New Year’s Eve brings a WSB tradition – listing the most-commented-on stories of the year. Going through the archives, what surprised us a bit is what the list is missing compared to a year earlier – we’ll point it out at the end if you haven’t figured it out by then! By the way, while this list is traditionally a “top 10,” this year it’s 13 stories long because there were three ties along the way. And our caveat – thsse are not necessarily the most-imoortant or most-read stories of the year, just the ones that generated the most comments. On with the countdown:
#10 – HERBOLD, TAVEL LEAD DISTRICT 1 VOTE
August 6, 2019 – 103 comments
First results in the 3-candidate primary race for the District 1 seat on the Seattle City Council.
(February 10, 2019 photo sent by Eddie V)
#9 – WEST SEATTLE SNOW (Sunday pm updates)
February 10, 2019 – 106 comments
Remember all that February snow? On this afternoon/evening, several inches fell, and WSB commenters did what they do best, sharing info and observations.
#8 (tie) – CITY PLANS TO REDUCE SPEED LMITS
December 10, 2019 – 111 comments
City leaders announced they’ll reduce arterlal speed limits to 25 mph in hopes of reducing the number of crashes resulting in deaths and serious injuries.
(SDOT camera image showing bus lane’s location, September 2019)
#8 (tie) – NEW 99 BUS LANE ‘PROBLEM’ ACKNOWLEDGED
September 27, 2019 – 111 comments
A bus lane was added to a stretch of NB 99. Uproar ensued. This was one of our followups.
(Screengrab from SDOT traffic camera at 1st/Madison, August 2019)
#7 – THE PLAN TO REDUCE PM COMMUTE SLUGGISHNESS
August 2, 2019 – 117 comments
The “Seattle Squeeze” put buses on 1st Avenue and that led to a clamor of complaints about how long it took to get home from downtown, so SDOT announced some tweaks.
(Reader video of March 2019 tree/wire fire, from Betsy)
#6 (tie) – BIG POWER OUTAGE
March 20, 2019 – 118 comments
6,200+ customers lost power after a line went down and set a tree on fire near a City Light facility in North Delridge.
(Water Taxi line at Seacrest, January 14, 2019)
#6 (tie) – FIRST POST-VIADUCT WEEKDAY COMMUTE
January 14, 2019 – 118 comments
We tracked how the morning commute went on the first day after the closure of the Alaskan Way Viaduct for the tunnel transition.
#5 – DISTRICT 1 VOTE-COUNTING CONTINUES
November 8, 2019 – 122 comments
The fourth count post-general election locked in the re-election of Councilmember Lisa Herbold, as her lead over Phil Tavel was larger than the number of votes left to count.
(44th/Oregon shoveler, February 12, 2019)
#4 (tie) – SLUSHY
February 12, 2019 – 132 comments
First the snow, then the melt.”
(California Way, photo from Al, February 8, 2019)
#4 (tie) – SNOW STARTS
February 8, 2019 – 132 comments
A “wall of snow” moved in. Here’s how things shook out.
#3 – WINDSTORM TAKES OUT POWER
January 6, 2019 – 141 commments
Windy weather cut the electricity to about 8,000 customers.
#2 – WHITE NATIONALIST GROUP’S FLYERS STREWN IN WEST SEATTLE
January 6, 2019 – 142 comments
Multiple West Seattle neighborhoods were littered with weighted bags containing literature for a white-nationalist group.
#1 – GENERAL ELECTION RESULTS, NIGHT 1
November 5, 2019 – 156 comments
When the first vote count was announced on Election Night, incumbent Herbold led challenger Tavel for City Council District 1.
PREVIOUS YEARS: Here are our most-commented-stories lists, going back to 2011:
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
WHAT’S NOT IN THIS YEAR’S TOP 10: No crime stories made the most-commented list this year, first year with that distinction since 2015.
| 14 COMMENTS