TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Pre-holiday Tuesday watch

(SDOT MAP with travel times/ Is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE/ West Seattle-relevant traffic cams HERE)

6:55 AM: Good morning! Second-to-last morning commute before the four-day holiday weekend.

SCHOOL NOTE: Most Seattle Public Schools elementaries and K-8s have no classes again today – it’s a conference day.

7:36 AM; Crash on the EB bridge, reported to be blocking the right lane at the crest.

7:59 AM: All clear.

7 Replies to "TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Pre-holiday Tuesday watch"

  • Matt P November 26, 2019 (2:45 pm)

    Can someone rationally explain to me what purpose the 99 bus lane serves?  The reason for a bus lane would be to bypass traffic at a speed higher than the average speed of the traffic at certain times of day.  Obviously a bus lane is not needed during non-rush hours unless there is always traffic (true of some streets).  For 99, the only way the bus lane allows the bus to bypass traffic would be when the traffic from Alaska is backing up past the already existing curb bus lane into the new 99 bus lane ie we would that traffic to back up into the the other 2 99 lanes so the bus could bypass it.  This has never even come close to happening since Alaska went back to 2 lanes even after tolling started.  So while some argue that the bus lane is good, if it serves no purpose, why should it exist?  Is there something I’m missing in this particular instance?  I ride the C bus every day by the way, so I’m not a car driver complaining.  I’m a bus rider wondering why I sit in backed up bridge to 99 interchange traffic every day for something I cannot see the benefit of.  There must be some point to it.      

    • Kyle November 26, 2019 (6:04 pm)

      Agreed, our leaders were supposed to “get data” and explain it to us, but I think they are just hoping we forget instead. I thought Lisa Herbold asked for data from SDOT before the election? She seems to have dropped the issue now.

    • CAM November 27, 2019 (11:23 am)

      How do you know what would happen if all the SOVs that want to exit at Dearborn were suddenly allowed to stay in that lane the whole way? That is what they are trying to avoid. Having all of those vehicles and the bus in that lane would create traffic jams most likely and would lead to bus delays. You can’t say that because traffic flows now means that if you shoved all that traffic into one lane means that it would continue to flow.

      • Kyle November 27, 2019 (8:37 pm)

        We know because that was the case for months after the tunnel was opened and the lane was open to all. Then, for some reason (with little to none community input), they restriped it as a bus lane creating large backups on the cloverleaf where both car and bus suffered. Since tolling began, I’ve noticed that traffic on 99 is less than before, with drivers diverting to I-5 instead of taking 99. In the absence of data (which I hope our leaders supply) I have no worry that opening the lane up to all won’t end with backups in the far right lane that buses get stuck in. There would likely be no difference for buses (maybe a slight improvement) and a large improvement for drivers.

        • CAM November 27, 2019 (9:36 pm)

          I’ve said this before and I’ll likely have to say it again but your observations of traffic are not the only ones that count. In my opinion you are wrong. Traffic continued despite Alaska being reopened to two lanes and the backup delayed buses while sitting on 99. Unless you can prove that putting more cars into a single traffic lane will not delay buses I don’t think there’s a valid reason to make that change. Anecdotal observations aren’t reliable data on which to base large scale decisions. It’s the same reason the route changes for the C Line leaving downtown never should have been made. Those buses are slower 90% of the day because of a temporary traffic problem that was resolved in a matter of weeks after the buses were rerouted. Despite that the buses continue to take a slower route that makes people’s commutes longer. Why aren’t people complaining about that? Because the majority of this bus lane hoo-ha is driven by car drivers who are inflating the issue and amping up the emotion of bus riders. If bus riders were really inflamed about their commute times they’d be equally as enraged about the number of times they have to sit through a freight train during their evening commute. 

          • Kyle November 28, 2019 (8:20 am)

            I ride the bus and think the evening detour through Sodo is ridiculous too, but that is changing the subject. As I’ve said before, would love some actual data on bus travel times from our leaders so we could have a better conversation. 

  • Mnw November 26, 2019 (10:47 pm)

    There is no benefit to the NB99 bus lane. But our leaders assume it must benefit bus commutes since it’s a “bus lane” regardless of whether the data proves it or not. 

Sorry, comment time is over.