TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Monday info

(Live view from the west-facing WS Bridge camera; other cameras are on the WSB Traffic page)
6:03 AM: Happy Monday! One traffic note for today – while the current phase of the Delridge repaving work does NOT require detours, related work on SW Orchard east of Delridge will require traffic to alternate use of a single lane every day this week – here’s the announcement.

9:09 AM: Again today, commenters have mentioned an SPD motorcycle officer stationed – standing – by the exit lane to northbound 99, watching for bus-lane violators. “Like a sentry,” as Joe put it, sending this photo:

Joe took the photo as his RapidRide bus passed.

JoeB July 29, 2013 (8:44 am)

SPD is ticketing those in the bus lane on the west side of the bridge again.

PJ July 29, 2013 (8:52 am)

Just want to warn eastbound bridge commuters about a police checkpoint for what appeared to be bus lane violations. I saw a motorcycle cop parked to the right side at the bottom of the bridge where the bus lane ends. He pointed at a car and made it pull over next to the parked motorcycle. Then it looked like he started writing a ticket/citation. I’m not sure if the car was in the bus lane but I can’t think of what else it could be.

He’s probably gone by now but maybe the police will be back writing more tickets later so stay in the correct lanes.

WSB July 29, 2013 (9:06 am)

Thanks, PJ. I just received a photo I’ll be adding. I believe this was discussed in comments last week. – TR

rico July 29, 2013 (9:46 am)

Why are posters on here providing a warning about this? I assume you are in support of violating bus lane restrictions? Next logical statement about such posters is they must be bus lane violaters themselves.

WSB July 29, 2013 (10:08 am)

Police have said time and time again they would much rather have people know there’s a special enforcement patrol and slow down/stay in the proper lanes, than have people break the law and thereby risk others’ lives and safety. Would be great if everyone just followed the law in the first place, whether there’s an enforcement patrol or not, but if this is what it takes to get people thinking twice before breaking the law, thanks to those sharing the information. – TR

Tony July 29, 2013 (10:22 am)

If Joe took that photo from his RapidRide bus, then it appears that the RapidRide buses are once again breaking the law and illegally merging through the gore point.

Joe: Have you reported the driver of your route this morning for an illegal merge?

I fully support the enforcement of the bus lane, but I wish that SPD would enforce the law equally and ticket bus drivers making illegal and erratic lane changes. The potential for damage is huge with such large vehicles, and it is disappointing to see photo evidence of an office shirking his duty.

Best,

Tony

McFail July 29, 2013 (10:26 am)

Would have been funny if Labor & Industries wrote him a ticket – doesn’t seem appropriate for him stand that close to traffic without the proper visible safety precautions… lights, neons, etc -but maybe there are exceptions.

JanS July 29, 2013 (10:29 am)

I was headed to Beacon Hill about 8:15am, and watched as he nabbed someone. People, if you see the guy standing there (and he is VERY visible), why do you still do it?

rico July 29, 2013 (10:43 am)

Short sited thinking by the police. Sure the warning may prevent the illegal activity for the day/week enforcement occurs, but those people who rely on warnings to change their illegal activities will only do so until the enforcement period passes. But if there were significant implications to the illegal activity (large fines not waived by overly sympathetic judges) then maybe people will change.

todd_ July 29, 2013 (10:53 am)

Good point Tony. I’ve long wondered if buses have an exception to the illegal to merge through the gore point law. A lot of regular vehicles treat gore points as merge lanes all over metropolitan Seattle. Very annoying, dangerous, and illegal. Buses are no exception.
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I’m glad the SPD is enforcing the bus lane.. I hope the police focus on the illegal to cross double white line area next.

Cowpie July 29, 2013 (10:56 am)

@Tony, We don’t know if the bus Joe was on entered late by crossing the gore (a triangle formed by solid lines). That picture was taken driving by the officer while in the exit lane to 99.
I like to see an officer there…ticket those that are illegal and beleive they are above others.

Tony July 29, 2013 (11:04 am)

@Cowpie For a passenger on the bus to be near perpendicular to the left hand lane marker for the exit lane at that point in the bridge, the bus would have to be taking a dramatic last second turn over the gore point. See the first photo in the article for a reference shot.

coffee July 29, 2013 (11:06 am)

The SPD should patrol both sides of the bridge daily. Its a gold mine of tickets waiting to be issued….

4thGenWestSide July 29, 2013 (11:07 am)

I wish the SPD would plop a cop down around the 4th Ave. exit and nail people cutting in to the I-5 north bumper to bumper lane. It is so blatant and common now.

dsa July 29, 2013 (11:07 am)

As noted above, it does appear the bus from which the picture was taken did cross the gore. That is a traffic infraction and the cop ignored it.

Tony July 29, 2013 (11:10 am)

@coffee Hear, hear, though I wish they would adjust the first limit on the first stretch of the bridge. 60 to 35 to 45 doesn’t make much sense; why not 45 across the whole thing? Going the speed limit on that part is dangerous due to people coming up behind you still doing 60, and the lack of any enforcement means you have to speed or crash. Very annoying, don’t see why they can’t raise the limit to something reasonable and then enforce the hell out of it.

Joe Szilagyi July 29, 2013 (11:14 am)

@Tony as far as I’m aware the driver was camped in the proper line for a good while. I had plenty of time to take that photo and had to angle my iphone at a severe degree to try to minimize the glare off of the nice clean bus windows (that was the best I could do). The traffic at that point was backed up westbound from the cop by at least I would guesstimate 10-14 car lengths.

enough July 29, 2013 (11:14 am)

Seems like most buses that use the bus lane cut in at the last minute to the 99 North ramp across the gore point. I’m sure 99% of people driving east in the morning see this at least once each morning. I know I do.
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Keep up the good work SPD :) They should enforce the “illegal to cross double white line” area and gore points at the I 5 North on ramp.

Joe Szilagyi July 29, 2013 (11:17 am)

“But if there were significant implications to the illegal activity (large fines not waived by overly sympathetic judges) then maybe people will change.”

Do you get points on your license for this, reported to your insurance vendor automatically? That’s probably what it would take.

pupsarebest July 29, 2013 (11:19 am)

We need lots more “sentry”s out there, ticketing drivers for cell phone violations, and the violation mentioned above by 4thGenWestSide.

enough July 29, 2013 (11:27 am)

Just FYI folks, as you have probably noticed, SPD has been there several times each week for the past month or so. Give them a reason to leave, follow the law.

Smitty July 29, 2013 (12:18 pm)

I can always tell when they are there, ticketing because traffic is so slow and backed up to the steel mill.

Summer traffic is always a breeze except when they are there.

TM July 29, 2013 (1:45 pm)

I think it’s great that they have kept a semi-regular presence there during the morning commute, high five to them. I have seen folks blasting down the bus lane too often, at speeds that would provide no room for error if another driver decided to switch lanes lower on the bridge. To me that’s the main issue, safety. Although I do also appreciate them reining in folks who are pulling the “cheater move” with a late merge in order to skip the line.

Anonymous July 29, 2013 (1:52 pm)

Yup, same guy is there every morning. Or at least he has been for the past 2 weeks. Saw him pull over 3 cars on my way to work this morning. Today I made the wrong choice of trying to take 99, and by the time we got to the bus lane traffic suddenly stopped moving, but you know, I left a little late today and should’ve just assumed 1st ave would’ve been faster. Had to wait in line for a pretty long time while I watched two cars try to sneak across and got pulled over. It’s worth waiting in traffic instead of risking getting a ticket. If you don’t need to take 99, don’t take it. Just assume 1st ave or 4th will be faster. That’s my advice for the day haha.

kjb July 29, 2013 (2:26 pm)

I agree with 4thGenWestSbe they need to be by the 4th ave exit also – there are ALOT of cutters especially big trucks that wait till the very end to get over and it slows everyone down!

fiz July 29, 2013 (2:42 pm)

There were numerous vehicles in the bus lane this morning, from the lower Spokane Street on-ramp nearly to the motorcycle officer. Lots of last-second lane jumping too. Apparently some drivers think they are more special than the rest of us.

I was glad to see him pulling over violators.

schwaggy July 29, 2013 (2:52 pm)

Remove the bus lane.

WSlifer July 29, 2013 (3:57 pm)

@schwaggy I agree.

Smitty July 29, 2013 (4:17 pm)

In an effort to reduce congestion and have people utilize the least congested route they should allow changing (not travel in) lanes past the crest.

You basically have four options to travel northbound. 99, 1st ave, 4th ave, and I-5. Yet we have to choose (gamble) on 99 vs the others before seeing the congestion. And no, traffic cams never tell the entire story.

let them swim July 29, 2013 (4:22 pm)

Remove all tractors and trailers off high-rise.
Rush hour buses great.
Remove non rush hour buses.
Add motocycles,van pools,three-people vehicles(i.e. car pools) to Bus Lane Only. It sure can’t hurt to try something different because, the way it is, it’s not working. Or is it?

AE July 29, 2013 (6:15 pm)

People who only obey the law when they know they might get ticketed deserve a ticket. I would prefer not to warn them! Let them get ticketed. If they want to use the bus lane, they can … wait for it … TAKE THE BUS.

riverview July 29, 2013 (8:21 pm)

3 houses in my area have been burglarized, and I’m supposed to be happy about a cop busting bus lane violators? There are better ways to spend our money than traffic cops.

soosan July 29, 2013 (10:23 pm)

I was in the middle lane this morning, just crested the hill and was saying to my out-of-towner Dad that the 99 congestion sign at the top of the bridge is useless because by the time you see it, you can’t change your decision between 99 and 1st/4th/5 without crossing the bus lane.

Just then, a guy in a little beige car crested the hill in the I-5 north lane and screeched his brakes next to us to barely stop from hitting the people ahead of him. Then he sped out behind us and zoomed down the bus lane, trying to get past everyone waiting in the 99 queue before slipping over…and slipped right into the waiting arms of the sentry.

So yeah, I was happy to see the sentry this morning.

And I would be happier still if I knew what was up on 99 before it was too late to act on it.

datamuse July 29, 2013 (10:57 pm)

…am I the only person that checks traffic reports and Google Maps’ nifty congestion feature before I go somewhere?

Tracy White July 30, 2013 (7:42 pm)

Apparently yes, Datamuse. Google maps on my home computer and phone is in heavy use for me due to all of the driving I need to do!
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@ riverview – finding stolen goods doesn’t generate revenue for the city the way traffic violations does. ;)

Sorry, comment time is over.