Downtown street alert, for drivers who take The Viaduct home

Just in from SDOT: It’s a downtown alert, but if you take The Viaduct home and use Columbia Street to get to it, these might affect you – both delays today, and permanent changes – read on:

Drivers will encounter temporary lane closures on Columbia Street between Fourth and Second Avenues today until 3 p.m. while crews restripe the roadway. Columbia Street between Third and Second avenues may be totally closed to vehicles except Metro Transit during part of the day.

When the paving markings are completed, the far right hand lane on westbound Columbia Street between Second and Third will be a “bus only” lane; however, motor vehicles other than buses will still be able to use this lane to access the parking garage at that location. The “bus only” lane will reduce delays for buses serving the bus stop at this location and then entering the Alaskan Way Viaduct from Columbia Street.

Smitty January 27, 2011 (12:13 pm)

Those jack-weeds turning onto Columbia from 3rd always stick their noses across all three lanes anyway – resulting in Columbia backing up all the way past 5th.

This should be interesting.

Robyn January 27, 2011 (1:05 pm)

They also always block the parking garage access making it impossible to leave.

Ted January 27, 2011 (2:26 pm)

Now if we can just get the buses turning off of second onto Columbia to stop treating the middle lane on second as their own buses-only turn lane, I’d be happy.

JAT January 27, 2011 (2:30 pm)

By jackweeds do you mean the bus drivers? I sure hope not; they’ve got a tough row to hoe.

http://www.slate.com/id/2281782/

Smitty January 27, 2011 (2:47 pm)

I’m not sure why they don’t pick people up heading south on 3rd rather than on Columbia. They could then make the turn to Columbia and be on their way to the viaduct without blocking anything…..

Smitty January 27, 2011 (4:47 pm)

Understood, JAT. But they know what they’re getting into when they sign up – kind of like teachers.

Don’t pick a profession and then complain about it.

Oliver January 27, 2011 (5:37 pm)

The revisions to Columbia added an additional 15 minutes of sitting in traffic as people try to weave in and out of the new lanes. Completely moronic revision.

LB January 27, 2011 (7:12 pm)

The bus only lane isn’t the only revision. A bus only signal was added which allows buses to go through before regular traffic.

Smithy January 27, 2011 (8:22 pm)

Got stuck as well. One more half-brained government brilliant idea.

How best do we get this reversed?

Moose2 January 27, 2011 (9:02 pm)

Seems like a good idea, especially with the additional buses using that stop from Feb 5. It would be nice to also have bus priority on the lights when leaving the stop since buses have to merge into the middle lane to get onto the viaduct, and some drivers do not give the bus space to move over.

Smitty January 27, 2011 (9:32 pm)

Moose, why don’t they move the stop to sb third? Then, they could take the turn to Columbia and be in the correct lane to get onto the viaduct? Clogging up Columbia is ridiculous. We are all never, ever, ever going to all ride the bus, so why keep on trying to social engineer us to do so?

HC January 28, 2011 (4:39 pm)

My bus makes that turn onto Columbia from Third and they have to take all three lanes to make the turn, then they can get into the right lane. They have no choice. I agree, however, about the logic behind having the stop on Columbia vs. Third.

Sorry, comment time is over.