TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: How Monday’s going so far

(Live view from the only WS Bridge camera currently in operation; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:09 AM OVERVIEW: We’re continuing our new series of weekday reports providing a dedicated place each day to talk about traffic and transit – from road/bridge/highway/bus/bike-path (etc.) happenings, to big-picture issues, including what you’re seeing while riding Metro in the third week of RapidRide C Line and other changes (if you’re catching up, here are our Friday reports and yours). We’ll post updates as needed throughout the day; if you have something to report, you can comment here OR contact us any way that works for you. Speaking of issues – TONIGHT’s the night for the Sustainable West Seattle forum on transportation, with Metro, SDOT, city government leaders among others – 7 pm at the Senior Center of West Seattle in The Junction.

WEATHER OUTLOOK: The rain is taking a break as the morning commute begins. Breezy and wet is the outlook for afternoon.

5:01 PM UPDATE: Crash reported, with heavy-rescue response, on the westbound West Seattle Bridge, at or near the Delridge offramp. Separate story to come.

5:07 PM UPDATE: The crash is on Delridge itself, at the north end, by Station 36, according to scanner traffic, NOT on the bridge.

SudsyMaggie October 15, 2012 (6:59 am)

Chance of thunderstorms tonight!

Ixobbp October 15, 2012 (7:17 am)

7:14 C line from AK Jct. Open seats & no standing. Traffic seems heavy w/ 6 min to hwy 99.

Chris W October 15, 2012 (7:19 am)

So far, so good. On the 55 and nobody waiting for C line yet…

donofAdmiral October 15, 2012 (7:22 am)

0650 ish on bridge, RR had a few folks standing. traffic lighter than usual to me.

Chris W October 15, 2012 (7:43 am)

Transfer downtown worked as it should. Total time to SLU, 45 mins

wsea October 15, 2012 (8:03 am)

Lower bridge opened at 7:30. I was able to make it over as the bells were going off. Do you think they wait till its a heavy commute time to open them up?

timh2o October 15, 2012 (8:16 am)

7:08 C Line from AJ had to stand and it got crowded after that. Wish I could stand and read…

Chris Wells October 15, 2012 (8:30 am)

The 6:45 120 (Delridge & Andover) packed to the gills. Had to stand in front of the yellow line. Packed.

jedifarfy October 15, 2012 (9:00 am)

The 120 leaving Roxbury at 7 wasn’t as packed as normal, but the one before was a few minutes late, so I expect that one was jammed. Still people standing anyways.

circuitous October 15, 2012 (9:39 am)

Chris W, what routes did you take, and which stops did you use? I resorted to driving today but if I can get to work in 45 min (22/Barton > Eastlake/Aloha) – or even an hour – I’ll knock it off.
Jedifarfy, I have yet to try your suggestion from last week. When did you get downtown on the 7 am 120?

alex October 15, 2012 (9:58 am)

I really wish I knew why some days are better than others. Is it just a matter of that lower bridge being opened up, causing backups that divert traffic to the upper bridge? Or does it all stem from the condition of I5-N?
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Sometimes I think it’s like the butterfly effect. One single car on I5 blocks the thru lane by trying to cut in to the Seneca exit or the express lane, then a chain reaction of slowdowns happens behind him that extends all the way across the bridge and all our onramps. Or that doesn’t happen, and we get decent traffic.

Chris W October 15, 2012 (10:27 am)

Circuitous, I took 55 southbound from California, north of Alaska Junction. Got off at 3Rd and Union, caught 62 to Terry and Harrison.You can catch 62, 40, 5, 26 and 28 from there, but 40 and 62 are quickest if you can catch one. Best of luck!

East Coast Cynic October 15, 2012 (10:58 am)

Commuter Traffic usually lighter on Mondays. Tues through Thurs will be more of an acid test. And judging from the commutes on the 120, more of an acidic ride for others.

jedifarfy October 15, 2012 (12:12 pm)

circuitous, we got to 3rd and Pine about… 7:35, 7:40? Longer than normal with the heavier traffic, but seemingly far sooner than other routes, it sounds like! There was a streetcar waiting when I got down to 5th too (I don’t take it, but I walk by it daily).

Hock October 15, 2012 (3:55 pm)

Morning commute comment – 9:00 at Fauntleroy & Alaska had first bus packed. 2nd RRC came in 8 minutes and had seats available..many!! What a thrill!! Believe it was coach 6054.

wetone October 15, 2012 (3:59 pm)

Just curious as I was comming home today and saw a yellow school bus using the RR bus lane west bound up Alaska st not stopping or turning till Calif. Are they allowed to use lane same as metro ? How about van pools ?

Sue October 15, 2012 (4:41 pm)

Rapid Ride inefficiency at work: while standing at 3rd/Seneca for the 116, a C came by at 4:29, standing room only but not yet packed, followed by a C at 4:30 with half the seats full, followed by a C at 4:34 with about a dozen people on it. If they always came that often it would be great, but I’m betting there won’t be another for a while.

WSB October 15, 2012 (5:00 pm)

Alert: Crash reported on westbound bridge at or near Delridge offramp. Writing a separate story because it might be a big commute impact.
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EDIT – The crash is not ON the bridge, it’s on north Delridge behind Station 36. Rollover.

lil wash October 15, 2012 (6:13 pm)

I find that with the buses being crowded people loose their manners. I was on the 7:40am RR and had to stand with my broken foot (in a cast) along with the very pregnant girl next to me because nobody would give up their seat for us. I even asked the gentleman sitting if he would give his seat to the pregnant woman and he said no.

Steven V October 15, 2012 (7:00 pm)

Rode the RR-C this afternoon between 4:30 and 5:00 PM. People are still having trouble remembering to move toward the rear (or they just want to ignore the request).

Driver played the PSA asking riders to move toward the rear several times, yet the five people acting as a cork stayed near the front door, delaying boardings at the stops.

Remember, don’t be a “cork”… move to the rear.

Jeff Welch October 15, 2012 (7:25 pm)

I’ve given up on playing PSA’s asking people to move to the rear, or to use the rear doors on conventional routes. Too many people are deliberately ignoring them, defiantly refusing to be courteous to their fellow riders, or worse – treating the request as some kind of personal insult and verbally abusing me over it.

Jeff Welch October 15, 2012 (7:27 pm)

Wetone, yes, school buses can use bus lanes. They can also use bus stops. Not sure about van pools.

Mary E OConnor October 15, 2012 (8:08 pm)

Does anyone know why the 99 tunnel was closed tonight? I was coming from Queen Anne. Happened Saturday night as well.

WSB October 15, 2012 (8:17 pm)

Mary – that was yet another crash. I never even got a chance to post about it because of everything else that was going on. Am going to work on getting an automated feed of Twitter traffic reports to go with this so those things will appear – I believe SDOT and/or WSDOT at least mentioned it there.

West Seattle since 1979 October 15, 2012 (8:13 pm)

I hate to keep bringing this up, but I keep seeing conflicting comments. Every night I absolutely dread getting on the bus, because I’m afraid I’ll hurt my knee getting off.

I thought it was OK to get off at the front if you have a physical problem that might make it hard to get off with the high clearance that often happens at the back of articulated buses. I don’t look like I have a problem because I can walk fast as long as I don’t hurt my knee getting off the bus (or don’t have to stand up on the bus for awhile, which is another problem but I’m willing to wait for a bus that has a seat and I take a 21 local in the morning which always seems to have seats.)

Now I hear that people who get off the front are causing a problem. Because I don’t stand on the bus I don’t think I’m being a “cork” (great term), but I’m still afraid I’m causing a problem getting off the front, and the driver probably thinks I’m one of those people who refuse to change.

I don’t have the problem in the morning on the 21 local because others get off the front and there aren’t people standing. But tonight I took a 21X and people were standing, and I had to get off the front and it probably held up people getting on, even though I tried to go as quickly as possible.

What can I do? Like I said, this is getting to be a huge anxiety-producing problem. I don’t want to be a bad person, but I don’t want to hurt my knee again because I need to walk several blocks when I get off the bus. Does that make me terrible? Because I don’t look like I have problemns getting around, I’m sure the drivers thnk I’m faking or being a jerk by getting off the front.

And I’m wondering too if maybe a few (although I’m sure not all) of the other people getting off at the front may be having similar problems.

I guess we’re supposed to shout “back door clearance” if we’re at the back and need the floor lowered if we’re on a bus that even has a floor that lowers in the back, which I don’t think all of them have. But on a crowded bus, will the driver be able to hear?

West Seattle since 1979 October 15, 2012 (8:25 pm)

WSB, thanks for everything you do–I don’t know how you keep up with everything but you do and it’s wonderful.

Mary E OConnor October 15, 2012 (9:32 pm)

Thanks WSB for the info. And for the guy having trouble getting off the bus. I have bad knees too. Carry a cane even if you don’t need it. Not for getting off the bus necessarily but for getting a little sympathy from the driver and other passengers.

OldPink October 16, 2012 (5:41 am)

I grabbed the C at 2nd & Columbia Monday afternoon around 1:25 pm, it was standing room only (Mid day?) I no longer rely on the One Bus Away app. as it wafted between “7 min away” to “8 min away” for a solid 10 minutes. When it pulled up, app was at “8 min”. When I arrived at the junction app said 50 was 1 min away and 128 22 min away…I put my phone away only to look up and see the 128.

Sorry, comment time is over.