TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Monday notes; 11th week of West Seattle Bridge closure

5:58 AM: Good morning – the 70th morning without the high-rise West Seattle Bridge – the first morning after the expiration of the Stay Home/Stay Healthy order, although nothing major is changing immediately. But if you’re headed out – here are the cameras for the 5-way intersection at West Marginal/Delridge/Spokane/Chelan, and the restricted-access low bridge:

The main detour route across the Duwamish River is the 1st Avenue South Bridge (map) – here’s that camera:

The other major bridge across the river is the South Park Bridge (map) – this camera shows the SP-side approach:

Check the @SDOTBridges Twitter feed for info about any of those bridges opening for marine traffic.

You can see all local traffic cams here; locally relevant cameras are also shown on this WSB page.

TRANSIT

Metro – Check the Twitter feed for any breaking service changes. Otherwise – still on the reduced schedule and reduced capacity; check here for next departure

Water Taxi – Reduced schedule continues

Sound Transit reminder – Link light rail and Sounder trains will start charging fares again today

Trouble on the roads/paths? Let us know what you’re seeing – comment or text (but not if you’re driving!) 206-293-6302.

drm June 1, 2020 (6:28 am)

Well, now it’s 2 months. Tired of the excuses.

WHERE ARE THE CRANES???

Smittytheclown June 1, 2020 (7:50 am)

Didn’t you hear? We need to monitor the bridge cracks for two years, then we can take another two to demo and THEN we can spend 10 years rebuilding,Easy peezy!
Ant June 1, 2020 (9:57 am)

Cranes for what – some rushed, IKEA plans for a bridge that will fail again? I much prefer experts take the necessary time to fix the root cause and not deploy a bandaid.
Frog June 1, 2020 (1:49 pm)

I feel your pain, and I put it to music:

Isn’t it rich?

Still more delay.

Sitting in traffic again

on Highland Park Way.

Where are the cranes?

Doesn’t it suck?

SDOT I’m sure.

It takes me three hours to get home

with this detour.

Send in the cranes.

There ought to be cranes.

Well, maybe next year.
- Cowboy June 1, 2020 (2:39 pm)
  
  Guitar chords?
- sw June 1, 2020 (3:23 pm)
  
  This is the content I’m here for.
rick June 11, 2020 (9:06 am)

i like to know why the news channels or there isn’t a website reporting traffic flow on detours out of west seattle and various ways to i-5?
- WSB June 11, 2020 (10:03 am)
  
  What exactly are you looking for? The city’s map has travel times and more, for example:
  https://web6.seattle.gov/Travelers/

Question June 1, 2020 (7:18 am)

Why is the low bridge still restricted now that the stay home order is lifted/renamed? How does the city expect this to work?

psps June 1, 2020 (7:45 am)

The idea is that everyone adds 50 miles to their commute, rides a bike, or takes the covid express. Or something like that.
Anne June 1, 2020 (7:50 am)

My understanding is that the restrictions on the low bridge are permanent -have nothing do with COVID stay home orders & will be in place until we have repaired/replaced the high bridge. The city expects us to take alternate routes , transit or use bikes. Umm- we’re talking years here -so get used to it.
miws June 1, 2020 (8:33 am)

Ummm…because it would be even *more* crowded than during the SAHO, which would potentially delay emergency vehicles and transit even *more*…? —Mike
AMD June 1, 2020 (8:35 am)

The restrictions on the low bridge never had anything to do with the stay home, stay healthy order. It is to ensure emergency vehicles will have access to it, as it would get overwhelmed with traffic and backed up most hours of the day with no restrictions. People that can work from home, should. People that can take mass transit or ride a bike, should. People that have no choice but to drive downtown should give themselves extra time.
- 1994 June 1, 2020 (8:59 pm)
  
  Not everyone is headed towards downtown. Some people need to head south, others east. And without the WSB even those NOT headed towards downtown are caught up in the mess.
West Seattle Mad Sci Guy June 1, 2020 (8:45 am)

The lower bridge restrictions were never tied to try stay at home order.
heartless June 1, 2020 (8:54 am)

But now the restriction is more important. Too much traffic & low bridge = parking lot, no emergency services would be able to get thru, freight would be delayed, etc.
Also John June 1, 2020 (9:01 am)

100% guaranteed that if the lower bridge opens it will be bumper to bumper stopped traffic both ways. This will prevent emergency vehicles from getting in and out of West Seattle.
RobS June 1, 2020 (11:34 pm)

We need emergency and Transit access to West Seattle via the bridge. One lane won’t help us in cars anyway but access to hospitals and transit that can move will help us all.

West Seattle Hipster June 1, 2020 (8:11 am)

Plan on the bridge being out of service for a minimum of 5 years. Also plan on the city not making egress in and out of WS any easier.

Joe Paschke June 1, 2020 (9:18 am)

The low bridge should be open to regular traffic after 9:00 pm and closed at 5:00 am on weekdays and 6:00 pm to 6:00 am on weekends.

AdmiralBridge June 1, 2020 (9:33 am)

Can we stop with the low-bridge whining? It is not a matter of the Stay at Home order, it is a matter of our collective safety to allow for the true emergency vehicles to have a shot at making it to First Hill before one of us strokes out. Until they either create a helipad for WS, or build a field hospital, please accept the extra ten minutes of driving as a necessary evil to avoid further tragedy.But, yes, am tired of the excuses although I didn’t expect cranes yet. Are the materials on order to shore up the bridge? Have we contracted the shoring? Have we completed the decision tree analysis? Unfortunately this weekend – because we’re so willing to accept violence as part of the deal when we protest- we just lost a bunch of time and money with an unneeded distraction

WSB June 1, 2020 (10:51 am)

The low bridge restrictions likely WILL change, as we reported in this story last week.
https://westseattleblog.com/2020/05/west-seattle-bridge-closure-see-whos-on-the-community-task-force-and-technical-advisory-panel-plus-what-else-is-happening/

Joe Z June 1, 2020 (11:12 am)

The detour hasn’t been that bad…generally 15-20 minutes extra. If it gets to 45 min it will be a problem but for now it hasn’t been that big of a deal.

skeeter June 1, 2020 (11:51 am)

According to this SDOT Blog, “King County Metro added bus stops on Harbor Island.”Can someone please tell me where these Harbor Island bus stops are???https://sdotblog.seattle.gov/2020/05/26/taking-action-on-the-ground-and-in-the-community-to-mitigate-impacts-of-the-west-seattle-high-rise-bridge-closure/

Flo B June 1, 2020 (1:02 pm)

Per WSB Seattle fire has already put extra units in WS. Reality check: I’ve been in PLENTY of heavy traffic situations. I’ve seen emergency vehicles GET THOUGH. I have yet to see, or read about an emergency vehicle not making it to the scene.

WSB June 1, 2020 (1:48 pm)

There is ONE added unit in WS (Ladder 13, supposedly starting today, we’re trying to verify), ONE in South Park (Medic 26) That does not at all maean emergency responders do not need to get across the river quickly.
skeeter June 1, 2020 (2:33 pm)

Flo B. It’s not just about emergency vehicles. Also about transit. Basically every bus has been routed to the lower Spokane St. Bridge. We simply cannot have busses waiting in line for an hour in order to cross the bridge. I get it – prohibiting cars on the lower bridge is a horrible solution. But it’s better than the alternative of having a 2 mile backup of cars trying to cross the lower bridge.

Flo B June 1, 2020 (1:06 pm)

WSB. Has SPD, SFD and AMR said anything about needing car’s off the low bridge??

Flo B June 1, 2020 (3:02 pm)

I don’t want to see ANY emergency vehicle stuck, but in all my years of driving, or riding on Metro I’ve NEVER EVER seen an emergency vehicle stuck in traffic. They’re AMAZEINGLY good at weaving through traffic. Actually saw an article in the Times about aid cars having to dodge pedestrians downtown because they were trying to run across the street in front of them.

bill June 1, 2020 (4:29 pm)

@Flo: Do you not understand time is of the essence in an emergency? So what if an emergency vehicle can eventually get through. If “getting through” delays it 10 minutes the patient may die.
Tony W June 2, 2020 (12:07 pm)

The traffic on the lower bridge will consist of buses. How do buses “make way” for EV?

Flo B June 1, 2020 (6:09 pm)

Bill. I TOTALLY understand that time is of the essence. But we live in a big city. Unless you make a dedicated lane for emergency vehicles only the danger of a traffic, construction, or bridge being open for marine traffic delay is there. I’ll say it again. I’ve watched EV’s get through heavy traffic and no, it didn’t add 10 minutes. I’ve also been sitting at the old drawbridge(Ballard bridge also)waiting for marine traffic and had fire trucks,aid cars,police cars on emergency runs waiting also.

Jon Duncan June 1, 2020 (6:29 pm)

Living up in North Admiral I do feel safe having an empty bridge to take me to the hospital. Now that my daily commute takes me thru the Highland Park and South Park bridges that are at a complete standstill I worry about my friends to the south. From Highland park it can take 45 min to get to I-5 from any of the three bridges now.

AMD June 1, 2020 (9:25 pm)

There is a hospital in Burien if we in the south end get really desperate. ;) (Snark aside, you can still go north on Delridge to the Spokane Street bridge from Highland Park. It’s a bit longer than the 1st ave bridge if traffic were equal, but it’s not terrible at all.)

KBear June 1, 2020 (10:30 pm)

First the armchair engineers who insist that the West Seattle Bridge should already be rebuilt, and now we have armchair emergency vehicle drivers who imagine that sirens and lights would magically clear a crowded two lane road full of oblivious drivers who don’t even know they’re supposed to pull over to the nonexistent shoulder. Yeah, that would totally work!

Anne June 2, 2020 (9:46 am)

Were talking about a BRIDGE-how do emergency vehicles weave through traffic on a BRIDGE.?
Anne June 2, 2020 (9:46 am)

How do you pull over to the shoulder of a 2 lane bridge anyway?

Flivver June 2, 2020 (9:55 am)

Anne. If both lanes pull far right the ev’s go between. The ev’s I’ve seen go by are master’s of getting through. I’ll point out the there are times that container trucks headed to Harbor Island are backed up bumper to bumper past 4th ave. They would be blocking everybody.