Some SDOT signs to show travel times starting Monday

Just announced by the city – as of Monday, some of its “dynamic messaging signs” around the city, including Fauntleroy/38th and 35th/Snoqualmie, will show travel times, like the ones you’ve probably noticed on freeways like I-5 for a while now. Here’s the official announcement. SDOT says the sign on Admiral Way will have travel times by the end of the month, and by next March, they’ll be on three Highway 99 signs as well as East Marginal Way. Starting Monday they’re promising expanded info online, too.

redblack October 15, 2010 (9:48 pm)

great news.
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but one thing i’ve noticed is that SDOT doesn’t have a mobile web presence.
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WSDOT’s mobile web traffic page covers I-5 and the major state highways, but the SDOT travellers’ information map is a better resource – if you have 1024×768 resolution. i.e. it covers 99 and the west seattle freeway, but you can’t access it on a small screen.
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as many gains as SDOT and seattle.gov have made lately, you’d think that they would have improved mobile web access to their traffic info resources.
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does anyone know of a link to city-level traffic conditions for small screens? or am i right in thinking that we’re not quite there yet?

WSB October 15, 2010 (9:58 pm)

RB, they’re supposed to have something for iPhones when this all launches. They sent screengrabs that I just didn’t get a chance to add to the story.

redblack October 15, 2010 (10:05 pm)

i don’t mean to complain; i know it has to be tough for government to keep up with everyone’s needs and/or wishes in a technologically dynamic city.
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but it should be noted that a lot of us use mobile web and don’t have apple i-whatevers.
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what can i say? it’s my boss’s decision to use verizon. (and touch screens don’t always work so well in construction environments.)

austin October 16, 2010 (8:47 am)

I was on I5 northbound during rush hour last night and a sign just south of 405 announced that it would be 50 minutes to Seattle! 20 minutes later I was home reflecting on how none of the new “Smart Highway” signs were on, except the big ones were displaying an “*”. It seems to me as if these signs are exceedingly inaccurate, if they’re running at all. How much did this cost, and who got fired over it? My guess is “Lots”, and “Nobody”.

redblack October 16, 2010 (9:00 am)

austin, those signs check one car’s license plate at point A, then check it again at point B to give the travel time. there are a number of possible reasons for an inaccurate display.
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i think it would help if the travel time signs were a little more specific. instead of just “seattle,” why not “seattle (exit 167)?”

austin October 16, 2010 (9:24 am)

I just assume they mean the Mercer exit but I agree it is a bit vague.
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The inaccurate time was little more than amusing because there was clearly no traffic that would cause such a delay and it’s always fun to get home a half hour before the robots tell you you will. The annoyance to me was that they have purchased these big new expensive signs straddling the interstate that not only aren’t being used but are almost entirely pointless when they are on. And no one seems to mind.

Sorry, comment time is over.