Comments on: West Seattle snow: Sunday morning updates and photos

By: WSB

WSB — Mon, 10 Feb 2014 04:17:20 +0000

In reply to Todd.

Sorry, Todd, I just checked again and that’s what Cary Kemp said in his note to us this morning (the only restaurateur who contacted us to announce OPEN!) – 11 am to 8 pm. Apologies, but we’re only as good as the info we get … TR

By: Todd

Todd — Mon, 10 Feb 2014 02:56:15 +0000

Went for dinner at quadrato about 5:30 and it is actually not open.

By: OrigJLO

OrigJLO — Mon, 10 Feb 2014 00:38:41 +0000

I was one of those stranded downtown waiting a RapidRide. The electronic signs kept stating a C was coming. Asking other operators if they were going to West Seattle, they only replied no. One would think that they would share the information that they *must* have received from base about no operations. Or did Base not tell the operators what was going on either? Finally, I was going to take a 21 and walk a couple miles home. That bus never arrived either. At that time it was apparent that no bus would be going to West Seattle. I walked around for blocks, with a bag of groceries, trying to hail different cars/cabs. None would go to West Seattle. I did make it home by virtue of a wonderful friend with an SUV (we had no problems on the road). Now, I don’t fault Metro for bringing buses back to base to get chains. That makes sense. But NO buses came through with chains in the 2.5 hours I was there.
And Metro: there are alternative routes you could have used to get us at least to West Seattle to walk to the other shuttles that were operating. Not all riders have smartphones, too! Keep that in mind. We cannot all know what decisions you are making. But your operators CAN let the huge gathering of passengers, asking you about trips to a particular section of the city, know that no ride would be coming, so at least we could try to find someplace to sit in warmth until morning.

By: al

al — Sun, 09 Feb 2014 21:22:01 +0000

The ymca. Is open. Hot tubs felt great

By: flipjack

flipjack — Sun, 09 Feb 2014 20:33:52 +0000

To Brake Safely Down Snow covered streets SHIFT DOWN IN TO LOW GEAR and let the engine do the slowing…..DO NOT USE YOUR BREAKS ON SNOW and ICE
If Your Wheels Lock Up ie by using your breaks, You Have NO CONTROL. SHIFT In LOW GEAR and Lightly use breaks sparingly AND COUNTER STEER AS NEEDED,
HOPE THAT MAKES SENSE! Just to say”SLOW DOWN” is not good advice because people think that means USE BREAKS.

By: CBurns

CBurns — Sun, 09 Feb 2014 20:16:28 +0000

Just walked over to that 35th-to-37th portion of Thistle and folks seem to be going up and down that section just fine, ignoring the “snow closure” sign at 37th. Nice to see traffic seems to be flowing no problem on 35th.

By: sam-c

sam-c — Sun, 09 Feb 2014 19:23:09 +0000

oh, I think the maps are right, and very helpful, but they haven’t bothered to move the street closure signs after they cleared the road. (at least in Sylvan’s case.)

oh, and just inconsistent signage overall. for example (at 8:00 am), holden did not have any street closure signs at Delridge, but there were some street closure signs on Holden at 35th. and some guy near Holden / 35th was shoveling and waved and smiled at us with this smile that sad “hey- dumb-%#%%, don’t you know you’re driving on a closed road?”
well, it wasn’t closed at Delridge and we made it fine.

By: WSB

WSB — Sun, 09 Feb 2014 19:10:27 +0000

In reply to sam-c.

Sam, good point, the map is certainly not the complete guide to everything, which is why we SO appreciate people continuing to share firsthand reports. I think the city is still working out the bugs – this might be the most snow we’ve had since they created the map a few years ago. Back in the 2008 two-week snow blitz, Alice Enevoldsen of “Skies Over West Seattle”/Alice’s Astro Info fame volunteered to make Google Maps based on what people were reporting – as we were reminiscing last night on Twitter… check it out at 12:31 am on this archive story: https://westseattleblog.com/2008/12/west-seattle-snow-continues-saturday-night-updates/

By: sam-c

sam-c — Sun, 09 Feb 2014 18:54:16 +0000

thank you for posting the links to the SDOT plowed/ salted routes. it is interesting that they don’t seem to be coordinated with the street closures. for example, Sylvan way was listed as plowed, it looked perfectly fine, but it was blocked off by snow closure signs. on the other hand, across Delridge, from Sylvan (basically an extension of the same road), Orchard is covered, icy, but still manageable w/ 4WD. unfortunately, that’s the only way out of Puget ridge…. and it is blocked off w/ street closure signs.

and certainly, Oregon/22nd/21st Dawson is not going to be any better than Orchard and it’s much steeper. will police ticket you for going around street closure signs? even if they’ve closed all the streets out of your neighborhood?

By: Kgdlg

Kgdlg — Sun, 09 Feb 2014 18:48:03 +0000

Just left WS for Shoreline and no problems. Just go slow on side roads. The bus comment brought me back to the Nickels snowmagedden when it took me 8 hours to bus and walk to work on cap hill. Dreadful.

By: Admiral Janeway

Admiral Janeway — Sun, 09 Feb 2014 18:08:26 +0000

The Farmer’s Market looked 75% full when I walked by at 9:00.
I saw families sledding in the Madison Middle School playground.

By: CandrewB

CandrewB — Sun, 09 Feb 2014 18:05:40 +0000

Every time there is snow, Metro turns into a basket case. It is as sure as death and taxes. The worst advice you can give is to take transit.

By: CBurns

CBurns — Sun, 09 Feb 2014 18:00:22 +0000

P.S. Looks like many of the main arterials are looking clear, just wet, but our hilltop side street I think looks dicey. Have any tried navigating sides in that Highland Park area, Southern, Elmgrove, Rose, etc? Curious about morning conditions relative to trying to get somewhere later…..

By: CBurns

CBurns — Sun, 09 Feb 2014 17:43:29 +0000

That couple blocks of Thistle that I see now are closed is exactly the portion we tried getting up last night around 9:30 — seemed a better bet than our own street, Rose. Made it about halfway, thankfully no crashing as we skidded and parked safely on a side street. The last couple blocks to our house are always the toughest in this white stuff.

By: sna

sna — Sun, 09 Feb 2014 17:39:11 +0000

I had to laugh at the Seattle DOT tweet this morning recommending people take transit if they need to travel. Taking the bus seems to be a total gamble when it snows between waiting for hours in the cold or getting stuck. I remember it taking 7 hours to get home from downtown to West Seattle a few years ago.