TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Thursday updates; weekend previews; streetcar scene for ‘Throwback Thursday’

(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Nothing out of the ordinary so far in today’s outbound commute.

SATURDAY NIGHT VIADUCT CLOSURE: According to Metro’s alert for Saturday night’s Seafair Pirate Run and Torchlight Parade downtown, the northbound Alaskan Way Viaduct will be closed for about an hour – time approximate but the race runs approximately 6:30-7:30 pm – and the southbound side won’t be affected at all. Remember that the parade itself spans the length of downtown, Seattle Center to the International District, mostly on 4th Avenue, and that will result in closures for most of the evening.

ADDED 8:05 AM – TRAFFIC THROWBACK THURSDAY: From the Seattle Municipal Archives, dated August 1916, a streetcar scene, identified only as Donald Street:


Click the photo to go to its page on the SMA site. We believe this is North Admiral, as maps show Donald St. only in the Hamilton Viewpoint vicinity.

7 Replies to "TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Thursday updates; weekend previews; streetcar scene for 'Throwback Thursday'"

  • Ted July 23, 2015 (8:23 am)

    If you look at some of the old maps the city has you will see the part of what we now call Califormia Ave. SW that runs from Hamilton down to Harbor Ave. used to be call Donald Street. I’m pretty sure this is from that part of the street. All that is left of Donald is the short stretch from California to 44th.

  • jissy July 23, 2015 (8:37 am)

    Yes, we are looking south on California — what is now Hamilton Viewpoint is on the left, and the stairs at the top of the street coming up from the beach would now be on the right. That second right turn coming up from Alki on Calif. is currently Donald Street (it was on my WS Herald route back in the day)! SO COOL!!!

    • WSB July 23, 2015 (8:46 am)

      Glad to have expert observations – I love these discussions and felt bad about not including a pic the past few Thursdays so rustled something up fast. So that’s after the bend following Hamilton Viewpoint, headed down toward Seacrest, I’d know that slope anywhere. Interesting that it used to have a streetcar track.

  • Another neighbor July 23, 2015 (9:06 am)

    Bring back the streetcar!! It could provide transportation up and down California to and from the water taxi.

  • Fauntleroy Fun July 23, 2015 (11:12 am)

    I’m a bit confused. Is Hamilton Viewpoint that small park on the right of CA Ave just before you head down to the beach? If yes, isn’t this picture taken from half way down CA Ave to the beach with the viewpoint on the RIGHT and up that steep slope above the streetcar? And that would put the water down the slope to the left, if I’m oriented correctly. Which is the opposite of jissy suggests?

    Or am I spun around somehow?

  • Sna July 23, 2015 (12:02 pm)

    I believe you’re looking south on California Way — the big hill that leads from Harbor Ave up to Hamilton Viewpoint. You can see the curve in Harbor Way in the distance. It also looks like people in the picture are looking at a fresh slide across the road

  • Lynda July 23, 2015 (4:41 pm)

    Heading down todays Calif. Way just after the big curve. The later Hamilton Viewpoint is to the right up the hill in the picture. That hill or most of it was was reduced by water sluicing in other pics on the Muni site to what it looks like today.

Sorry, comment time is over.