4:24 PM: Thanks for the tips. The West Seattle low bridge is malfunctioning again; one reader who’s been waiting says they were told it could be a “few minutes or few hours” – the gates aren’t working. So use an alternate route for now (we know, easier said than done if you’re using human-powered transportation).
6:14 PM: Still not fixed, after more than two hours.
8:43 PM: Just checked the camera for the first time in a while. The bridge is back in service. We’ll follow up with SDOT.
Why would the gates stop someone from biking or walking? I get that lifting the bike over the gate is t ideal, and maybe not possible for everyone so it’s not an excuse or anything. But really, if I show up and hope the gate, ride across, then hop the other gate is there even anything to get in trouble for?
For those of you frustrated by any event which hampers bridge operations, please consider the following. The telemetry-electro-mechanical devices necessary to insure both function and safety are complex, many subjected to harsh conditions and frequent use. These systems – scada signal controls, micro switches signaling to flash a lite or start a pump, high voltage, high pressure hydraulics, sensors to confirm gates are open/closed or issues brought by weather and “acts of a higher power” can, and do fail. Sorry that you are inconvenienced but consider the alternative of rowing a hand hewn canoe across instead and be grateful the bridge even with it’s issues exists. Ever missed work sick, nuff said.
Seems strange lots of other bridges work no problem. Maybe they shoulda built a draw ridge instead of a rotating bridge.
I can assure you the other draw bridges also have periodic issues as well, you just don’t hear about them on the WS Blog.
In a situation like this where it’s just a gate issue and the bridge hasn’t opened up enough you couldn’t cross seems common sense that bike riders and pedestrians could and should just go over the gate and cross.
It is possible there could be some problem that might allow the bridge to suddenly open, or at least swing out of alignment, so you don’t want people jumping the gates. But if the bridge is securely locked then the ped gates really ought to be opened. Biking down to the 1st Ave bridge and back north took me 40 minutes today. It is not a fast route — climb the 1st Ave overpass over the rail yard, weave over to 6th ave, numerous stop signs, a couple of traffic lights, lots of bad pavement, climb the 1st Ave bridge, then back north, two awful RR track crossings, two waits for ped lights to cross W Marginal twice (and only one driver accelerated to blow the red at 50 mph near the Longhouse).
I’m going to get hate for this, but I don’t care anymore. Bike riders and pedestrians are not special, they are not more important than anyone else. If you raise your bike over the gate or climb the closed gate then you are not only violating federal statutes, but you are also putting your life at risk. The gates are closed for a reason and that reason may not be something you can see. People that do that (without the ok from a worker or safety person onsite) are acting like petulant children. Technically if you are caught hopping a gate it is a fine and or penalty. Whether that’s enforced with the low police force or not is another story. Yes it’s frustrating, yes it seems like it’s an every day occurrence but it’s still a safety concern anytime someone decides to hop a gate because they are tired of waiting. My concern is: what is SDOT doing with all of the money they keep getting? They seem to spend millions on less needed projects and next to nothing on repairs to current infrastructure.
Anybody who feels they can just jump a gate or defeat some sort of safety measure should take a Ferry and disembark before it gets to the dock, why wait for that barrier?
Was the drunk driver who crashed into that gate a few weeks ago ever charged?
The driver in that crash is not listed in either felonies or misdemeanors, so not as far as I can tell.
A note to frustrated cyclists: Yes it’s an inconvenience when this happens, but we have several alternatives to get around. You can take the undesirable ride around via the 1st Ave bridge, or put your bike on the bus or water taxi. The water taxi folks will allow oversized cargo bikes on the boat when things like this happen. Just remember that this is overall a few and far in between problem. When I get inconvenienced by the bridge malfunctioning, I immediately feel better when I think of the daily frustration that people who chose to drive must face. We could have it much worse!
Let me first say that I don’t use this bridge but maybe fourteen times a year. I see this topic flair up every once in a while on this blog. I see a lot of valid points from all sides. I would like to comment as a person with no real stake in this mess but one with considerable knowledge on this type of mess from overseas, I’ve been traveling for work for a quarter century. Let me say that I’ve seen much worse. Compared to some places, we have it good. However, I’ve also gone back to some of those same places over the last ten or so years and have seen great improvements. Some of the newish technology being implemented on old bridges, even ones that partially mimic what this unique one does, has been encouraging. I wager we will see improvements if interest in smart public infrastructure spending continues. Washington is an amazing state to visit and live in for that reason. Blogs like this do well in keeping the fire of the topic lit. Couple notes on viewpoints shared here by some of the replies. You all are better than that. No need to attack folks that rather drive. No need to dismiss folks that like two wheels over four. We should all be able to share a pint or a cup of tea/coffee and make this an even better place to live. I look forward to seeing you all continue making this a better place. I’m thankful for it.
WSB. When you follow up with SDOT can you ask if the only issue was the gate, not with the bridge itself. If so, ask what their opinion is on pedestrians or bike riders going over the gate to cross. And the question to ask would be if indeed would those doing so be breaking a federal, or state, or city law as a commenter has claimed.
Sorry, comment time is over.
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