Was it a preview of Life Without The Viaduct? The Battery Street Tunnel closed for a while at peak commute time this morning because of an accident, and that meant an hour-plus from WS to downtown. Another reason to check traffic reports BEFORE you hit the road (oops).
I thought the same thing, especially since I had to drive through Queen Anne to get to the other side of 99. I left my house at 8 and didn’t arrive to work until 9:20.
I just tried to get across the bridge at 10am and it’s still backed up. There was a “wide load” caravan blocking up Spokane St. under the bridge and the high bridge was also backed up to the top of Admiral. I called my 10am client and rescheduled to 11. Hope I can get through!
I was wondering what the delay was. I was on the 7:40am bus, and approaching Seneca around 8pm and while we were able to get through on time, cars going past Seneca were very delayed. I’m glad I hussled out of the house to get that bus – I was thinking of blowing it off and getting the 8am bus instead, but glad I didn’t since it would’ve only gotten worse.
As soon as I left the house I heard the radio report and promptly turned around to go work from home and wait it out. I left at 9:50 and was still amazed at the bridge backup. Thankfully the stall on 99 was cleared by then but there was still backup.
Forget losing the viaduct – I think this is what life will be like next month with the 19-day I-5 closure. Does anyone have any brilliant ideas besides biking or water taxi or taking vacation for avoiding the mess?
I remember the same sort of lengthy delays after the earthquake, but luckily we lived close enough that I could bike to work. It took me a while to get the strength to make it back on my bike all the way up Avalon though. I’m thankful for those bike racks on the bus!
So are we saying the surface option won’t work. Gosh. What an amazing surprise!
I remember the same sort of lengthy delays after the earthquake, but luckily we lived close enough that I could bike to work. It took me a while to get the strength to make it back on my bike all the way up Avalon though. I was thankful for those bike racks on the bus! Of course now we live farther south so it’s tricky to make that sort of commitment.
Yeah, oops. I was very late to a doctor’s appointment downtown today. I called them and it wasn’t a big deal but amazed at how much traffic there was at 9:30. Makes me wonder how horrific the traffic will be with the I-5 closures in August.
We need to push the DOT to add WSea routes to its online reports. Currently it has no cameras or reporting equipment for the bridge or viaduct at all. We’re at the mercy of radio traffic reports–many of whom use the DOT website to get their info!
There are WS bridge cams in the City of Seattle’s camera lineup, and they are linked from our West Seattle cams page (tab at top of page). Nothing for the viaduct that we know of (though we keep an eye out).
This isn’t like the closing of I-5 or even the (hypothetical) removal of the viaduct. You have little warning about an accident, nor much information about how bad the traffic is until you actually get on the road.
Things that take us all by surprise during rush hour in the rain are not really comparable to scheduled road closures like the August I-5 one.
Hmmm, I had my head in a book on the bus this morning (leaving at 7:50 a.m.) and missed the commotion entirely. It seemed that I got to work on time… at least no one looked at me askance when I came through the door.
hehe…yeah I can’t wait to see what the roads look like in August…..I mean if Seattle had a sane infrastructure, one accident wouldn’t totally SCREW everything else. Ahh who cares as long as we have urban density.
Everytime I go through the Battery Street Tunnel I think “what kind of moron builds a tunnel with a hairpin curve in it? :-)
I’m not sure how a lot of cars will get stuck on the Viaduct without the Viaduct.
The surface option WILL work. Because, it is not going to be as is. It will be remodeled and “rebuilt” for better flow of traffic. Anti-surface people need to keep that in mind.
Why can’t we use the philosophy behind Eminent Domain when it comes to accidents? Move the accidents out of the darn way quickly so that the rest of the city can go on with their day. I’m not sure what happened in todays accident, but get a tow truck in there ASAP and move it the heck out of the way.
Traffic jam? What traffic jam. I took the water taxi this morning.
It’s times like this that I’m glad I don’t work downtown anymore! (It’s been over 9 years now!) All I have to worry about are any delays to my bus that’s coming out of downtown. Like when the Mariners become my least favorite local sports team by having one of those stupid businessman’s special early weekday afternoon games that lets out during the afternoon rush.
On my last job, I worked at 35th & Fauntleroy, so each one of the 3 bus routes that would give me a one bus ride home were affected by M’s traffic.
I’d stand at the stop and wait……and wait……and wait…. and wish they’d keep the fans locked in the Ballpark until 6:00 pm or so when the normal rush traffic would be pretty well thinned out! :p
Mike
miws…..I’ve done it one better….I have worked at home for the last 2 years. I don’t listen to traffic reports, or worry aobut accidents unless I have a doc appt. up on pill hill, and then I go the back way, over to Beacon Hill, etc., etc. I love my commute…get up at 8am, 9am, shower, eat…see clients, walk to Safeway…not a bad way to live :) Now…if I could only get my daughter to move back to WS from Magnolia, I wouldn’t use the viaduct at all – lol…
The surface option is completely unrealistic, unless you live on capitol hill. There is no way your going to move the kind of traffic flowing over the viaduct by diverting them downtown with traffic lights and such.
Sorry, comment time is over.
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