West Seattle, Washington

14 Saturday

43℉

TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: 2nd post-Viaduct Tuesday AM watch

January 22, 2019 5:30 am
|      57 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(SDOT MAP with travel times / WS-relevant traffic cams / Water Taxi schedule, other helpful info HERE)

5:30 AM: Good morning! Welcome to the first non-holiday commute of the second post-Viaduct week. Traffic/transportation authorities hope those whose changes made last week a success keep it up this week. No trouble reported in our area so far.

5:40 AM: The high bridge is busy but flowing.

6 AM: East end of the eastbound high bridge – the backup to I-5 has begun (screengrab here for the record). WSDOT notes that northbound I-5 is busier all the way from south King County.

6:15 AM: Commuting via the West Seattle Water Taxi? Runs to downtown start now. The expanded (two-boat) schedule continues all the way until the spring/summer schedule change at the end of March.

6:24 AM: And now the traffic extends to the midspan (screengrab).

6:38 AM: Seems busier all around. Check out the headlights looking south onto NB 35th SW from Fauntleroy. LOW BRIDGE ALERT: Closed to surface traffic as of a couple minutes ago.

6:50 AM: Low bridge has just reopened, verified by tweet and video camera. Noticed via the latter, a steady stream of bicycles headed east immediately.

6:57 AM: Continuing our moment-in-time screengrabs, here’s the backup on the Fauntleroy-end curve (this camera was down for a long time, until last week).

7:02 AM: Surface-traffic alert from SDOT, first one of this kind that we’ve seen post-Viaduct:

7:11 AM: Commenters report Admiral and Delridge are backed up. Also got a text from Al that, to be specific, Admiral’s backed up the hill to 37th.

7:22 AM: Consensus seems to be that this is the day some people started going back to old routines. Regional transportation/transit agencies are resuming the daily media conference calls so we’ll see what the take is then. Meantime, plenty of commute to get through.

7:31 AM: Getting to Delridge – tough too. Amy tweets that the Andover approach is backed up to 28th SW. Meantime, that truck backup near the port is likely the reason for a surface Spokane backup east of the low bridge.

7:46 AM: Though we don’t have a crew at the Water Taxi dock this morning, we’re watching the boats via MarineTraffic.com and all appears to be well. Jennifer sent this photo, captioned “Beautiful morning commute!”

7:52 AM: Texter reports it took “one hour travel time from top of Admiral Way by viewpoint to the lower bridge.”

7:57 AM: Aid response (low-level medical) call to 4th and Spokane. Heard this mentioned on scanner as truck/bicycle collision. It’s not visible on the SDOT cam for that intersection.

8:05 AM: Still a bridge jam – here’s a screengrab from the Walking on Logs curve.

8:30 AM: Doesn’t look any better out there.

8:35 AM: Toward the east end of the Roxbury corridor, SDOT reports a “blocking vehicle at Olson/Cambridge.”

8:55 AM: Top of the hour nears and it’s still jammed on the bridge.

9:04 AM: 1st Avenue South Bridge closed to surface traffic at the top of the hour. (added) Back open at 9:08.

9:21 AM: Thanks for all the firsthand reports in comments and via Twitter! (And text/voice if you can call safely and legally – as a passenger or after you get to where you’re going – 206-293-6302.)

Share This

57 Replies to "TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: 2nd post-Viaduct Tuesday AM watch"

  • Rita January 22, 2019 (6:52 am)

    Delridge all backed up at 6:50a stuck

  • NH January 22, 2019 (7:03 am)

    Traffic is backed up Admiral quite far. Worst I’ve had it since the shutdown.

  • WSB January 22, 2019 (7:06 am)

    Thanks for the surface street reports. Delridge has no cameras and while Admiral has a few semi-new ones, they’re not in helpful spots.

  • Gary January 22, 2019 (7:29 am)

    Delridge is currently backed up just passed Oregon

  • NRV January 22, 2019 (7:32 am)

    Is the low bridge opened? Long line going down to Delridge

    • WSB January 22, 2019 (7:45 am)

      Not since an hour ago. Besides the bridge jam, there’s also a surface port-truck backup (mentioned in ongoing coverage above).

  • C January 22, 2019 (7:49 am)

    Took us 30 mins in traffic on admiral to reach the bridge. Looks like everybody’s going back to work – and judging by the single occupancy in every car around us, everyone’s sticking with their old ways. Stupid.

    • Yma January 22, 2019 (9:29 am)

      @C not everyone around you is stupid. There can be reasons for a single occupancy car – no good transit options ( 3 bus transfers to get where you need to go), necessity to be able to leave work & pick up kid (not all of us have family/network in town). Me? I am trying to work from home 2-3 days a week & then changing my commute times.Let’s continue to be nice out there. It sucks for everybody.

  • newnative January 22, 2019 (7:51 am)

    I read the traffic report too late to take the water taxi but taking the 56 bus wasn’t as bad as I feared. If SOV drivers stayed out of the bus lanes and stopped using the 99 ramp for passing, then it might have been even better. I will likely go back to using the water taxi tomorrow. 

    • Taxi rider January 22, 2019 (1:20 pm)

      I encourage commuters to try the water taxi if that is an option.

  • Abyk January 22, 2019 (7:58 am)

    I was at bridge when it closed. Was able to divert to Marginal down to South Park, over to Corson to I 5 north. what a wrap around. Finally made it in after 1.25 hrs. 

  • Crj January 22, 2019 (8:10 am)

    I thought I heard that the low bridge was not going to go up during rush hour during viadoom. This is the third time it’s gone up in the last week in the morning. So much for that…..

    • WSB January 22, 2019 (8:15 am)

      We’ve reported this several times. The restrictions to which the Coast Guard agreed are:

      -Limited to vessels 5,000 gross tons or bigger during:
      7-10 am
      2-5 pm

      Today’s opening was before 7 am.

      (P.S. For anyone interested in specifics, the restriction is published in the USCG’s Local Notice to Mariners. See page 9 of the most-recent edition: https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pdf/lnms/lnm13032019.pdf )

  • Fryer January 22, 2019 (8:14 am)

    WSB. Is the city using the shutdown time to make sure the road from  East Marginal to the construction site is in good shape?

  • Sam January 22, 2019 (8:19 am)

    My commute was exactly one hour door-to-door (7:05-8:05): Water Taxi shuttle from Alki, 7:25 sailing, free waterfront shuttle to near Seattle Center. The boat was maybe 2/3 full, if that.

  • Cass January 22, 2019 (8:19 am)

    My 21 just jumped into the turn lane after ~ Genesee.  We passed another 21, two 21X and at least one C stuck behind all the cars in the bus lane.  Glad I can work from home most days, and that I didn’t leave earlier to catch that trapped 21!

  • Peter January 22, 2019 (8:21 am)

    Lots of drivers blocking bus lanes this morning. Police, as usual, not enforcing bus lanes. 

    • sw January 22, 2019 (9:37 am)

      Yep.  We really need some SPD enforcement on the bridge, usual spot.  Lots of bus lane cheaters this morning, mostly ride share vehicles from what I witnessed.  

      • Kjh January 22, 2019 (10:13 am)

        Ongoing cars in bus lane off 4th. Police presence needed. 

    • t January 22, 2019 (3:22 pm)

      Captain in charge of Seattle police traffic division eric.sano@seattle.gov

  • Cline Question January 22, 2019 (8:23 am)

    On a C line in the Avalon backup…Some busses wait in line with all the other cars and some busses fly by and cut in last minute to get onto the bridge. What’s the protocol? 

    • East Coast Cynic January 22, 2019 (1:13 pm)

      @Cline Question, I suspect the more experienced drivers cut into the bus lane at the last minute to minimize wait time while those less experienced, or at least less experienced with the route, wait in the queue with the cars.

  • Bus rider January 22, 2019 (8:26 am)

    I think a lot of people took last week off and are going back to work. Lots of solo drivers.

  • Stuck on Avalon January 22, 2019 (8:32 am)

    Something needs to be done about all the people making the illegal left from Manning St onto Avalon, just to cut into the right. It makes the backup so much worse

    • Mike B January 22, 2019 (9:05 am)

      The 116, 118, 21, and 55 have a stop on Avalon right before the bridge turn so they have to stay in the right lane. The C-line should go around that mess after the last stop back up the hill. 

    • Anon WS January 22, 2019 (9:19 am)

      Is that really illegal? Just curious – I wasn’t aware there was signage there  

    • T January 22, 2019 (3:21 pm)

      It has been a problem for years. I think it’s funny how the city tries to put up signs and call it good. It doesn’t work. I have tried to let the city know.  Try emailing people directly.. filling out a form on line might not get seen until after the viaduct issue is resolved. Non emergency line 206 625 5011Captain in charge of Seattle police traffic division eric.sano@seattle.gov

    • T January 22, 2019 (3:25 pm)

      There are actually 2 signs, one going down the hill about half way then one at the intersection with Avalon. No excuse for vehicles turning left here during 6-10 am.

  • KJS January 22, 2019 (8:39 am)

    One hour door-to-door from 35th & Hudson to 3rd & Seneca. About 25 minutes longer than last week. 

    • DP January 22, 2019 (1:35 pm)

      @KJS – curious if this was this via car or on the bus?

      • KJS January 22, 2019 (1:42 pm)

        @DP, this was on the #21 bus. 

        • DP January 22, 2019 (5:23 pm)

          Thank you! 

  • WSB January 22, 2019 (8:50 am)

    Re: bus-lane violators, city traffic engineer Dongho Chang tweeted that SPD’s traffic captain is at the SDOT control center watching bus lanes – and zoomed in on the West Seattle Bridge cam – so it should certainly be on SPD’s radar.
    https://twitter.com/dongho_chang/status/1087751019671347200

  • TSurly January 22, 2019 (8:52 am)

    Normal commute by bicycle, even with the parking lot on East Marginal. Good job by the SOVs for not driving in the East Marginal bike lane.

  • Trickycoolj January 22, 2019 (9:02 am)

    45 minutes from High Point to Harbor Island via Delridge. 

  • Lola January 22, 2019 (9:10 am)

    1/2 hour today at 7 am from 50th & Alaska to my parking spot down in Georgetown.  I started to slow down at the first curve of Bethlehem steel but kept a steady pace.  I still saw bus lane violators all the way up the bridge, they love to follow behind a bus makes them think they are not cheating or something.  Then you get the other ones who just after the 1st ave exit, the ones in the middle lane think they can get over and cruise to the 4th ave exit.  They just had two police cruisers off to the right with lights flashing off to the side, no officer directing them over.

  • Olivist January 22, 2019 (9:14 am)

    Saw at least 7 cars in the bridge bus lanes this am on my ride in just now.  At least 4 of them just took it all the way to 4th with no intentions  of merging into trafffic.  Seems like they could station one of the three traffic cops who are sitting on 4th ramp to somewhere on the bridge.  

  • James January 22, 2019 (9:20 am)

    A relatively quiet/usual bike commute to downtown, though I, too, saw a lot of solo drivers on the roads this morning. (Some of you need to practice a little patience with those intersections.) In all sincerity, would SoundTransit and KC Metro ever work together to create an Express bus line from West Seattle to Bellevue, Factoria, and Redmond? Seems like such an obvious choice of public transportation to reduce the amounts of cars leaving/entering West Seattle on a daily basis.    

  • Steph January 22, 2019 (10:31 am)

    Left Morgan Junction at 9:18.  Took Low Bridge to 4th.  Arrived at Lincoln Square in Bellevue at 9:59.

  • anon January 22, 2019 (11:13 am)

    I’ve been taking the water taxi, but had to drive in today for reasons that are absolutely nobody’s business-ahem all those that condemn solo drivers. Took almost an hour and a half from WS to downtown. In addition to the bus to Bellevue it would also be nice if they had one to Fremont since there are a lot of people that work in that area. It makes no sense for my husband to come downtown, wait for another bus and then go to Fremont, it takes longer than driving and catching a bus to Fremont from downtown is unreliable. 

    • CAM January 22, 2019 (12:19 pm)

      I wait on 3rd avenue daily for buses and watch numerous 40s zip past me before the bus I’m waiting for shows up. It’s been my impression that bus service to the neighborhoods north of downtown is more frequent and reliable than bus service to WS. I don’t think we are going to solve our commuting problems by making specialized routes that go from one neighborhood to another. The most efficient way for transit to run is to have multiple local routes that follow an arterial with connections headed in both directions at least every 3 to 4 blocks. Express routes are great but they don’t meet the needs of enough people to justify cutting local routes. The more local routes you cut to favor express routes (or direct connections neighborhood to neighborhood) the lower your ridership will be. 

    • Tsurly January 22, 2019 (12:38 pm)

      Fremont is an easy 45 minute bike ride from West Seattle.

      • anon January 22, 2019 (3:16 pm)

        My husband does bike occasionally, primarily summer because it’s light out late. Doesn’t want to do it in the dark and rain coming home, which honestly gives me more peace of mind. 

    • West Seattle since 1979 January 22, 2019 (1:18 pm)

      I think you overestimate the number of people who condemn solo drivers.  

      • Rick January 22, 2019 (3:17 pm)

        Odd, I didn’t see a number stated. Possibly they’re underestimated.

  • hj January 22, 2019 (11:42 am)

    The police presence on the 4th avenue exit is now officially pointless. Today at 9:45am I saw three cars pull into the bus lane immediately after the last SPD car,  and one even took the lane on 4th itself right through the intersection in full view of four (4) SPD cops and nobody lifted a finger. I get that it’s hard to pull people over on the exit itself but once you’re on 4th there is no reason not to; I see people pulled over on 4th all the time for various violations on normal days. 

  • KP January 22, 2019 (12:07 pm)

    Why can’t the cops on the 4th off ramp radio down to another cop staged after they turn onto 4th? They can then pull over the motorist and give them the ticket without blocking traffic. Won’t get all of the violators, but at least give a non-zero chance of repercussions.

  • m January 22, 2019 (12:34 pm)

    Watched some outstanding citizen go down Admiral, in the right lane, until PAST the Avalon exit, then casually JUMP the lane to join the line that started at the top of the hill. Stupid SOB. That type of thing is not only dangerous, but can potentially really upset a lot of people.

  • PARENT January 22, 2019 (12:42 pm)

       At 5:50 this morning, there was a black Subaru Outback traveling in the bus only lane near the 4th Ave exit…I was so happy to see the flashing lights of SPD who  promptly escorted her/him off the 4th Ave exit, and pull them over!!   

  • anonyme January 22, 2019 (1:44 pm)

    My first attempt to go downtown since the closure.  I was on one of those C-lines stuck in traffic while others zipped past.  It wouldn’t have been so bad but for the jacka$$ sitting behind me who loudly cursed the driver, etc. for the entire ride – until the bus broke down in Pioneer Square.   This left a number of passengers stranded, as it was not a C stop, so people needing to continue on that route past downtown had no option but to try to get downtown, then continue on another C.  One incredibly stupid failure by Metro is the fact that signs have not been changed to indicate which lines stop where at this point.  When I finally got downtown, tons of buses were stopping at unassigned stops, making it impossible to find out where to catch a re-route.   Four buses and 2+ hours to get to Fremont.  

  • they January 22, 2019 (3:06 pm)

    Yea, you got to wonder about these people driving in the bus lanes…I looked at a few of them through the window and they looked like normal people?

  • kim January 22, 2019 (3:07 pm)

    As I angrily watched car after car use the bus lane on the bridge (Hello, SUV with Shelby, Tennessee plates @6:50 am), I tried to console myself with this thought: maybe it’s good that some go whizzing by, because the merging of the onramps heading East (from Spokane and Fauntleroy) is so crazy already…maybe this lessens the convergence and allows for some flow.  (The scofflaws seamlessly? merge further on?) 

  • k January 22, 2019 (4:26 pm)

    C-line from the ferry dock at 9:10am to end of the line at SLU was again 50 min (10 min faster than the old days)…most seats filled by the Morgan junction stop, but bus was never fully packed.

Sorry, comment time is over.