Be like Greg

West Seattle’s Most Famous PoliticianÃ‚Â announced today that he is planning to cope with Freeway Fright ’07 by, among other things, telecommuting and taking some time off. If you can’t work from home, how about a wi-fi-equipped coffeehouse?Ã‚Â Suggests Hizzoner, “Fill up, log in, and chill out.” If you just can’t avoid driving, take note that some alternate routes will get special treatment, like First Avenue South heading north from The Bridge into downtown. Remember, you can check commute cams before you leave, through our WS “Live” Cams page. We’ll bring you more details on alternate routes in the days before FF ’07 hits; for now, here’s the official WSDOT project page. (We would be negligent also not to take this opportunity to re-remind you of an unrelated WS project that’s now just days away, the intense phase of Admiral repaving.)

T August 1, 2007 (4:35 pm)

Believe it or not, MOST of us worker bees don’t have telecommuting as an option. Not because our employers can’t live without our smiling faces…it’s because the majority of them really believe an employee can’t be trusted to actually do the work unless they are being monitored, no matter how their performance has been…it’s very sad. I’ll be fighting my way onto the water taxi like many others. At least we’ll have a nice view on the commute! :)

ms_f August 1, 2007 (4:55 pm)

And some of us (like me) HAVE to take our family members to medical appointments at UWMC. And since my husband is battling a serious illness, we can’t take the water taxi or a bus. There is absolutely no getting around it. And since we live right off of Admiral, it will be a double (or is that a triple) nightmare. I can’t wait for it all to be over. Thanks so much to WSB for posting the commute tips.

GenHillOne August 1, 2007 (5:35 pm)

Watching this unfold (perhaps from “fatigue cracking”), suddenly the I-5 maintenance sounds a bit more important…still highly annoying, but important.

http://www.kirotv.com/news/13801620/detail.html

WS Junctionite August 1, 2007 (7:32 pm)

As a City of Seattle employee and West Seattle resident it is hard to hear that Mayor Nickels will be doing some telecommuting during the I-5 shutdown when telecomuting has not also been presented as an option to most other City staff, even those of us who work for the DOT.

LyndaB August 1, 2007 (7:58 pm)

i take the bus to work at UWMC almost everyday. i can’t imagine how much i’ll be impacted especially transferring thru downtown. i guess we’ll see.

Admiral Janeway August 1, 2007 (9:36 pm)

I wonder how many commuters will change their driving routine for the impending freeway mess. My workplace is offering mass transit (bus & train) reimbursements during those 19 days.

K August 2, 2007 (6:06 am)

thanks for keeping us up to date. i wish telecommuting options were for all and not just a select few, but we will forge ahead and do what we can. your updates are very helpful. tips from drivers once this mess gets underway would be great too. let’s all try to help each other for this 3 week debacle.

Jen V. August 2, 2007 (6:24 am)

Mayor Nickels is completely and utterly out of touch with most of the population of the city he is supposed to represent. He apparently thinks that everyone in Seattle works a white collar job or that they can afford to take a 19 day vacation. Yes, maybe if we were all fat-cat politicians taking grift instead of actually working. First he tries to sell out West Seattle, then shows himself to be an elitist turd. Way to go, Nickel-n-dime!

flipjack August 2, 2007 (9:51 am)

Thanks for the advice Mayor Gridlock! I’m defrosting my pork chops now, mmmm, care to join me? This is going to be the best excuse ever to sit back and watch my neckline thickin at the expense of taxpayers. mmm lard.

Jiggers August 2, 2007 (11:47 am)

When’s the next time we get to vote the Mayor out of office?

Frank August 2, 2007 (2:30 pm)

Next year Jiggers.

But be wary of those who count the votes – King County Elections Office.

These are the same yahoos who kept “finding” ballots during the second recount of the 2004 Gov election and who are purposely delaying the outcome of I-25 (Director of Elections in King County elected instead of appointed) by verifing EVERY single signature instead of using the State approved “sample” method, which they have used for every other initiative in the past.

IMO there is a very disturbing cabal between the Mayor and County Exec.