TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: April’s first Monday

(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)

6:07 AM: Good morning! Welcome to the first Monday in April. Notes for today and beyond:

FERRY ALERT: 7:30 am-3 pm daily, today through Thursday, WSF warns of possible service delays on the Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth route because of work being done on a Vashon slip, explained as “dependent on the tides and must be completed during this time period.”

LAST WEEK OF WATER TAXI’S WINTER SCHEDULE: 7-day-a-week operations start this Friday; two days later, it’s the special ride-free-all-day celebration on Sunday.

WHO’S ON SPRING BREAK: Highline Public Schools, the district immediately south of Seattle (including White Center and Burien), is out all week; Seattle Public Schools and the Vashon Island School District have spring break next week.

VIADUCT CLOSURE? No start date yet, according to the WSDOT tunnel-machine update published here last Friday.

8:31 AM: One more note – tonight through Thursday night, WSDOT plans to close northbound 99 between the Battery Street Tunnel and Valley Street (lower Queen Anne) 10 pm-5 am nightly. So if you’re headed northbound from here on 99 during those hours, you’ll have to exit by Western.

8:46 AM: Josh sends word via Twitter that northbound Delridge is backed up to Kenyon. No word of crashes so we’re not sure about the cause yet.

supernova72 April 4, 2016 (9:12 am)

7:30am ish. I was approaching the 4th ave exit heading east if the left lane. About to change lanes to do so. I see a Saab convertible at the last second coming up at a high rate of speed. Just about took me out. Changed lanes two more times driving like a crazy person. Hope he/she didn’t cause an accident up near the freeway.

There was a late model subie behind me (orange). I was in a 2 series German car (silver).

Sunuva April 4, 2016 (9:41 am)

The Delridge NB backup was a result of the timing of the light at SW Orchard St intersection. The light was barely 10 seconds of green and only about six cars were making it through each cycle. Is this light malfunctioning or is this the way it’s going to be now? When I went through it took more that 20 minutes to get from Thistle to Orchard. This can’t be how it is supposed to work.

sam-c April 4, 2016 (11:26 am)

The light at Delridge/ Orchard has been screwed up a couple weeks now. I keep meaning to contact SDOT but ‘life’ has gotten in the way. I just started taking different routes to get around it.

Yes, I once was stuck at the light, going NB, backed up to Webster. It took 4 light cycles to get through the light. While getting gas at Shell, i watched the traffic at that intersection- Yes, only 6-7 cars at a time (or 5 cars and a bus). One of the problems with the light settings, that I’ve noticed, is that the SB left turn arrow from Delridge to Orchard turns green no matter if a person is waiting there- and the left turn arrow stays green for a really LONG time, holding up the green light for NB traffic.
- sam-c April 4, 2016 (11:28 am)
  
  (the time I waited through 4 light cycles was a weekday afternoon, around 5:15 pm)
- WSB April 4, 2016 (11:29 am)
  
  If anyone who has directly experienced this can please call SDOT at 206-684-ROAD … they do generally get somebody out to check things out … and who knows, it might just get fixed. Or if you use the Find It Fix It app, though I recommend the phone line. – TR
  - andrewwantcookie April 4, 2016 (2:25 pm)
    
    I’ve called in two issues and both were looked at and resolved within 2 weeks. The communication was fantastic as well.
    - sam-c April 8, 2016 (9:31 am)
      
      So, I sent an email to 684-ROAD yesterday day about this issue with the Delridge/ Orchard light. I made sure to emphasize the problem that the left turn arrow (from SB Delridge to EB Orchard) turned green every time, no matter a person waiting to turn, and stayed a green arrow for a very long time. The NB Delridge green seems to be shortened as a result. Traffic flow for NB Delridge seemed better this morning, with no back ups past police station (this was around 7:30) so maybe they fixed it already? But traffic in general seemed lighter today, so who knows ? I didn’t hear back on my email

KBear April 4, 2016 (9:49 am)

I noticed a motorcycle cop enforcing the bus lane on northbound 99 this morning. It’s about time! Maybe they could do Avalon, too.

chemist April 4, 2016 (12:27 pm)

Any idea what all the yellow traffic barrels currently on cam are for ? Doubt they’d shut down the WSB exits for the NB 99 closure at the Battery st tunnel.

WSB April 4, 2016 (12:46 pm)

View #3 looks like some unannounced gore-point work …
AMD April 4, 2016 (1:29 pm)

Twitter says it’s emergency road work.

https://twitter.com/seattledot/status/717067001856811008

For those with Twitter accounts, I highly recommend following @SeattleDoT. You won’t regret it.

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