TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Thursday watch

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

6:57 AM: Good morning. We start with word of a crash on the eastbound West Seattle Bridge: SDOT says it’s in the right lane just before the ramp to 99. No SFD dispatch so far.

7:43 AM: The crash has been cleared.

9 AM: From SDOT: “WS Bridge inspections starting after 9 am. We’ll start with westbound lane closure then switch to eastbound side, avoiding peak traffic directions.”

29 Replies to "TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Thursday watch"

  • Water commuter November 14, 2019 (7:04 am)

    Is the Doc Maynard ever coming back to the West Seattle route? This seems like a ridiculously long period of time to get stuck with the small, old boat while Vashon is enjoying ours. Also, the county has been terrible at communicating the timeline with this.

    • WSB November 14, 2019 (7:11 am)

      Last week they said they wete hoping by Tuesday but it would be longer if a part didn’t arrive. Inquiring this am.

      • WSB November 14, 2019 (10:53 am)

        Could be as soon as this afternoon, KCDOT says. Sally Fox sea trials first. Will publish a separate update when it’s a go.

  • Lisa November 14, 2019 (8:13 am)

    FYI, In case you haven’t posted it already, SDOT just tweeted that they are doing a WS bridge inspection this morning starting after 9 am. Westbound lane closures and then switching to Eastbound.

    • WSB November 14, 2019 (9:04 am)

      Yes, I’m adding it now that it’s 9 am.

  • Meyer November 14, 2019 (8:27 am)

    Commute on C Line was just fine. Left Morgan Junction at 745 arrived downtown at 815

  • psps November 14, 2019 (8:44 am)

    As usual, we continue to suffer due to the charlatan “Zimbabwe.” Why can’t Seattle hire someone who knows what they’re doing?  Kubly was really bad but this “Zimbabwe” guy is even worse.

    • Nolan November 14, 2019 (9:14 am)

      Who’s “we”? My bus has been working fine.

      • smittytheclown November 14, 2019 (10:00 am)

        Curious if your bus commute time has changed at all?  Mind letting us know route and time?

      • Anu November 14, 2019 (10:13 am)

        Agreed. My 116 Express has been surprisingly unaffected by the 99 tolling so far. Yesterday’s commute was longer than usual but otherwise, it’s been okay. The evening however, has been a whole other issue. The choke has been on the West Seattle bridge and Avalon though. Not coming through downtown.

        • Jort November 14, 2019 (12:14 pm)

          I’m curious, why do you feel the need to put our SDOT director’s name in quotation marks. Do you think it is not a real name? Is it something you think should be said sarcastically? I’m genuinely curious. What reason might you have for othering another person by calling out his last name? Please, honestly, let me know. I’m curious.

          • GatewoodGuy November 14, 2019 (1:18 pm)

            It’s actually not his “real” name tho it is his legal name now. He and his wife basically just picked a new last name when they got married because they liked how it sounded or what it meant. That said, I don’t care what his name is. He hasn’t been able to pony up any data backing up his claims that SDOT observed a slow down in buses over the summer with the three general lane configuration and that putting the bus lane back solved that problem. 

          • CAM November 14, 2019 (3:07 pm)

            Are you really commenting on whether or not you think someone should change their name when they get married? Is this the 18th century? There’s a whole lot of really antiquated and offensive logic going on in your comment. Let’s just try to keep it about his actual work performance rather than his personal life choices?

    • Lee November 14, 2019 (6:15 pm)

      My commute is basically the same as it was a year ago. The city has seen huge growth and people are still able to get around, even if we have the typical choke points in the grid and occasional incidents causing backups. To the folks complaining about the SDOT director: you are seeing a tiny sliver of the big picture of the Seattle traffic network that SDOT has to manage. Maybe some of your ideas for how to change things are worthwhile, but focusing this vitriole on one person and accusing them of incompetence without disclosing your credentials and experience in this field is a shameful way of getting whatever point you may have across.

  • Mto November 14, 2019 (9:36 am)

    Exactly. Zimbabwe must go. Hes a total fool.And who is “we”.Everybody that uses the roads!!.Bus. Bike car. Truck. Everyboys commute is slower w sam at the helm.It now takes my daughter car pool ( nolan. Car pool…) an insane amount of more time to get to school!!. . 

    • Tsurly November 14, 2019 (10:40 am)

      False. My bike or running commute has not been impacted at all.

      • Blinkyjoe November 14, 2019 (1:44 pm)

        Nor mine. Always the same. 

      • Smittytheclown November 14, 2019 (2:20 pm)

        Fantastic!  What can we do to get more people on bikes?  I’m all for it!

        • Kathy November 14, 2019 (3:28 pm)

          Join a bike challenge. In November, it’s called “Ride in the Rain”  https://www.lovetoride.net/washington  Ten person teams compete for mileage points and every day you ride you get 10 extra points. My team (“West Seattle Order of the Gilded Fender”) is already full but you can still join as an individual or start a team of your own. 

        • B.W. November 15, 2019 (3:54 am)

          Nothing.  You couldn’t pay me to ride a bike in the rain.

          • tsurly November 15, 2019 (10:40 am)

            Well, your choice. Enjoy being miserable sitting in traffic.

      • markinthedark November 14, 2019 (2:47 pm)

        My bike commute only changes with the direction of the wind or the occasional bridge opening.

    • Jort November 14, 2019 (12:16 pm)

      Just an FYI, there is literally no SDOT director on the planet, ever, who will be able to solve “traffic” because no city in the history of planet earth for all of human civilization has never solved “traffic.” You are hoping for something that literally can not happen. Seattle is not going to be the first city in human history to “solve traffic.”

  • Mark B November 14, 2019 (10:19 am)

    While not as quick as yesterday, fairly smooth sailing today leaving WS at 7:20. Decent backup at the 99 exit onto Alaska/Dearborn.The traffic officers there don’t seem to be adding much – maybe they could be deployed for a couple of days of bus lane enforcement?

    • AMD November 14, 2019 (6:41 pm)

      Yes, please.  More bus lane enforcement.  If there was a GoFundMe for an enforcement camera so that people could be ticketed 24/7 for driving in the BRIGHT RED, clearly-marked lane, I would happily pay more to make that a reality.  My bus commute is fine.  Once in a blue moon there will be a backup caused by something (and once in a bluer moon, caused by nothing) but it is exactly as long as it was before the Viaduct construction started 10 years ago, and as long as it was a year ago when we were routed through the construction site.  Really, the most avoidable delay we face is entitled gits thinking they’re “sticking it to the man” by using bus lanes (when they’re really just sticking it to their neighbors and making our commutes a little crappier).

      • KBear November 14, 2019 (9:10 pm)

        AMD, it is not lack of funds that prevents camera enforcement in the bus lanes. It is state legislators who do not even live in Seattle, who are afraid they might be caught driving in our bus lanes. That’s why camera enforcement is currently illegal (for speeding and red lights too). 

        • WSB November 14, 2019 (11:22 pm)

          It is not illegal for red lights (we have two red-light cams in WS), nor for speeding (if in a school zone). School-bus violation cams are legal too.

  • Checking November 14, 2019 (3:01 pm)

    Tsurly. Have you sold your car and rv?? Still driveing when it’s convenient for you?? Just wondering.

    • tsurly November 15, 2019 (10:37 am)

      No I have not sold my car or RV, because I do like to get out of the city to ski, mountain bike, take vacations, etc. I’ve never in any of my posts suggested that people get rid of their cars, just that they consider trying something different during the work week. I just choose not to drive to work everyday. When I do drive, I own that decision and acknowledge the fact that I am contributing to traffic, rather than blaming it on everyone else.

Sorry, comment time is over.