TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Wednesday updates; Highland Park Way/Holden crash, no serious injuries

(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:31 AM: As we start today’s traffic watch, crews are headed to a crash reported at Austin/Holden, which the map shows as at the top of the Highland Park Way hill. Separate story possible, depending on what we find at the scene. Updates here in the meantime.

7:44 AM: Our crew is at the intersection (photo above). Two cars; traffic is getting around in all directions, but slowly. Medics are checking out two people.

(Photo courtesy @slightlynorth via Twitter)
7:52 AM: No one will need to be taken to the hospital, we’re told at the scene. At some point tow trucks will be brought in to clear the damaged vehicles, so this will still be slow going for a while.

8:14 AM: Seattle Fire has cleared the scene but police are still there, awaiting the tow trucks, and have asked dispatchers to find out how much longer they’ll be waiting.

8:50 AM: No update from that scene – we’ll have to go back for a look later (no traffic cameras in the area). Meantime, in comments, trouble on the bridge. And from Washington State Ferries, official word is now in that the long-planned Vashon dock project starts Friday morning, which means effects along the route:

Starting at 7:30 a.m., Friday, July 31, construction to seismically upgrade the 60-year-old Vashon ferry dock will begin. During construction, vehicles will not be allowed to wait on the dock. Southworth-bound vehicles will stage in the right lane of 103rd Ave. SW, the left lane will remain open to one-way through traffic. Fauntleroy-bound vehicles will be staged on Vashon Highway SW. Motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians will be able to wait for ferries at the terminal building. Motorcycles heading to Southworth or Fauntleroy may access the dock from 103rd Ave. SW. Flaggers stationed at the terminal entrance will direct traffic and assist ADA customers with drop-off and pick-up.

For more on this, see the WSF bulletins.

9:05 AM: Thanks to the texter who just told us the Highland Park Way/Holden crash scene is now completely clear.

Shawn July 29, 2015 (7:41 am)

My wife watched the Holden/HPW crash happen this morning while she was on the other corner waiting for the bus. Classic crash for that intersection; person turning left from Holden not yielding to person turning left from Highland Park Way.

Happy Wednesday July 29, 2015 (8:42 am)

Rear end accident, left lane eastbound bridge just before 1st Ave. 2 cars.

WSB July 29, 2015 (8:49 am)

Thanks. Nothing on SDOT or SFD channels about this so far.

Gurlonabike July 29, 2015 (8:48 am)

This morning was another dangerous morning! I am unfortunately not surprised an accident happened. There was a back up on Holden so people were cutting though side streets in a rush. I was riding my bike and a VW Golf came speeding up behind me then sped past me. It can not be soon enough before we get some improvements around this area! I just hope it’s before someone is seriously injured or killed! People slow down! Your life is not any more important then the next person!

datamuse July 29, 2015 (8:54 am)

Shawn, I’ve almost been in that exact crash a few times. People turning left from Holden don’t seem to realize that 9th/Highland Park Way doesn’t have a stop sign–or else they turn into the far right lane instead of the closer left-hand one. That intersection so needs to be re-done. (I’m partial to the traffic circle idea myself.)

LB July 29, 2015 (9:38 am)

Something happened at Fauntleroy and Alaska this morning. When I went through there around 6:15 there was a police car (might have been two cars), tow truck and a single vehicle with damage.

PangolinPie July 29, 2015 (10:03 am)

I was on the same bus as your wife, Shawn. I hate that intersection. I hold my breath every time I have to turn onto Holden from HP Way, stare intensely at whoever is waiting to turn left off Holden, and quietly beg them “Please see me! Please make eye contact!”

forgotmyname July 29, 2015 (10:06 am)

@Shawn – Yeee-ield? I’m sorry, what’s that? This is Seattle – yielding is for the other drivers. That’s what the sign means “They will yield for you”. Just like when my lane ends – everyone in the lane that continues must stop to let me in so I don’t have to slow down, put on my turn signal, or even look over my shoulder. Yield? Please. Go back to where ever you’re from that this “yield” deal is a thing. Next thing you know you’ll be claiming that you can’t be excused for causing (or nearly causing) a wreck with a hand wave either.

newnative July 29, 2015 (11:08 am)

Hand waving used to mean hello or thanks or sorry for what I did. Now it usually means, hey I am going to cut you off and violate your right of way. All the time at California and admiral.

BlairJ July 29, 2015 (11:33 am)

This is why I like the roundabout proposal for the intersection of HP Way & Holden. 2nd choice for me would be a stoplight. The current configuration is not working for the volume of traffic coming across Holden.

Alan July 29, 2015 (11:41 am)

@forgotmyname – Seattle used to be where you would go to find people who would yield, hence PEMCO’s
“Go”, “No you go” commercials. That seems to have changed recently.

“If you run into an a**hole in the morning, you ran into an a**hole. If you run into a**holes all day, you’re the a**hole.” -Raylan Givens, Justified

I used to love that quote from the show “Justified”. Now when I go out driving, I think that I must be the a**hole.

HPMom July 29, 2015 (2:31 pm)

I live in that little neighborhood that’s up in the woods just south of that intersection, up Austin Street. What people don’t often recognize (or give a hoot about) is that we residents are also pulling out into traffic from Austin. It seems more often than not cars that are travelling east on Holden and turning left onto HP Way pay us no mind; they create dangerous situations because they don’t even look to see if someone is coming out of the neighborhood. I’m always extremely careful and always give drivers the right of way since they’re on an arterial and I’m not, but even so … many drivers don’t pay attention at all. This is why I ALWAYS leave our neighborhood via Othello Street a little further down the hill. At least then I don’t have to worry about someone being oblivious and crashing into me. I really hope they make a traffic revision before someone is critically injured.

pw45 July 29, 2015 (4:56 pm)

that’s also why everyone coming down holden should just take the residential side streets and race down them to get ahead of ten whole cars backed up….. oh wait, that’s already what you do

Alan July 30, 2015 (8:20 am)

pw45 – You forgot to tell them, should they find themselves within a car length or two of the stop sign, to be sure and honk. It will make it harder for the person in front to make a good decision on when to go and they will feel compelled to try and thread a needle that they shouldn’t. Good fun.

Stacy July 30, 2015 (11:38 am)

This intersection is horrible and this isn’t the first accident to occur here. I guess it will take someone dying for anyone to do anything about it. There needs to be a light or something!?

Alan July 31, 2015 (8:52 am)

@Stacy – There is an effort in the works, though it is slow.
https://westseattleblog.com/2015/02/highland-park-action-committee-about-the-roundabout/

While West Seattle has become much more populated, the roads out have not changed. This route is one of the few ways out of West Seattle and is becoming much more heavily used.

Beyond this intersection, the entire corridor needs to be looked at.

Southbound 16th near Austin is being treated as unmarked 2 lanes, as people continuing south try to position themselves to be on the right and people coming up Austin try to get into the left. There should be a left-turn lane (if not a light) southbound 16th @ Holden. For now, it is a mess.