TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Pre-holiday Thursday edition

(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning! It’s the final day of the pre-holiday workweek – once you get to where you’re going, let us know how the traffic volumes (any mode) seemed to you; we’ve been speculating those who can take a 4-day weekend will be doing that. Meantime, once more, here are the holiday transit changes: Metro and Water Taxi info is here; Washington State Ferries info is here; Sound Transit info is here.

And here’s the citywide alert from SDOT for today through Sunday.

TRAFFIC THROWBACK THURSDAY: Now – our almost-every-Thursday feature. Today, the Seattle Municipal Archives yield an image described as depicting a paving project on 35th SW “between Alaska and Brandon” in 1930. That doesn’t narrow it down much, so we’re wondering if you can identify where along that stretch this might have been:


Click the pic to go to a page with a much-larger version of the same image, if you want to take an up-close look.

9:15 PM: Two-car crash at 41st/Admiral – thanks to Brett for the tip via Twitter:

18 Replies to "TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Pre-holiday Thursday edition"

  • Maggie July 2, 2015 (6:59 am)

    Light commute into downtown from Vashon Island via ferry and bus! Beautiful morning out. Watched a HUGE full moon set to the SW behind Vashon on the ferry ride across.

  • Clayjustsayin July 2, 2015 (7:10 am)

    I think the view is looking North down 35th, with Alaska being the cross street seen in the distance. It’s that steep uphill stretch heading South from Alaska. It seems like Brandon would actually be behind the camera at this point

  • MikeK July 2, 2015 (7:19 am)

    RE The old photo: The only place I can think there may have been a ravine with a bridge would be near the golf course/stadium. Was that flled in years ago?

  • miws July 2, 2015 (7:31 am)

    I’m thinking that where we see the structures would be Avalon, and the roadway visible behind the greenery behind them, Fauntleroy.

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    I think the car is just south of Edmunds, starting the hillclimb by the Mount.

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    Mike

  • miws July 2, 2015 (7:33 am)

    MikeK, I believe there are some other pics at the Muni Archives site showing the bridge/ravine even closer up.

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    Don’t have time to look now, but maybe later this afternoon. (Unless somebody else wants to look).

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    Mike

  • Franci July 2, 2015 (7:38 am)

    I left home about 6:50, smooth sailing all the way to 99, then 99 moved much better than normal as well. My experience is that traffic was a bit lighter on Monday than usual, then each day this week has seen less and less traffic on the roads in the morning.

  • bolo July 2, 2015 (8:21 am)

    Are you sure that is 35th SW in the photo? I ask that because that car is obviously not speeding, so it couldn’t be 35th?

  • miws July 2, 2015 (8:51 am)

    Also something that just came to mind, is the house I spent my first nearly 11 years in was probably at least in the planning stages (at least in the builder’s head) when this pic was taken. The house is just a little NE of the Charlestown Water Tower.

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    The same builder built my house, and the two others to the north. Parcel Viewer shows the northernmost being completed in 1930, and mine, as well as the one in between, in 1931.

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    Mike

  • miws July 2, 2015 (10:01 am)

    bolo, back then the speed limit was 10 mph, and the car is going 20. ;-)

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    Mike

  • wsn00b July 2, 2015 (10:51 am)

    What?! No bike/horse lanes on 35th back in the day? How unfair.

    However, that road surface in the TBT picture looks like it is in way better condition than it is today.

  • Eric1 July 2, 2015 (12:45 pm)

    WSn00b. That is the HOT/Lexus lane in the 30’s. Of course it was called a Ford lane but you get the idea. The bike and single occupant horse lane is the unpaved area to the right. Note the foundation for the peasant proof fencing to separate the cars from the dung emitting horses.

  • Paul July 2, 2015 (1:02 pm)

    For the love of all that is good, please take the survey. Takes 5 minutes.

  • driver July 2, 2015 (1:02 pm)

    Speed enforcement officer on the Spokane Street Viaduct. Westbound at the 1st Avenue exit. Speed limit is 40 mph. There are paying customers going 50+.

  • mrsMarty July 2, 2015 (4:50 pm)

    bolo>>>> LOL!!!!

    WSn00b>>> I agree the road back then does look in better shape than 35th today!

  • Alan July 2, 2015 (5:33 pm)

    I think this view is actually from Alaska, looking north. I believe the street in the distance, which angles up to the right from 35th is Fauntleroy Way. The street before it, just after the trellis, with the buildings on the right of 35th would then be Avalon.

    It doesn’t seem to make much sense to shoot the section of 35th that is NOT being paved, but here is another shot from a different angle. which looks a little further up hill.
    http://clerk.seattle.gov/~scripts/nph-brs.exe?s1=57074.NUM.&Sect6=HITOFF&Sect5=PHOT5&Sect4=AND&d=PHO2&l=1&p=1&u=/~public/phot1.htm&r=1&f=G

    On this image below, I think the house (built in 1918) prominent on the left, is 4735 45th, in between Edmunds and Alaska.
    http://clerk.seattle.gov/~scripts/nph-brs.exe?s1=57077.NUM.&Sect6=HITOFF&Sect5=PHOT5&Sect4=AND&d=PHO2&l=1&p=1&u=/~public/phot1.htm&r=1&f=G

    Another angle of the same house, with Mount St. Vincent in the background.
    http://clerk.seattle.gov/~scripts/nph-brs.exe?s1=57087.NUM.&Sect6=HITOFF&Sect5=PHOT5&Sect4=AND&d=PHO2&l=1&p=1&u=/~public/phot1.htm&r=1&f=G

  • miws July 2, 2015 (6:46 pm)

    Geez, I don’t know what I was thinking, Alan. The southbound pic kind of shows how 35th starts to level out in front of the Mount, which I should have known. (I’ll blame it on the heat) ;-)

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    Thanks for finding those other pics!

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    Mike

  • Maris July 2, 2015 (7:02 pm)

    Thanks Alan for the photos. Isn’t that where the Bridge Tavern was/is? Now I know how it got its name.

  • ChefJoe July 3, 2015 (3:11 pm)

    I think Alan is correct that this is taken from the NW corner of Alaska and 35th looking N. I opened up my grandfather’s copy of “west side story” and pg 286 has a picture attributed to Warren Wing that shows the intersection of Alaska and 35th, looking North, after the East side of the roadway was paved in 1924. You can see the bridge, houses on Avalon, and some of the same trees (in the W side of the ravine and the thicket to the E).

Sorry, comment time is over.