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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday updates, alerts, road work, orcas…

November 10, 2015 6:48 am
|      32 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(Six WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
6:48 AM: The morning starts with a rollover crash on I-5 in downtown Seattle. It’s on the southbound side, at the Convention Center, blocking three lanes, but there’s likely some related slowdown on the northbound side too.

6:57 AM: With no major injuries reported, emergency responders have moved the flipped car off to the side, leaving only one southbound HOV lane blocked.

VETERANS DAY TOMORROW: Advance reminder that tomorrow’s a holiday, with schools closed, which will change transportation conditions.

DELRIDGE/HIGHLAND PARK GREENWAY UPDATE: This project continues in eastern West Seattle; the project team sent this update late yesterday:

Crews have installed curb ramps, curb extensions and a new crosswalk just south of where 22nd Ave SW merges with 21st Ave SW. Beginning this week, crew will pour concrete sidewalks on the east side of 21st Ave SW. Additional construction at this intersection will include preparing the west side of the intersection for curb ramps, curb extensions and sidewalk widening. Weather permitting, this work is expected to take two weeks.

Beginning as early as November 16, crews will begin preparing the site at 15th Ave SW and SW Holden St for curb ramp and curb installations, painting the crosswalks on the east and west side of the intersection, and installing pedestrian flashing beacons on either side of the crosswalks. Weather permitting, this work is expected to take three weeks to complete.

Lots of project info can be found here.

7:31 AM: Text tip (206-293-6302) says there’s water gushing onto the road in the 4800 block of W. Marginal Way SW, and cars are going too fast as they hit it.

7:53 AM: WSF says the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route has reduced capacity today while the Issaquah is out for maintenance.

7:55 AM: Commenters are saying same thing as this tweet:

No alert via text or tweet. Metro said yesterday that the trip cancellation – much-discussed in Monday’s “Traffic/Transit Today” comments – came too late for warning.

8:14 AM: Commenter on a recent orca-sighting story reports, “A big pod of killer whales just showed off for the passengers on the 7:50 ferry to Southworth! Huge pod going south!” Don’t know if that means south into the west or east passage around Vashon Island, but we are now alerted to orcas in the area – keep watch and let us know if you see them!

8:35 AM: Heads up for freeway work overnight tonight, near the West Seattle Bridge exit from southbound I-5:

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32 Replies to "TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Tuesday updates, alerts, road work, orcas..."

  • West Seattle since 1979 November 10, 2015 (7:31 am)

    Traffic is almost at a standstill on Avalon Way approaching the bridge.

  • Matthew November 10, 2015 (7:47 am)

    Second day in a row #57 bus leaving Alaska Junction @7:38 is a no show, with no rider alert from Metro.

  • Laura November 10, 2015 (7:48 am)

    And again, the 3rd 57 is a big fat no show. No email either.

  • Really Metro? November 10, 2015 (8:01 am)

    Yep 57 bus didn’t show at all. Showed on time. No alert. So glad we gave them that extra money. Two days in a row of screw ups. Dependable.

  • Katie November 10, 2015 (8:01 am)

    Day 2 – 7:43am 57 bus did not show and 56 bus at Admiral is 6 minutes late. Both buses showed on time arrivals and departures. It is so disappointing to have unreliable bus service in West Seattle. Where is our rapid transit?!

  • BC November 10, 2015 (8:09 am)

    I can’t believe some of you people voted to give these incompetent clowns more money with zero accountability. Fool me once (Bridging the Gap) shame on you. Fool me twice (Move Seattle) shame on me.

    The worst part is that these horrible levies are going to turn into “the boy who cried wolf”. When (*if*) the city ever got it’s act together and proposed a competent levy that helped to actually solve our transportation problems with some accountability the populace will be so jaded from being burned multiple times before that it would have little chance of passing.

  • Meg November 10, 2015 (8:16 am)

    The 7:52 56 at 61st and Alki never showed up. No alert. Called metro and they confirmed there was no operator. And that the next bus was running 10 minutes late.

  • Sue November 10, 2015 (8:21 am)

    They seriously need some bus lane enforcement on Avalon near Luna Park. Traffic backed up a block (at least) and the bus couldn’t get over to the last bus stop (where there was someone waiting). Driver tried to break in, but the traffic was having none of that, which is awful since they were in a bus only lane at that point.

  • Meg November 10, 2015 (8:27 am)

    At 8:24 a 56 bus showed up at 61st and Alki. Driver said she was 30 minutes late. Guess they finally found an operator.

  • melspy November 10, 2015 (8:35 am)

    I’m still flabbergasted at the no show ratio. . Of not one but two routes that don’t have another alternative for getting where needing to go. I hope to find neighbors wanting to participate in a van pool . . I work at harborview. Cost is either a husky orca card or around $56 (ironically).

  • missbay November 10, 2015 (8:46 am)

    Please let’s submit all these complaints to Metro. Perhaps if they get enough complaints, they’ll see how many people they affect with just even two or three canceled and/or late routes. This week has been ridiculous.

  • Really metro? November 10, 2015 (8:55 am)

    Well, in the future when politicians just can’t understand why so many single occupancy vehicles are on the road. This is the reason. Unlike metro, when most people don’t show up for work they get fired. People need RELIABLE transportation. They can’t be late for work. And when they don’t even send an alert for a rider to seek alternate means it’s even more absurd.

    People can’t chance taking the bus.

  • Really metro? November 10, 2015 (8:59 am)

    The complaints won’t do anything unless they get publicity. That’s the only thing that moves politicians and the organizations/people they oversee. The fear of bad publicity which leads to vote loss which leads to unemployment.

  • carolyn duncan November 10, 2015 (9:00 am)

    Lone male orca headed south about mid channel between Vashon and West Beach Condos at about 8:45 a.m. Didn’t see others.

    • WSB November 10, 2015 (9:07 am)

      Thanks!

  • AceMotel November 10, 2015 (9:27 am)

    At this point, an email directly to the king county executive is appropriate. Why even bother with Metro? kcexec@kingcounty.gov TOTALLY agree with BC re: When/if we get a chance to vote for REAL mass transit as opposed to road diets, bike lanes, painted crosswalks and back alley beautification. And didn’t we just vote for Metro transit improvement dollars in 2014 (to save some routes, as I recall)?

    • WSB November 10, 2015 (10:10 am)

      You “bother” with Metro because otherwise, as with police and crime stats if you don’t report things like car prowls with small or no losses, the stats can be pulled up and say “Hey! We had a month with only X complaints!” Time-consuming but that’s the way the system works. Absolutely include your elected officials. Your direct county elected official (just re-elected with no opposition), specifically representing West Seattle / White Center / Vashon-Maury and vicinity, is County Councilmember Joe McDermott, also a West Seattleite. He is a member of the council’s Transportation Committee. Contact info is on his page – http://www.kingcounty.gov/council/mcdermott.aspx
      .
      One more thing… though Metro is a county service, since voters passed the city measure to give the system money for more service, the city has a say in all this and whomever is elected our area’s District 1 City Councilmember (if you’re not following it, the election isn’t settled yet, 95 votes separate the two candidates with a few thousand left to count) will have a role in holding all involved accountable. As does the mayor.

  • Jeff November 10, 2015 (10:24 am)

    Hey people, lots of us are frustrated with Metro but please don’t take that out on the drivers. They are as helpless as we are in all of this mess. When one route is cancelled, the following routes are usually late because they have to pick up more passengers, answer questions, etc.

  • AceMotel November 10, 2015 (10:27 am)

    got it, WSB! Good point about district 1 council member when it’s decided.

  • carole November 10, 2015 (10:42 am)

    Maybe it’s time to Get Jesse!

  • newnative November 10, 2015 (11:25 am)

    I don’t see any negative comments directed at drivers, not sure where Jeff’s plea is coming from. The anger is directed at the management and information system of Metro. I have lodged two complaints through their system and received irrelevant replies that made no sense. Basically bot-replies. The second complaint I filed was concerning specific cancellations without alerts/notice and they replied by thanking me for my interest in their marketing. So I wonder how the complaints are being logged, directed and managed.

  • Northwest November 10, 2015 (11:29 am)

    Metro drivers and bus commuters can count on this single occupancy driver both in my personal life and during work to slow down when a bus is pulled to the side and if possible give them the right way to get back into traffic. It is how I practice moving Seattle I suggest you do the same.

  • wetone November 10, 2015 (11:34 am)

    Murray, Kubly and Metro love it, they suckered people into passing Metro funding and now Move Seattle Levy with all sorts of ideas and promises. How’s the Metro improvements working ? Their already working on the next Levy for 2016 with promises of fixing WS commute. Raising taxes another $500 a year for property owners. Such gullible people in Seattle… trusting these three. I will not vote for anymore city/metro funding until I start seeing some improvements and accountability for what they have promised. Just shows MONEY is not the problem. It’s the poor Leadership…..until that changes things will only get worse. Would like to know how city handles workers tardiness due to transit issues. Is it like most public sector jobs ? can’t make it on time find a new job… and they wonder why people have to drive…..

  • Jon Wright November 10, 2015 (12:51 pm)

    wetone, your comment sounds to me like you’d throw the baby out with the bath water. Last year’s prop 1 funded an awful lot of Metro service improvements. Biggest service increase in 40 years! It is frustrating–but somewhat understandable–that they are still struggling to staff up to where they need to be. My only complaint (that I can make with the benefit of hindsight) is that they didn’t have a better contingency plan in place in case they couldn’t hire enough people. In general, however, I think the service ramp up has gone well. I realize that is little consolation to folks affected by repeated 56/57 cancels. But I also realize that county-wide transit systems are big, complicated things that are challenging to run.

  • iggy November 10, 2015 (2:07 pm)

    Well, I just got back from another mid-day trip downtown. At 3rd and Spring the reader board said one RR C was 3 minutes early and another 16 minutes late. I know that Metro doesn’t have responsibility for traffic, but that left some people with a 19 minute wait to board a standing room only bus. I actually ended up taking a 21 to 35th and Barton and then catching a C back down to Morgan Junction. The readerboard at 35th and Barton continues to be out-of-whack with inaccurate times. I know this will be seen by many as whining, but I think daily occurence of these types of situations in a week throughout West Seattle do add up to endemic failure in Metro management.

  • AceMotel November 10, 2015 (2:07 pm)

    >>>>But I also realize that county-wide transit systems are big, complicated things that are challenging to run.
    .
    That’s why they get paid the big bucks. This level of transit errors is not acceptable. If Seattle/King County can’t figure out how to run this relatively small transportation system, they need to look at most major European cities who are able to conduct massive operations: trams, streetcars, trains, subways, buses leaving on time, on the dot, every 7 minutes or less, for the most part.

  • Jon Wright November 10, 2015 (2:47 pm)

    AceMotel, what is “this level of transit errors” that is unacceptable? What objective metric(s) are you using? Please tell me you are not succumbing to the allure of anecdotal evidence.
    .
    It seems the commenters here equate “WSB reported another 56 got canceled” to “the people running Metro must be incompetent” without any more examination.

  • ruKIDDING November 10, 2015 (3:35 pm)

    Let me get this straight.. People want a level of transit service comparable to major cities in Europe, but they refuse to pay taxes.
    .
    Do we see the disconnect here?

  • 935 November 10, 2015 (3:40 pm)

    This would be so very laughable, if it weren’t so pitiful…..Someone above said it best…Gullible…Seattle Voters. Sad part is, levy writers, politicos and public financing folks ALL know it. Promise the moon and stars. ‘They’ll GO for it…. & when we don’t provide – don’t worry….they’ll vote for us/it again’ (insert laughter and backslapping here)

    What’s the definition of insanity folks??
    -look in the mirror, YOU are probably contributing to this cockamamie BS….

  • West Seattle since 1979 November 10, 2015 (4:31 pm)

    AceMotel, when the buses/trains/trams/streetcars run every 7 minutes or less, you wouldn’t have to wait that long if one didn’t show up.

  • sam-c November 10, 2015 (6:23 pm)

    My husband threatened to buy some new cycling shoes and bike to work instead. He’s tired of getting passed up by full buses (like this evening)

Sorry, comment time is over.