VIADUCT CLOSURE, DAY 7: Thursday morning traffic & transit updates

(SDOT MAP with camera/incident links; OFFICIAL #99CLOSURE INFOSITE; ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)

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

5:04 AM: Good morning! Welcome to the last day of the first week of the Viaduct closure. Since last Friday, the tunneling machine has dug 175 feet of the 385-foot distance it needs to go to be clear of the Viaduct’s underside – that’s the total as of about an hour ago.

5:19 AM: We’ve looked all around and so far this morning, no crashes or incidents. The big theme at yesterday’s briefing with city, county, and state traffic/transit reps was “don’t go back to your old ways” (as well as, thanks for what you’ve been doing to ease things so far).

5:40 AM: Still wide open out there. We’ll have someone out at Seacrest again this morning to see how the Water Taxi runs are going – usage has remained well above previous levels but with room for more. Here’s the schedule.

6:01 AM: The high bridge is starting to look busy. (Added) So does KING 5’s helicopter view of I-5 NB, just north of the West Seattle Bridge.

6:12 AM: Reminder if you didn’t catch our update last night – sometime today, between peak periods, SDOT will stripe the new crosswalk at Avalon/Yancy.

6:22 AM: Sunshine at the Water Taxi dock (and tomorrow’s forecast is even sunnier):

Our photo shows part of the line for the first sailing of the day, which we’re told had 100 on board, up from 95 yesterday. Meantime, scanner mentions some backup at Spokane/East Marginal Way (checking on whether that’s truck traffic for the port terminals). And thanks to Paul for today’s first commute report.

6:33 AM: The bridge backup is really kicking in.

6:56 AM: The 6:45 West Seattle Water Taxi run is down from the past few days, 137 passengers, just about half the capacity. On the bridge, it’s busy but not backed up to the Fauntleroy end yet.

7:02 AM: Heard a little more (via scanner) about Spokane/Marginal – it’s trucks backed up waiting to get into Terminal 46. Here’s the live camera view; here’s a screengrab from a moment ago:

Police are on scene making sure the intersection’s not blocked and monitoring for safety issues (busy bicycle route, among other things).

7:13 AM: Remember our discussion here the other day about cars cutting under the bridge and turning left onto Avalon just before the bridge ramp? Just heard a dispatch for SPD to check it out.

7:24 AM: 198 on the 7:15 am Water Taxi run, down about ten percent from yesterday. If you are heading out on land – the bridge is now in full backup mode.

7:30 AM: Via Twitter, Jeff reports, “Admiral backup back to Monday-Tuesday level. To the Stevens staircase.” Meantime, the low bridge is looking pretty busy – haven’t had a maritime opening since 5 am, but likely some high-bridge diversion. (The “live” view is atop this story.)

7:44 AM: Michael tweets, “Lower Spokane is the worst it has been during the closure.”

7:53 AM: 160 on the Water Taxi a few minutes ago, up one passenger from yesterday. Our crew at the dock says there are reports of shuttles getting caught in traffic (more than usual) so dropoff, bike, driving (free parking at Pier 2) might be better ways to go if you’re headed to Seacrest before the last morning-rush run at 9:15. Also, we’re continuing to get texts from people saying the truck backup on East Marginal is still affecting other surface vehicle traffic.

8 AM: Another Twitter report on the surface trip – from @aussieshed, “From south Delridge Way SW to east side of lower Spokane Bridge – 45 minutes…so far.”

8:35 AM: Like the traffic, the commute reports in comments pick up as the morning goes on, and Avalon is getting panned today. Our crew headed back from the Water Taxi dock about 15 minutes ago experienced it too. We’ll be on today’s conference call with WSDOT and SDOT to talk about tunneling and traffic, and will be asking about Avalon enforcement as well as about the truck backup on East Marginal.

8:42 AM: South Park Bridge has closed to surface traffic/opened for maritime traffic. Live camera’s here; screengrab for posterity’s sake:

8:50 AM: South Park Bridge is open to surface traffic again.

9:04 AM: Here’s the ongoing truck situation – live pic of E. Marginal/Hanford:

9:28 AM: Paul sent this photo of the bicycles on the 8:15 am Water Taxi:

And **now** it looks like the East Marginal truck backup is finally easing … at least a bit.

Paul May 5, 2016 (6:20 am)

I left sunrise heights at 5:43am and got to SLU at 6:02am. It was just starting to backup on the Spokane St Viaduct to I5 N – backed up to the 4th st exit. I5 had 30 MPH limit on all non-HOV lanes and was just as busy as Tues and Wed at this time. Basically it is smooth driving at this time.

WSB May 5, 2016 (6:28 am)

Thanks for the commute report!

Peter May 5, 2016 (7:00 am)

People are starting to catch on. Or, get fed up with driving. Light Rail was SRO from SODO station @ 6:10A, this morning.

Dana May 5, 2016 (7:06 am)

On the 6:15 water taxi, they announced they were using both debarkation points when we docked at Pier 50 in Seattle. This is the first time I’ve noticed them doing this for the 6:15 trip (but I took the bus yesterday)

John May 5, 2016 (7:11 am)

116 on time this morning and made it downtown with no major issues.

Tom May 5, 2016 (7:21 am)

Stuck on the 6:30 113 bus, 99 North is not moving at all. Been enjoying the view of Ducky’s furniture for the last 20 minutes.

Mel May 5, 2016 (7:35 am)

Left Fauntleroy area at 5:45 on Tuesday — smooth sailing over the bridge. Left at 6:15 today, and it was already slow going. Half-hour makes a big difference!

workdowntown May 5, 2016 (7:46 am)

Caught the 6:44 55 bus and got to 3rd and Madison in less than an hour! Better than yesterday. Bus driver was a bit more aggressive today which helps.

Blinkyjoe May 5, 2016 (7:51 am)

On my bike on the low bridge at 0715. Traffic was stopped on the bridge deck all the way back to Delridge. Stopped from East Marginal all the way back since cars could not turn left on to east Marginal because of the Container Trucks that are backed up all along East Marginal. Trucks backed up on east Marginal allthe way from T-18 to Alaska Way. Yuck.

John May 5, 2016 (10:39 am)

@Blinkyjoe, I came through there on my bike around 5:45am this morning. The trucks with containers were backed up all the way to the light at S. Hanford St. I’ve seen this before…even while the Viaduct was open.

It was a very nice ride in this morning. Perfect temperature and no stress.

I was disappointed in seeing bikers with no lights or worthless lights….. Of course they’re dressed in dark colors….not smart. I’ll never understand the black bike, black leggings, black shirt, and black helmet look. Do you want to not be seen? Oops sorry…I’m drifting off the subject.

JCK May 5, 2016 (8:01 am)

Where are the cops to clear the cars out of the BUS LANES on SW Avalon? The bus lanes are here for a reason… On C line and it’s the worst day yet, it seems. My reserves and patience are starting to run extremely thin after a week of this…

Sue May 5, 2016 (8:33 am)

Agreed – it was AWFUL this morning! Buses ended up driving down the center lane to bypass them, and then cut back in, and then were dealing with the left turners near Luna Park and the drivers from Harbor Ave who were not yielding to them. Look forever to get through there. Then there were the drivers who decided it was okay to drive in the bus lane on the bridge approach for a few car lengths, further blocking us. This was my worst day yet with the bus commute.

newnative May 5, 2016 (8:04 am)

I am still walking out the door at 6:20 and taking the Water Taxi in the morning (walking to pier, .6 mile=15 minutes) at 6:45. Walking to Lower Queen Anne is 1.7=30 minutes. I don’t think it’s bad.

josh May 5, 2016 (8:09 am)

The truck traffic idling down alaskan was suffocating this morning as a bike rider.

WSB May 5, 2016 (8:16 am)

Josh, thanks for that observation. I’ll be asking about the truckjam on today’s conference call.
- Blinkyjoe May 5, 2016 (8:35 am)
  
  Container trucks are backed up most Tuesdays and Thursdays from the Hanjin Terminal all the way back to Alaska Way.
  - WSB May 5, 2016 (8:41 am)
    
    Blinky – I’m sure there are regular patterns but certainly this past Tuesday wasn’t anything like this. Perhaps they can try the Terminal 5 holding zone next week, as was done during an out-of-the-ordinary situation some months back …
    - Blinkyjoe May 5, 2016 (11:23 am)
      
      Yeah, we can only hope. Those poor drivers get paid by the trip, I think….
- West Sea Neighbor May 5, 2016 (9:22 am)
  
  There were also several cars overlapping into the bike lane (including one taxi) making the bike commute even more perilous than necessary. Perhaps they could get a couple of bike cops policing that?
- josh May 5, 2016 (12:47 pm)
  
  Thanks WSB for always being on and awesome!
Delridge Believer May 5, 2016 (8:35 am)

Not only were they parked in the center lane for the length of Marginal but they were blocking traffic in the northbound lane also (6:15 am) causing all other vehicles to go around them and into the bike lanes to do so.

Paul May 5, 2016 (8:11 am)

Hot news from Seacrest Park, they are now lining up both sides of the hand rail on the lower dock this morning, the county is catching on that long lines back into the street is putting people off. Now no idea where the full mark is, it used to be half way along the railings UofI top.

newnative May 5, 2016 (8:42 am)

they have been doing this for at least 3 days, I think all week.

Bri May 5, 2016 (8:24 am)

This definitely seems slower today. Been sitting next to luna park cafe on the C-line for over 20 minutes (since 8am). So far, 35 minutes from Morgan Junction & still not on the bridge….inch by inch we’ll get there.

Mark schletty May 5, 2016 (8:26 am)

I really wish people would start to understand that this is the permanent situation once the viaduct is taken down. The tunnel will have only limited useability for west seattle people needing to get downtown. The surface street options simply don’t work. I would expect that west seattle property values will plummet once buyers start seeing the coming traffic disaster, coupled with no place for all the new residents to work in west seattle. Only way i can currently see to avoid this is to finish (or kill) the tunnel and to retrofit and keep the viaduct in use. Having both might actually help the situation.

trickycoolj May 5, 2016 (10:55 am)

Not everyone works downtown. My commute has barely been affected because I work south of West Seattle. Biggest impact was a South Park bridge opening this morning and I encounter that every 2-3 weeks anyway. I guess there will suddenly be property available for South End workers to move into the city.

Alex Kanias May 5, 2016 (8:27 am)

773 shuttle pick up arrived 15 minutes late and missed the 8.15 water taxi. Traffic on Harbour Ave and Avalon is to blame.

On Avalon, cars are using the bus lanes from Yancy to the bridge and significantly delaying all the buses and shuttles. They’re blocking the intersection turn onto the bridge too.

Nightmare and no SPD in sight.

Cass May 5, 2016 (8:28 am)

Avalon was a breeze yesterday, but is AWFULNESS today, roughly the same time. My bus usually reaches 1st & Lander by 8:20; it is 8:26 and we’re almost to Charlestown. Been crawling for maybe 10 minutes?

South Delridge gal May 5, 2016 (8:28 am)

8:25am on bus 120. It’s much more crowded and warm than usual. Very slow. Have been WFH in early AM and commuting after 9:30am when things ease up but have an earlier mtg today. If didn’t have preschool drop off I’d be going early like the rest of you. This sucks big time

sam-c May 5, 2016 (10:38 am)

(what’s ‘WHF’ ?)
- sam-c May 5, 2016 (10:38 am)
  
  WFH, I mean
  - newnative May 5, 2016 (10:59 am)
    
    Work From Home, I believe. Our official acronym is WAH and I believe is more commonly used.

Kjb May 5, 2016 (8:30 am)

I left North Delridge at 6:45 and it took 45 minutes to get to top of Queen Anne. Half hour of that was just getting to 1 St Ave. Ridiculous amount of trucks waiting and holding things up on 1st. Usually takes me 20 minutes if I leave before 6:45.

L May 5, 2016 (8:31 am)

Much worse today. Avalon stacked up. My C line just cruised down the center lane and cut in front of a preceding c line. Aggressive bus drivers for the win.

Chris May 5, 2016 (8:34 am)

Today’s the worst day. Upper bridge stopped at 8:30. Traffic is stuck under the bridge too. Something going on?

D May 5, 2016 (8:40 am)

Have been on the 55 for nearly an hour and it’s still not to stadiums.

BH May 5, 2016 (8:47 am)

Only took 30 mins from California and Charlestown to get onto the bridge.

Nick May 5, 2016 (8:52 am)

I abandoned ship to work from home after my C Line chilled in front of Luna Park for half an hour (8-8:30). Today was the worst traffic of the week by a mile. Monday – Wednesday wasn’t even that bad.

Joe Bags May 5, 2016 (8:54 am)

1st Ave and 4th Ave off ramps backed up considerably on the bridge affecting the flow of the right lane.

aa May 5, 2016 (8:55 am)

My route is a bit convoluted for some but I’m enjoying it, south on 35th to Roxbury, east on Roxbury into south park, over the SP bridge over the i5 Albro overpass into Beacon Hill. No traffic but a bit more driving.

I agree this is a vision of what’s ahead. This tunnel will change a lot, glad I’m a renter and can move anytime. And please don’t add another stadium to the mix in Sodo!! How can anyone think that is a good idea??

WS to UW commuter May 5, 2016 (8:56 am)

MARK SCHLETTY – you totally nailed it. Welcome to the new normal everyone. Reposting your comment Mark …

“I really wish people would start to understand that this is the permanent situation once the viaduct is taken down. The tunnel will have only limited useability for west seattle people needing to get downtown. The surface street options simply don’t work. I would expect that west seattle property values will plummet once buyers start seeing the coming traffic disaster, coupled with no place for all the new residents to work in west seattle. Only way i can currently see to avoid this is to finish (or kill) the tunnel and to retrofit and keep the viaduct in use. Having both might actually help the situation.”

Joe Bags May 5, 2016 (9:01 am)

No cop helping with traffic flow on 4th at bottom of off ramp. Maybe this is why off ramps from bridge are so backed up? SPD was there on Mon and Tu.

Joe Bags May 5, 2016 (9:04 am)

Just fyi I filed an online request with DOT to add paint or signage to clarify left turns from Manning to Avalon.

Joe Bags May 5, 2016 (9:05 am)

Lots of double white line crossers.

Heather May 5, 2016 (9:11 am)

@Mark schletty, I completely disagree with your comment. Part of West Seattles growth includes and will include more places to work, the purpose of the tunnel is to move cars through and beyond downtown thereby reducing traffic within the downtown area and it’s close entry points, and property values in WS will increase simply because we have large city lots. It really is a desirable area to live.

ehyi May 5, 2016 (9:15 am)

Another beautiful day riding the old footcycle, I mean velocipede, past parked cars and trucks. It’s 25min from High Point to Pioneer Square by bike and eerily quiet now that the 99 traffic noise is gone. You barely notice the sound of traffic along Marginal Way and the lower bridge when they’re all parked and going nowhere in a hurry. What’s everyone doing waiting in those vehicles?

John May 5, 2016 (10:48 am)

@ehyi, I agree 100%! I’m in my 50’s and have been riding to work since 1988. There’s no other way to get to downtown better then biking! Junction to Pioneer Square in 25 minutes…never changes…..all year round.

PangolinPie May 5, 2016 (9:15 am)

It’s looking like every other 125 disappears into a black hole most mornings.

Dee May 5, 2016 (9:44 am)

*Sigh* Yeah, I’m wondering about this too as catching the bus downtown back to West Seattle, I’ve experienced three times the 125 not showing up in the afternoon and a crowd of us waiting for the next one.

Kevin May 5, 2016 (9:16 am)

WSB, have there been any reports on changes with the Pier 2 shuttle? Apparently they are now on a schedule and not doing loops so you need to make it to the lot by a certain time to get on a boat. Opposite of what they were doing earlier in the week. They may get more ridership if people knew what the deal was.

WSB May 5, 2016 (9:20 am)

Have not heard, will check right now.
WSB May 5, 2016 (4:12 pm)

Kevin – I got a reply this afternoon from Greg Lerner with the Water Taxi/KC Marine Division. I will include part of it in tomorrow morning’s coverage but in the short run:

It’s continuous in that the shuttle leaves from Pier 2 as frequently as possible between sailings (as needed) while still trying to get riders to the next scheduled sailing between the hours of 5:45 am to 9:15 am in the morning. Shuttle service resumes in the afternoon between 4:00 pm and 7:15 pm to transport riders from Seacrest Park back to their cars at Pier 2.

The one thing we’ve learned is that the shuttle needs to leave from Pier 2 about 11 minutes before departure to ensure riders have the time when they get to Seacrest Park to buy tickets (if needed) and walk down to the boat. Knowing this, we will not send a shuttle prior to this time (between sailings) if we don’t feel it can make it back to depart again by 11 minutes before the next sailing.

We’re hoping riders are attentive to our closure brochures that suggest riders arrive at Pier 2 about 20 minutes prior to their departure.

Lynn Caragol May 5, 2016 (9:20 am)

The lower level bridge was a nightmare this morning! I left my house in the Junction area at 6:30 a.m. and arrived downtown at the Columbia Center at 8:10 a.m. I finally got around the back up and got onto 1st Avenue. Police directing traffic has been needed at the intersection at the lower level bridge to prevent cars cutting in the line of the orderly folks who have been waiting patiently in the right lane to get onto the bridge, and desperately needed at the intersection of Spokane Street/W. Marginal Way and E. Marginal Way.

P.S. Thank you WS Blog for updating us all. While stuck, I read your update and that gave me a clue as to what was going on and to try to get onto 1st Avenue.

JH May 5, 2016 (9:36 am)

Lynn-you should try the water taxi. It’s a great walk up to the Columbia Center from the downtown dock! I get so many fitbit steps in my commute now.
watertowerjoey May 5, 2016 (9:54 am)

Lynn, I live in the same vicinity. Left my house at 6:45 and took the WSB/4th Avenue and arrived at the Columbia Center at 7:15. No joke.

WSB backed up to the steel mill and 4th was great.

jtm May 5, 2016 (9:31 am)

Some of the congestion on the bridge could be alleviated if drivers merged properly. Coming to a complete STOP to try and wait for a car to let them in is not the correct way to funnel…

clulessinws May 5, 2016 (10:35 am)

So true!

JH May 5, 2016 (9:31 am)

Oh, that 6:15AM water taxi is horrible! Who wants to see the beautiful sunrise over the city every morning? And deal with no stress and an incredible water trip into downtown??!!! And listen to the seals? haha I started taking the water taxi about a month ago, and my stress level has gone way down since I stopped driving to work. Best thing for WS-thanks Dow!

Busrider May 5, 2016 (9:33 am)

Today’s commute by bus was the worst yet. Cars were in the bus lane, people cutting at Luna park. Is wsdot and sdot taking traffic counts? Wondering if people are getting back in their cars. Added another 30 minutes to bus trip this morning

Caroline May 5, 2016 (9:35 am)

My iphone shows I5 northbound closed just north of Yesler. I can’t find anything else about that anywhere. Anybody know? Trying to get to Polyclinic.

WSB May 5, 2016 (9:38 am)

Caroline – no closures. The only problem on northbound I-5 in the general area right now is HOV lane blocked just north of Spokane. https://twitter.com/wsdot_traffic/status/728258209656360960

Ilasdad May 5, 2016 (9:36 am)

This is the nightmare I was expecting!

newnative May 5, 2016 (9:37 am)

Interesting reading all the comments about the bus commute. I was giving it until today before trying out the bus commute to Belltown/Lower Queen Anne and after reading, I will stick to the morning boat ride and walk. I have a lot more options closer to work this way. I would go out of my mind stuck in that traffic.

Zark00 May 5, 2016 (9:40 am)

Watching from the bus, you single drivers ON YOUR PHONES are making traffic MUCH worse for everyone.

Cindi May 5, 2016 (9:47 am)

At 9:15, getting out of downtown back to WS is a mess too. No 21 for 45minutes. So hopped one of the 4 Cs that came by in a row. Now waiting for slow moving trainto clear tracks. I bet it will be over an hour to get home

BC May 5, 2016 (9:55 am)

No comment on the traffic but as I check the WSB for the 100th time in the past 8 days it’s times like this that prove what an invaluable resource this blog is for the ‘hood. Whether news on traffic, crime, new restaurants, business issues, etc., etc., etc., you’re doing a great service for our community. Keep it up!

I saw a number of cars most likely from water taxi riders parked on California Ave near the water being ticketed (and probably later towed) and thought “How do these people not know there’s a free open lot with a shuttle just down the road – don’t they read the WSB?”

Denise May 5, 2016 (9:56 am)

West Seattle bridge crawling. Or stopped?

Aero May 5, 2016 (10:08 am)

With how bad traffic has been the past couple of days why are we not asking more questions about the future for West Seattle residents? There will not be a downtown exit in the new tunnel, and traffic will be forced to side streets if you work downtown. This is a huge issue. How does DOT not see that?

EH May 5, 2016 (11:23 am)

You are correct, no “mid-town” exits from the new tunnel. But drivers heading to downtown from West Seattle will still be able to take 99 all the way up to the new Alaskan Way exit at the stadiums, or exit at the Mercer off-ramp at the north end. It’s not necessarily going to add more cars on surface streets that you’re seeing right now since you can’t even get ON to 99 during this closure. Seattle is growing, and with larger cities, people need to decide if taking public transit is the more viable option to alleviate stress and number of cars on the road. We can’t all be privileged enough to drive to work in a single occupancy vehicle and expect it to be a breeze, at least not in a major city. I only hope our city can expedite the implementation of Light Rail to West Seattle sooner than their current plan shows…
- Aero May 5, 2016 (11:58 am)
  
  Eh- I completely agree. We need light rail sooner than later. I do currently drive but I am in a carpool with 3 other women from work- I’m not a single occupancy driver. It takes far longer on the bus to get downtown than it takes me to drive so busing isn’t something I ever consider. Although with the new tunnel open, it may not be as bad as we are currently seeing, I think it is still very likely that traffic will be worse than we know it today when everyone is getting off in Pioneer Square and traveling from there to the retail core of downtown on side streets.
  - WSB May 5, 2016 (12:02 pm)
    
    Just off today’s conference call, where I asked about today’s big jams, addressed in our report: https://westseattleblog.com/2016/05/viaduct-closure-day-7-what-weve-found-out-about-todays-traffic-trouble-spots-and-tunneling-progress/
    
    Regarding the discussion of “this is the new normal when the tunnel opens,” as the most recent commenters have countered, no, it’s not exactly what’s happening now. I asked on the call if there’s a simple explanation for why – I can’t find the maps that more clearly explain how traffic indeed is routed into the south end of downtown when the tunnel opens, but am still looking (we’ve had such a volume of coverage over the years, I’m trying to find the correct search terms to bring up the stories!) – and the short answer from WSDOT was, “there’ll be capacity” on 99 up to the tunnel – capacity that is not there during the closure. – TR

Karen May 5, 2016 (10:13 am)

If you work on First Hill, the #60 bus from Westwood is a dream….takes 50 minutes to get there but not on a bus full of tense people and you can get some nice reading in.

Heather May 5, 2016 (11:24 am)

11:20am east bound WS bridge back to back almost directly off of 35th

Paul May 5, 2016 (11:35 am)

There will be on/off ramps in Pioneer Square when the tunnel is done. Since when is Pioneer Square not part of downtown? That may mean driving a few more blocks downtown to reach your destination, but it will mean a few less blocks for someone else. It certainly will not be anywhere near as bad as what we are experiencing now.

Neighbor May 5, 2016 (11:38 am)

Around 8:40am the 5-way intersection was messed up! Drivers: do not block the crosswalk at Delridge north to eastbound toward the lower Spokane street bridge!!! Semis were blocking the intersection and lots of horns heard. On East Marginal Way, the truck traffic was as far as I could see in either direction. I saw a semi turn right northbound and use the bike lane to try and get onto East Marginal Way and a cars swerving around the trucks using the bike lane. Meanwhile, I saw 2 SPD officers at the major port entrance just north of the Coast Guard building. One officer was facing the tracks, i.e., not observing traffic. Also, I use the left turn at the bottom of Manning by Luna Park. There were cars behind me turning left. Looked awful today if you were in a motorized vehicle.

sam-c May 5, 2016 (11:38 am)

I was checking the bridge conditions at 11:30, and it looked like a bike in the bus lane? or maybe a scooter? Anyway, hard to believe it’s so backed up still at 11:30

WSB May 5, 2016 (11:41 am)

This is what we encountered yesterday going to and from the media briefing at the Water Taxi dock downtown (would have taken the WT but they keep scheduling it during the midday break!) – outbound at 10:30 am and inbound at noon – experienced the jam headed out, saw it still backed up to the crest while we passed it headed in.

Mel May 5, 2016 (1:28 pm)

Loving the comments on these daily posts:

– The bicycle folks, thinking that speaking glowingly of their ride will convert people to riding on hills in rain. (Those black clothes signify someone who’ll be back in their car in two weeks.)
– The “wake up, sheeple, this is the new normal” folks. The DT exit will still be there, it’ll just be 3/4-mile further south. Downtown drivers will switch to that one. The folks who are driving to Interbay/Ballard – they’re the ones who will have to figure out a new commute.
– The Water Taxi works. Thank you, King County and especially Dow Constantine.

ehyi May 5, 2016 (3:09 pm)

I’m not trying to convert car drivers to bike riders – I’m just basking in the schadenfreude of gliding past traffic.

Ideally, yes, more drivers would be riding (bikes, buses, water taxis, and flying monkeys) than idling on our roads. But time is money and noone has enough of either and our incentives are set up to reward the auto mo bile.

FWIW:
- Biking is quite easy the grayer/damper 6-months of the year because there are so few bikes to contend with and you don’t arrive sweaty (and you don’t have to ride when it’s pouring, but fortunately it usually sprinkles more than it pours, amiright?).
- If you live in WSea then you only have to go downhill to commute to downtown; yes, the uphill sucks on the way home but there are ways to avoid it or enjoy it)
- There are now more newly clad Spandex-Sponsored riders passing me without a word than I can remember – probably since the hottest days of last summer. So there is more bike traffic. But it’s much more manageable than car traffic.

clulessinws May 5, 2016 (1:58 pm)

I heard a traffic report on the radio around noon that said there was an accident eastbound on the bridge around 11:30. I wonder if it’s the 2 cars in Sam C’s screen grab. Love the bike or moped in the bus lane. People will find a way, legal or not.

North Admiral Commuter May 5, 2016 (3:21 pm)

I fight the port traffic sometimes two or three times a week during normal traffic conditions as my office is just a quarter mile south of the entrance to T-46, where E. Marginal becomes Alaskan Way S. The port’s solution to the truck traffic is what you saw today – lining the trucks up in the center lane, and painting white criss-crosses on the road to keep trucks from idling in front of entrances to the businesses south of T-46. It’s always a no-man’s-land back there, with commuter vehicle traffic using the bike lanes to pass backed-up truck traffic northbound from the signal at E. Marginal Way S / S. Hanford St. Some days (and this is currently, I’m not simply remembering back to the longshoremen’s slow-down or when T-18 port traffic switched to T-46) if I leave home as late as 7:10 a.m., I encounter similar port traffic back-ups to what we witnessed today at 6:30. I think it’s great that the port is doing an additional 3 a.m. shift at T-46, and I hope it continues after the viaduct reopens. I saw many commuters today who I believe did not recognize that they were not simply sitting in expected traffic due to the viaduct closure – they were in the waiting line to get on to the terminal.

Sorry, comment time is over.