TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Thursday updates, plus a look back

(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning! No incidents so far on the routes through/from West Seattle. Thanks as always for your help keeping watch; when/if you can call or text safely/legally, 206-293-6302.

TRANSPORTATION NEWS: One link to share if you haven’t seen the story yet – take a walk around the Westwood Village-perimeter “transit hub” with the WW-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council and city/county reps – see the key pedestrian/passenger challenges that were pointed out.

Now, a look at what you would have seen on WS roads a half-century-plus ago:

THROWBACK THURSDAY TRAFFIC: Again this week, we steer right into the online “Throwback Thursday” tradition with another street shot from the Seattle Municipal Archives – January 1960 on Spokane St. in West Seattle between 23rd and 26th, which would be under the west end of today’s high bridge, we believe:

Click that image to see the archives’ page with a *really* big version of the photo, when you have time to explore the details.

23 Replies to "TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Thursday updates, plus a look back"

  • LStephens April 2, 2015 (6:48 am)

    Looks like we have a long history of traffic jams! Thank you for the archive photos TR.

  • ChefJoe April 2, 2015 (7:26 am)

    Based on where the power lines “jump up” my father and I deduced this the photo was facing eastward and perhaps the drawspans were recently lowered to create the sudden inrush.

    He also remembered/noticed the cafe with the crashed/impaled plane on the roof as “decor” and we’re debating if you can read the lowest strip of “safeway” on the sign next to the chevron station.

  • miws April 2, 2015 (7:30 am)

    Fourth car back, in westbound left lane looks to be a ’57 Plymouth Fury. There’s probably a pretty fair chance that that is my Dad.

    .

    Mike

  • Patricia April 2, 2015 (7:57 am)

    Traffic used to back up Admiral Way when the drawspans were open so traffic back ups have ALWAYS been an issue! Since this is circa 1960 there was no I-5, only Hwy 99 to the north and Airport Way to travel south. Yes, this would be facing east with Pigeon Point on the right! C&H was the grocery store on Alki with the Chinese restaurant attached – where Sunfish is now.

  • NW April 2, 2015 (8:18 am)

    Notice on the left side next to Goodyear is a Volkswagen van my grandfather happened to have the very first one in all of Washington state right here in West Seattle in the mid 50s a close friend of his owned Volkswagen and Porsche dealership in The University. Was a micro bus not a van.

  • wakeflood April 2, 2015 (8:29 am)

    You had a “Christine” in the garage, Mike? ;-)

    If ChefJoe’s got the directions right, these businesses were along the strip where Chelan Cafe now exists, across from the steel mill? Am I visualizing this correctly?

  • Pibal April 2, 2015 (8:50 am)

    Blackstock Lumber is still around, on West Elliott by the cruise ship terminal.

    C&H Grocery is now the home of Cactus Restaurant.

    And the billboard for “BORON” threw me until I found this:
    http://youtu.be/EyMSP3aP1lw

  • Cranky Westie April 2, 2015 (8:52 am)

    Mike- Your dad drove “Christine”?

  • Lindsey April 2, 2015 (9:11 am)

    So cool! Thanks for sharing.

  • LatteRose April 2, 2015 (9:17 am)

    Really enjoy seeing these old photos!

  • workdowntown April 2, 2015 (9:46 am)

    Just left of the cameraman was the Blue Eagle tavern. Quite a lively spot back then!

    • WSB April 2, 2015 (9:56 am)

      My favorite part of this photo was only visible in the large-size version … reading what was on the door of the delivery truck parked in the “median.” No spoilers but, looking at the same address on the truck (would’ve been a few miles from where the photo was taken), I can totally see where that business might have been.
      .
      (added after I read back through) Thanks, Pibal! My grandma, who drove a very cool ’66 Mustang, was a Richfield loyalist. Maybe it was the boron! I only knew about its handwashing and flea/etc.-killing properties …

  • wakeflood April 2, 2015 (10:14 am)

    So, I guess we can’t credit Bezos with a new idea of free grocery delivery, eh? Amazon Fresh is just C&H Grocery plus a few decades. :-)

    And I noticed that VW van too! My first thought was how many of those were around these parts in 1960?

  • miws April 2, 2015 (10:45 am)

    wake, and Cranky, Yep! Dad drove Christine! Although, I dunno about having her in the garage.

    .

    The attached, situated underneath the dining room, garage of our 1930 built Brick Tudor, was rather small. Dad replaced the Fury with a brand new 1962 Rambler Classic 440 S/W which, I suppose by 1960’s standards may have almost been considered a “Compact”, and *it* barely fit in the garage. Dad had to park all the over to the left wall, and slide across the front seat to get out. (Although part of the reason for that was likely because leaving himself enough room to get out on the driver’s side, would have meant blocking the door into the basement.) So, I don’t know if the Fury and her fins were able to fit, and still close the garage door.

    .

    At the 2013 Junction Car Show, I ran into a guy that lived across the street from us, as I have over the last few years at that Show. He showing one of his Classic cars. He happened to be talking to another guy that had lived a few doors down from him, on his side of the street. These guys are each probably around 10-12 years older than I am, which would have made them mid-late teens, during the time that we had the Fury.

    .

    We all lived on 38th & Manning. The guy showing his car lived on the corner at the top of the hill. While we were chatting at the 2013 Show, he mentioned that he remembered my Dad coming Home from work everyday in the Fury, stopping at the bottom of Manning at Belvidere, and “lighting’em up” as he came up the hill.

    .

    I wish I had been old enough to remember that myself, but I would have only been around 3 when we got the Rambler, although, I swear I have a very vague memory of being in the Fury.

    .

    Mike

  • miws April 2, 2015 (10:49 am)

    Looks like that may have been Friday, afternoon peak traffic:

    http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/?year=1960&country=1

    .

    Mike

  • Born on Alki 59 April 2, 2015 (11:09 am)

    Pibal,
    Almost correct. Cactus is located where the Alki IGA used to be. C&H Grocery later became the Golden Sun Restaurant, owned by the same family. (RIP Margie)
    It later became the Bamboo and now is…?
    My god they made a killer kamakazie at the Golden Sun. Ah the good old days of West Seattle, long before it was cool to live here.

  • sam-c April 2, 2015 (11:35 am)

    as one of the latecomers/ (sorry to crash cool West Seattle !)(my mom (RIP) wasn’t even in high school yet when this photo was taken!), I love hearing all the stories from the original WS-ers to go with these photos!

  • Daniel Fleming April 2, 2015 (2:17 pm)

    And who would have guessed it was overcast that day in 1960? 😆🏠

  • Eric1 April 3, 2015 (9:57 am)

    Mike,

    Must be a Mopar/Fury kind of thing. My dad had a 67 big block Sport Fury when I was young. He occasionally lit them up as well. I am still attracted to Mopar power and drive around an RT. When it is safe, I occasionally light them up for my son:) Gotta pass the disease on.

  • miws April 3, 2015 (11:23 am)

    Eric1, Yep! :-)

    .

    A former boss of mine has a 2007(?—I think it was the first year of the “retro” Mustang) Shelby Mustang. I believe it was purchased with a Shelby Package, and they (he and his Wife—-it’s actually her car—-he has a Classic Rod), have added more Shelby stuff.

    .

    Anyway, back when we worked together, he kept saying that on one of the occasional times he drove the Shelby in, and we worked until closing together, he’d “Light ’em Up” for me (I think he actually did, once).

    .

    On at least one of those discussions, he mentioned that his Wife really didn’t appreciate him doing that, and I suggested he point out to her that he was simply checking the point at which the car would break traction, and he was doing so for her safety. :-)

    .

    Mike

  • mrsMarty April 3, 2015 (4:23 pm)

    miws…that made me smile big time when you mentioned that you think that was your Dad in that car in your 1st comment and then when you said old neighbors remember Dad “lighting’ em up”! Fond memories…always keep them. :)

  • mrsMarty April 3, 2015 (4:32 pm)

    LOL!!! I should have kept on reading the comments but we have one of those “retro” mustangs and it was 2005 when they came out, as for lighting’ it up the hubby says for me to bring it out to Pac Raceway when he takes his hot rod to see what it’ll do…of course I say no, can only afford one vehicle at the track!

  • miws April 3, 2015 (6:02 pm)

    Thanks, mrsMarty! Hard to believe the retro Mustangs have been out ten years already!

    .

    Mike

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