WEST SEATTLE BRIDGE CLOSURE: 4 traffic updates from Councilmember Herbold’s newsletter

This week’s West Seattle Bridge closure update in Councilmember Lisa Herbold‘s weekly newsletter includes 4 new updates related to traffic – first, the latest volumes at key points around the area:

Traffic levels continue to be high in the most recent counts on West Marginal, and are up slightly on the South Park Bridge, Roxbury and 15th, 35th and Raymond, and on East Marginal Way and 1st Avenue South. Citywide traffic levels are around 50% of normal volume.

Second, Herbold’s newsletter also says travel times for West Marginal Way SW are now available via the message boards at Admiral Way/34th SW, Fauntleroy Way/38th SW, and 35th SW/SW Snoqualmie.

Third, something related to the traffic-management planning mentioned in last night’s “Town Hall”:

SDOT is working on neighborhood-based traffic management plans to prepare for the significantly higher levels we can expect. Draft plans for the neighborhoods that will see increased traffic off the peninsula (e.g. South Park, Highland Park/South Delridge/Riverview/Roxhill, as well as SODO and Georgetown) will be released for public comment and further work with the community in early June; SDOT has met with a number of community groups and committed to further meetings to discussing the draft plans. SDOT is considering public suggestions. You can send ideas to SDOT directly at 684-ROAD@seattle.gov. I’m happy to pass on suggestions as well.

And fourth, regarding the oft-suggested idea of moving some ferry traffic from the Fauntleroy dock:

Washington State Ferries replied to my letter requesting they consider re-directing some of the ferry traffic from Vashon and/or Southworth, that usually travels to the Fauntleroy ferry dock, to Downtown Seattle instead; and that they consider trips from Fauntleroy to Downtown. Numerous constituents have written to suggest this.

Ferries replied they are “working with transportation agencies and stakeholders from across the city of Seattle and King County to better understand this dynamic situation, and together we are analyzing a variety of options to address this challenge.”

I appreciate Ferries’ reply, and commitment to work with the City, and analyze options.

Ferries also noted challenges related to their terminals include the limited capacity at Fauntleroy; the reconstruction of Colman Dock through 2023, reducing the number of operating slips from 3 to 2; potential impact to Seattle/Bremerton and Seattle/Bainbridge routes and those communities; the number of ferries they have available; and public input requirements for any schedule changes.

Ferries also notes that their most recent origin-destination study showed 60% of passengers aren’t heading downtown or points north (which is why my request was to “directing some of the traffic between Vashon and/or Southworth to Downtown Seattle”).

If you don’t already get Herbold’s weekly updates, you can find them – usually published Fridays – at herbold.seattle.gov.

17 Replies to "WEST SEATTLE BRIDGE CLOSURE: 4 traffic updates from Councilmember Herbold's newsletter"

  • BBILL May 16, 2020 (4:39 am)

    Hopefully all the commenters here who claimed to know all about the origin and destination points of the drivers who traveled on the ferry will produce some documentation to show that the data WSDOT collected is wrong.

    • Chemist May 16, 2020 (2:23 pm)

      I wouldn’t say it was wrong, but it might be kind of dated since we’re talking about a 2013 survey that was focused on the direction of leaving Seattle for Vashon/Southworth.  Amazon’s employee count in the Seattle area was only 13,000 back then, for perspective.https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/assets/WSF2013OriginDestinationTravelSurveyFolioSouthSoun.pdf

      • BBILL May 16, 2020 (3:49 pm)

        So maybe an updated survey is needed. I’m sure that will go over well with all the people who just like to make data up to justify rerouting ferries.

        • WSB May 16, 2020 (4:26 pm)

          If anyone is truly interested, a MASSIVE amount of data was collected and reported by WSF as part of the year-plus process that led up to the recent schedule change. Should be easy to find.

        • BBILL May 16, 2020 (11:04 pm)

          I thank both of you. I’m reading through the information. Again, I thank you.

  • Mj May 16, 2020 (1:44 pm)

    The ferry traffic is not that significant.  From ferry destination data 40% of traffic heads north, essentially the equivalent of a few full busses. 

    I am wanting to hear what the plan is for adding bus service in areas of WS that are underserved and that do not have midday service.  Transit riders before Covid was 25K a day it seems that this value could be doubled with added service.  What is the plan I ask?

    • BBILL May 16, 2020 (3:52 pm)

      Transit is run by Sound Transit and King County. I will say that vessels and buses do not come at a small capital cost, and thus such purchase is not a small decision, so it might be nice to find out what parameters “the plan” must meet. If I were at Sound Transit or King County Metro, I would not be wanting to spend millions and then find out the bridge is being repaired far sooner than original estimates.

      • East Coast Cynic May 16, 2020 (10:38 pm)

        I would bet a lot of money that the bridge won’t be repaired sooner than original estimates.  Not because I want that to be the case, but rather that I believe the politics of getting the funding for a fixture or replacement of the bridge will be very challenging and make the diagnosis of the bridge’s structural problems a walk in the park by comparison.

        • BBILL May 17, 2020 (11:18 am)

          Political uncertainty: Living in the state of “cut the funding in the middle of the project,” also known as Eyman’s I-976, which the voters approved, transit planning and decisions must be made in an environment where the voters could cut future funding at the next election.

  • Mj May 16, 2020 (4:34 pm)

    BBILL – the busses already exist to increase off peak service, thus the added cost is for drivers not busses.  

    • BBILL May 16, 2020 (8:35 pm)

      The peak times are when added capacity is going to be most needed, but I 100% agree that adding a bunch of trips at 2:00 am could easily be done by only hiring some drivers. I’m not convinced that is helpful, however.

  • Linda May 16, 2020 (5:37 pm)

    As a long time West Seattle Resident (over 32 years) I am telling you that most people are driving their cars because the bus or foot ferries are not practical for going anywhere other than downtown and the university; therefore more buses and ferries will not resolve helping people to get to where they are going.We just need to resolve the WS Bridge issue and move forward.  Failure analysis’s are good practice as long as the right players are at the table.  But if the WS Bridge failure team continues to  look at cost vs why the WS Bridge is failing then we will never get to the bottom of the failure and the team may overlook other contributing issues.

  • Don Brubeck May 16, 2020 (8:57 pm)

    I would just to point out that one rubber tired motor vehicle for carrying a lot of people  is a bus. Two or more of these are buses. One kiss is a buss. Two or more are busses. 

  • WS Resident May 17, 2020 (9:51 am)

    The maritime closures of the 1st Ave South Bridge are causing a huge bottleneck.  Heading south thru the tunnel after an essential family supply drop off in Ballard on Friday mid-afternoon I encountered a back up starting at the very north edge of E Marginal Way to the 1st Ave South Bridge, which was closed for a maritime passing.  I continued south to the South Park Bridge, which was also backed up along E Marginal Way.  Understanding that maritime traffic is essential, what is being done to manage timing of bridge opening?  Remember that this blockage is going to get much, much worse when commutes resume!

    • BBILL May 17, 2020 (11:28 am)

      Request to further restrict the openings will, in my estimation, be denied, but one can always ask. The current restriction on openings is published in 33 CFR 117.1041. Keep in mind that in general maritime traffic has the right-of-way over highway traffic, and that is highly unlikely to change.

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