Getting home to West Seattle: Tracking the pm commute

(Scroll down for updates, and use the comment section to let us know how your commute goes/is going!)

(Refresh for latest pic from WS Bridge; more on the WSB Traffic page)
4:16 PM: As promised, we are tracking the commute home, given the morning gridlock blamed mostly on the “Get Motivated” event at KeyArena, and the city’s warning of a possible rerun-in-reverse since that event gets out just before 5. No problems so far. This will stay atop the home page till we’re sure the commute’ s no worse than usual, so scroll down as we continue to add new news BELOW this story.

4:44 PM: Some trouble spots – in red – are starting to show up on the city Travelers’ Info Map, which you can also use to check the travel times you see on those overhead signs. Find the map here. We have multiple reports that southbound 99 is backed up – all the way past the Battery Street Tunnel, according to a text we just received.

(Refresh for latest pic from 11th/Spokane, low-bridge-bound; more on the WSB Traffic page)
4:56 PM: The low bridge opened during this past half-hour – if you don’t usually go that way, do note that it DOES open for vessels during commute periods. A possible alternative for getting out of downtown is 4th Avenue South, which you can use to get to the 1st Avenue South Bridge, which in turn will take you to exits you can use to get into West Seattle via Highland Park Way, or Myers Way up to Roxbury.

5:45 PM: No news is good news – so far still no major problems reported. Slow, but not catastrophic. We’re continuing to monitor scanner, TV, radio, maps, Twitter, Facebook, comments, e-mail for anything to pass along.

6:42 PM: Looks like the commute has passed without anything resembling this morning. Not great, but not horrific. Nothing on the radar for tomorrow morning … so far!

Debbie June 7, 2011 (4:30 pm)

4:30 – The southbound viaduct through downtown is just at a crawl, and the backup on Columbia is almost to 5th Avenue.

flowerpetal June 7, 2011 (4:56 pm)

I’m on a 21E right now. Just got on the viaduct, a little slow moving but not horribly so. There are even few empty seats on the bus. Perhaps others went home even earlier.

flowerpetal June 7, 2011 (4:59 pm)

Now at Sodo and traffic is moving at the speed limit. Much ado about nothing (right now).

flowerpetal June 7, 2011 (5:02 pm)

35Th and Avalon in 6 minutes.

LAintheJunction June 7, 2011 (5:02 pm)

THANK YOU for updating the morning post to let us know the end time of the seminar. Thanks to that intel I left work in Ballard early at 4pm and got home at 4:45 via the viaduct. It was backed up from just south of the Queen Anne pedestrian bridge over 99 all the way through the lane closure south of the stadium. There’s also a growing backup *leaving* West Seattle, from I-5 all the way back to the 99NB exit off the WS Bridge.

Sue June 7, 2011 (5:17 pm)

I took the 4:41 54X from 3rd and Seneca. No more of a backup than a usual day (since the lost lane on 99), but the bus was far more packed than normal – guess a lot of ppeople left early.

Spamela June 7, 2011 (5:28 pm)

Took the 5:15 54x going to WS from Virginia. Backed up 2 blocks before Columbia. Moving pretty slowly. So far, 15 minutes to here.

rachel June 7, 2011 (5:37 pm)

On the 5 from Northgate which turns into the 54, sbound 99 was backed up north of the battery st tunnel. Downtown so far not too bad but we’ll see how it is at Columbia. @ 3rd and Bell now.

Spamela June 7, 2011 (5:47 pm)

1/2 hour to get from 3rd & Virginia onto the viaduct at Columbia on 54x. Not a normal commute!! :(

squareeyes June 7, 2011 (5:52 pm)

I decided to skip 99 south and got on I-5 southbound at Mercer. Took less time than usual to approach I-5 and an awesome commute on I-5 to the WS Bridge. I’m very happily surprised.

rachel June 7, 2011 (6:05 pm)

Just made in onto the viaduct, 25 min later. Which isn’t that much longer than usual. BUT, traffic absolutely crawling southbound. Not the worst ever, however. It’s just a slow commute day, about a 7.5 out of 10 (if 10 is the worst).

visitor June 7, 2011 (6:51 pm)

North Seattle to West Seattle, partly on Aurora, partly through downtown = 1 hour 35 minutes. GRRRR. It makes me wonder if SDOT has similar operations to SPS?

jvp June 7, 2011 (8:34 pm)

Left work at 5, went downtown for a stroll through Pike Market then a romantic dinner out. Left downtown at 7:15 and flew home to Westwood. Easiest commute ever and we missed all of the traffic. :)

SJ2 June 7, 2011 (9:29 pm)

Not nearly as bad as this morning. This morning it took me 1 hour and 50 minutes to get to my office, a whole 10 miles away in Fremont. Tonight it took 40 minutes to get home. Much better.

ALLEN June 8, 2011 (8:10 am)

I am surprised that there is not more intense reaction to yesterday’s traffic debacle. I could not make it to work on time so lost pay yesterday. Things are not good financially right now and yet I must give up my $$ pay check because some big shots came into town and ruined my day!! I wonder how many others lost money yesterday by not making it into work.

RobertSeattle June 8, 2011 (10:04 am)

Admiral way was a little busier than normal at 7:20 AM but after “the merges” it seemed pretty normal.

East Coast Cynic June 8, 2011 (10:51 am)

Allen, I suspect the reason for the lack of intense reaction is many of us West Seattlites realize that the city and county has no plan whatsoever to relieve the problem of commuting congestion for us and any complaining from us will not result in any solutions.

But we do have Rapid Ride coming in 2012 to save the day:) (He chuckles)

Sorry, comment time is over.