Several people have e-mailed us recently to ask why the city’s West Seattle Bridge cameras – including the one we’ve had linked in our sidebar for a long time – just don’t seem to show the traffic any more (example above). We in turn asked SDOT‘s communications chief Richard Sheridan, and also threw in an inquiry about the status of additional cameras that had been in the works for West Seattle. Here’s his reply, including news of 4 new cameras on the way (we had reported plans for 3 more in May but looks like one’s joined the list):

The (bridge) structure’s north and south side cameras are controlled using wireless operation and have proven to be unreliable. The south side camera will be upgraded with a fiber optic control system as part of a larger project that starts next week. So your readers will be able to see bridge images shortly. We also want a fiber optic system for the north side and are trying to find money in this year’s budget for it.

With the work underway next week, we will install two other West Seattle cameras beyond the south bridge camera. They will be at Fauntleroy Way SW and SW Cloverdale (near Lincoln Park/Fauntleroy Ferry) and at the West Seattle Bridge near the pull-out by the [Walking on Logs] sculpture (east of the pedestrian overpass.)

Two other cameras will be installed in early- to mid-October and will be operational in November (along with several other locations not in West Seattle.) Those cameras will be located at SW Alaska St and 42nd Ave SW, and SW Alaska and California Ave SW.

So we’ll take the bridge-cam link out of the sidebar till SOMETHING is working – and will keep an eye out for those extra cameras. Here’s the city page where you can find all SDOT cams; the state cams (I-5 etc.) are separate, and can be found here; the county’s cams are here. We’ll also update the WSB Traffic page when those new/fixed ones come online.