fiz January 7, 2014 (9:44 am)

    First South Bridge was backed up too. I gave up, canceled my meeting and went home.

  • AG January 7, 2014 (9:48 am)

    LMama, no, that was the 2nd or 3rd accident of the morning. My husband and I left home (35th-ish and Thistle-ish) at 7:10, carpooling to downtown. We hit the backup just south of Alaska on 35th, which wasn’t horrendous (yet) but was dramatically made worse by the number of people who thought it would be a good idea to go down the left and turn right from the “go straight” lane onto the bridge at Fauntleroy, skipping the right-turn lane entirely. Because apparently they are more important than everyone else and need to be at work on time… like the rest of us don’t. It took nearly 90 minutes to go 35th from Alaska to Fauntleroy! The rest wasn’t so bad, though I felt terrible for the poor kid (? looked young, anyway) in the Honda who stalled or ran out of gas at the low point as things started to thin out. I’m normally at work by 7:30 and walked in the door at nearly 9:30.

  • East Coast Cynic January 7, 2014 (9:52 am)

    @Clementine re WS Real Estate firms advertising commute times in the good old days

    I’ll bet they still provide the same times today. They gotta move those new apartments and apodments somehow.

  • amalia January 7, 2014 (9:58 am)

    Thanks, obvious – I saw the comment from someone saying that traffic made her late, and I had to laugh. Sorry that the bus riders are impacted, though!
    .
    Solution – everyone who CAN carpool, vanpool, bike, bus… do it. Be creative and make sacrifices. Yep, that means getting up earlier and taking more time.

  • Robert January 7, 2014 (10:31 am)

    A Murphy Brown show had a quip that went “I wish more people would take the bus so I could get to work faster in my car”. :-)

  • enough January 7, 2014 (10:41 am)

    Amalia / obvious
    Laughing because someone is late to work, doctor appointment, job interview, etc, due to no fault of their own, is not very nice/wont get people to jump on your bandwagon. People aren’t leaving West Seattle in the morning to go do unproductive things, they should not be criticized for trying. That’s the way I am interpreting your comments but maybe I am wrong.

    I tend to agree with your solutions but I am afraid there are just too many people already here to make much of a difference. Buses are lacking in service and convenience so people wont use them. They may get cut back even further next year. Some can’t use them based on their situations. It would be great if more people would bike to work but I’m afraid that would just clog already minimal bike routes into downtown. Not everyone can bike due to physical restraints. Biking isn’t that safe currently based on the fact several cyclists have been killed around Harbor Island in the last few years.

    Actual mass transit would be great but it would be lead to more people moving here because there is mass transit. I don’t know what the solution is but I am not very hopeful for West Seattle.

  • Melissa January 7, 2014 (10:59 am)

    More downtown commuters need to take the water taxi. WS to downtown in 10 minutes. No traffic. Nice views.

  • JJ January 7, 2014 (11:17 am)

    Bicycle works great to get downtown. Nice safe bike path on the lower level bridge.

  • sam-c January 7, 2014 (11:20 am)

    enough: I don’t even bother caring about comments like those you are reacting to any more- the same people make the same snide comments all the time.

  • Kim January 7, 2014 (11:24 am)

    Anyone else joining the West Seattle Transportation Coalition meeting next Tuesday?

    • WSB January 7, 2014 (11:30 am)

      Thanks for mentioning that, Kim. I need to publish a separate callout about that today while all this is more top-of-mind than ever. Short version – this is the BIG meeting WSTC has been working toward for months, Q/A with representatives of multiple government levels (city, county, state, etc.). Details on the WSTC website:
      .
      http://www.westseattletc.org/wstc-january-2014-qa-panel

  • wsn00b January 7, 2014 (11:29 am)

    Just some context. This is not just a West Seattle problem. Turn on seacam.redoctober.com (which I do after first checking WSB) or local TV news traffic updates in the morning and note that traffic is equally screwed up in most of the region.

    I don’t think Seattle by itself can fix its traffic problem. WSDOT, Sound Transit, KC Metro and SDOT all need to step up their game.

    For once, I’d love to hear an ideal plan from a senior transportation engineer who has studied the data and constraints (and not a biased politician or the general public including myself on how to fix things).

    “A truly integrated transportation system with a world class transit system at its core is a priority.” is a meaningless fluff statement (sorry Mr. Mayor). Get your top engineer to show us a diagram backed by data.

  • Dave January 7, 2014 (11:55 am)

    Nothing pisses me off more than a bunch of a–holes cutting through neighborhood side-streets to get on and down Holden. This was especially true this morning, with a bunch of yuppies speeding through narrow side-streets to bypass a slightly longer line of cars waiting to turn left down Holden.

  • Old Desolate January 7, 2014 (12:00 pm)

    Riding a bike to/from work/errands is great for many but not for everyone. Believe it or not there are some elderly folks who never learned to ride one (poverty growing up, etc or physical limitations)and taking the bus (or driving) is their only means to get anywhere. We walk, carpool or take the bus. It’s great that the City of Seattle is installing bike lanes, etc. but don’t forget the pedestrians or those who are for one reason or another unable to ride a bike or work nights when bus travel is limited or nil. Low or fixed income can also be a factor in life-style choices. Bicylists are not saints, neither are drivers.

  • AG January 7, 2014 (12:25 pm)

    I’d love to take the water taxi! Next time it loops near Westwood or other parts of Southern WS, let me know. ;-) It actually takes me longer to get to the water taxi than to work. Meanwhile, I will continue to carpool, which didn’t help much today.

  • BB January 7, 2014 (12:40 pm)

    I’m going to the WSTC meeting. I want to know why Ferries continue to route thousands of vehicles into Fauntleroy to drive through West Seattle, when many could be routed directly downtown and lessen the impact on WS.

  • pupsarebest January 7, 2014 (12:43 pm)

    Given the severity and frequency of these hellacious morning commutes, I am amazed at the level of restraint of those who comment here.
    Not suggesting ranting, cursing or gnashing one’s teeth does any good, but If I had to endure this crap, day in, day out, I’d be doing all three, and then some.
    The specter of more-of-the-same-and-even-worse is disheartening, to say the least.

  • enough January 7, 2014 (1:06 pm)

    @ sam-c. Thanks! I know better but I sometimes get sick of it and “take the bait” when I should just keep continuing on my way. I think I just found my New Year’s resolution.

  • anonyme January 7, 2014 (1:29 pm)

    BB – very astute comment. I’d never thought of that before, but you’re absolutely right. Wouldn’t solve all of our problems, but it might help – including with the long lines of exhaust exhuming vehicles adjacent to the park.

  • AE January 7, 2014 (4:18 pm)

    No one laughed at someone for being late. It’s funny (or ironic at least) because the driver blamed his lateness on traffic without acknowledging that the driver IS the traffic! I don’t think people like to be confronted with their choice to drive (and I mean the people who HAVE a choice – many here have no reasonable alternative). Buses, carpools, vanpools, almost always call for a sacrifice of time and convenience, except for the lucky ones who work downtown. The price of driving is that you’re subject to the occasional bungle-up, like today. Too bad it impacts the buses and ‘poolers too.

  • bbuddy January 7, 2014 (6:05 pm)

    I dare say to you, AE, that most of us bridge commuters are not subjected to the “occasional bungle-up” — but are subjected to regular bungle-ups. So bungled-up are we, on the bridge, that “logjam” is perhaps a better word to use.

  • kim January 7, 2014 (7:31 pm)

    What was really galling was how quick a commute it was yesterday. I sailed over the bridge at 9:00 a.m.
    Meaning…yeah, there’s always traffic, but it flows, given there are no accidents. It seems a matter of maintaining the flow by avoiding accidents (slowing down!) and getting them cleared ASAP.
    Today was awful.

  • kirs10f January 8, 2014 (10:45 pm)

    Dear West Seattle-ers,
    Let’s just agree not to get into any accidents on the bridge during commuting times. Ok? Cool.

Sorry, comment time is over.