(Six WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
5:59 AM: Good morning! So far, the weather challenges are all OUTSIDE Seattle – just checked outside, and it’s a chilly, light rain, too warm for snow (if you see any in your neighborhood, let us know – 206-293-6302, voice or text). Be mindful of schools reopening today after two weeks’ vacation, so buses are back on the road, students are walking and riding, etc.

6:09 AM: If you use the 1st Avenue South Bridge – SFD and SPD units are headed to a reported crash on northbound Highway 509 just south of the bridge. “Minor injuries” per dispatch.

6:15 AM: It’s a one-car crash, on the bridge, according to the arriving SFD units, inside northbound lane.

6:27 AM: Two lanes are blocked while up to three people are checked for injuries, so it’s slow going. If this is your route, consider an alternative, or delay your departure.

6:43 AM: Another SFD unit’s been sent, so it doesn’t appear the 1st Avenue Bridge situation will be clearing any time soon. Still the only incident in routes through/from our area.

6:51 AM: 5-mile backup on northbound 509, per WSDOT.

7:06 AM: Crash scene now clear (see the “live” view a few lines up) after an hour – but the backup, of course, will take a while to dissipate. Meantime, SDOT says there’s a stalled vehicle on NB Highway 99 in the stadium zone. Only blocking the shoulder, but could be a distraction.

7:43 AM: Thanks to Adam for the comment re: the stall situation. SDOT also just tweeted that the shoulder’s now clear at Atlantic.

8:33 AM: Still no new incidents in/from West Seattle and vicinity. So here’s a reminder: Delridge-Highland Park Neighborhood Greenway work starts a new phase as soon as today, according to our most recent update from SDOT.

(Added: Photo tweeted by @MetPatrick22)
Thanks to @MetPatrick22 for the tip: Southbound 35th SW is blocked at Webster because of a crash. No medic unit dispatched so far – just one SFD engine – which means no major injuries, but you’ll want to avoid the area for a while.

2:09 PM: Thanks to Jamie for the tip – if you’re headed toward I-5 north, it’s slow going just north of the bridge because of a fire Jamie describes as “under the freeway.” Brush fire, according to the SFD 911 log.

ADDED 2:23 PM: Thanks to Cory for the photo, added above.

ADDED MONDAY AFTERNOON: SFD spokesperson Corey Orvold tells WSB that this remains on the books as a “brush fire” and was not investigated otherwise.

(Six WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
6:25 AM: Happy New Year’s Eve! After another below-freezing night, be mindful of icy spots on some roads, as well as the potential need for windshield-scraping.

ANOTHER TRANSIT REMINDER: Metro continues on a “reduced weekday” schedule for one final day; tomorrow, New Year’s Day, it’ll be on a Sunday schedule. No Water Taxi tomorrow, either.

8:50 AM: WSDOT is using the quiet time to remind everyone of the Highway 99 closures that start in mid-January, north of the Battery Street Tunnel but likely to affect things on this side too. Details are here.

11:49 AM: Via e-mail, Chuck says, “Heads up, there is a motorcycle cop doing traffic enforcement right now on the Admiral Way hill from the WS bridge to the viewpoint park.”

12:33 PM: Beware of icy hills! We’ve been on Admiral and Highland Park Way hills in the past couple hours, still very frosty, and not likely to change much before nightfall, so avoid them tonight too.

ORIGINAL 8:30 PM REPORT: Two traffic alerts:

DELRIDGE/THISTLE CRASH: Thanks to the texter who sent that photo from a car vs. moving van collision on Delridge near Thistle. They report an ambulance was on scene (as well as SFD Engine 11, which has since cleared, according to the fire log). We’re off to check whether the vehicles have been cleared yet.

CALIFORNIA WAY BLACK ICE: Another texter wanted to warn others about black ice on California Way, which connects Harbor Avenue and California Avenue SW – slick enough that they briefly lost control and almost collided with another vehicle. The temperature’s expected to fall below freezing again tonight, so this could be a concern in other places overnight and tomorrow morning. (Note – Minutes after publishing this, we received another text reporting a crash in that area – nothing on the 911 log so we are off to check on that too.)

9:02 PM (UPDATE ON BOTH INCIDENTS): California is closed just north of Hamilton Viewpoint. Delridge should be clear by now – we stopped there while heading here and a tow truck was at work in the SB lanes. Police told us one man from the moving van was taken to the hospital.

9:34 PM UPDATE: While two people have mentioned a flipped vehicle on the California hill between Harbor Avenue and Hamilton Viewpoint, we could not get close enough to verify, with SPD also blocking the road just southwest of Harbor [map] and the reported flipped vehicle not in view from either end. Whatever happened, there’s been no medical callout. While heading away from the area on Harbor, we did see an SDOT sand/plow truck headed toward it. By the way, if you’re looking for an alternative between Admiral and Harbor/Alki, we wouldn’t recommend Fairmount Avenue – that’s what we tried, and it’s icy much of the way, even slushy toward the north end.

10:20 PM UPDATE: Deborah sent a photo of the flipped vehicle:

She says, “No injuries. Lots of nice people stopped to help or inquire. Great police and tow truck support. All clear now.”

(Six WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning! Another between-holidays, no-school commute, but we’re on watch just in case. It’s been below freezing overnight, so be aware of potential iciness.

TRANSIT REMINDER: Metro continues on a “reduced weekday” schedule through tomorrow, and then will be on a Sunday schedule for Friday (New Year’s Day). Also on Friday, no Water Taxi.

(Six WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning! No incidents reported in our area so far this morning.

TRANSIT REMINDER: Metro continues on a “reduced weekday” schedule through Thursday, and then will be on a Sunday schedule for Friday (New Year’s Day).

(Six WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning! It’s Monday, December 28, 2015, and we have transit reminders to start the day:

METRO ON ‘REDUCED WEEKDAY’ SCHEDULE: Monday-Thursday of this week will be “reduced weekday,” while Friday (New Year’s Day) will be on the Sunday schedule.

STATE FERRIES NOW ON WINTER SCHEDULE: The change kicked in on Sunday. See the new schedule here (and the mobile view is here).

SPEAKING OF BOATS: In case you missed it, we reported last week on how the Water Taxi is gearing up to help with the expected Viaduct shutdown when tunneling begins beneath it. Hint: Remember October 2011?

(Six WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning! Another quiet pre-holiday commute so far. Today’s one transit change: Metro is on a “reduced weekday” schedule.

SPEAKING OF HOLIDAY SCHEDULES … coffee, restaurant, grocery-store hours for today and tomorrow (and more) are in our West Seattle Holiday Guide.

WEATHER … The forecast for Christmas morning still includes possible snow showers, but not today.

(Six WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning! Quiet so far. Looking ahead:

TRANSIT CHANGES FOR CHRISTMAS EVE/DAY: Metro will be on a “reduced weekday” schedule tomorrow (Christmas Eve) and a Sunday schedule on Christmas Day (Friday); the Water Taxi will not operate on Friday; Sound Transit Route 560 will be on a weekend schedule Friday.

(Six WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Heading for the heart of the commute, and it’s been quiet so far. One ongoing reminder:

TRANSIT CHANGES FOR CHRISTMAS EVE/DAY: Metro will run “reduced weekday” service on Thursday and a Sunday schedule on Friday; the Water Taxi won’t run on Friday; Sound Transit Route 560 will be on a weekend schedule Friday.

GREENWAY UPDATE: In case you missed it on Monday – here’s the latest on the Delridge-Highland Park Greenway project, four months after the work began.

9:01 AM: Trouble on the Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth state ferry run – just in from WSF via e-mail:

The 8:45 am sailing from Fauntleroy to Southworth, and the 9:20 am sailing from Southworth to Vashon have been cancelled due to necessary repairs on the Cathlamet.

We’ll update here when there’s new info.

9:55 AM: Update from WSF:

The following sailings will be cancelled due to necessary repairs on the Cathlamet: 9:40 am, 10:45 am, 11:30 am, 12:25 pm from Vashon; 10:20 am, 11:55 am, 12:55 pm from Fauntleroy; 11:10 am from Southworth. Updates will be provided when information is available regarding the sailing schedule for the afternoon commute.

5:23 PM: Still a two-boat schedule.

5:54 PM: And now – the Cathlamet and the three-boat schedule are back.

4:03 PM: Two traffic alerts right now:

35TH/AVALON: A Metro bus and Seattle Police car got into a “fender-bender,” no injuries, but the eastbound lanes have been intermittently blocked. And to compound matters, northbound 35th is blocked by construction work, so 35th is one lane each way south of Avalon, for now.

SOUTHBOUND 99: There’s a medic response for a crash near the stadium zone, according to the live 911 log.

4:50 PM: That 99 response is closed now, but SDOT tweeted that a vehicle is blocking the right lane of southbound 99 at the Battery Street Tunnel, so if you’re headed this way from north of there, take note. We can’t check back on 35th/Avalon for a while but it’s likely to have cleared by now, with no medic involvement or serious damage.

5:02 PM: Yet another crash response on southbound 99, this time at Seneca.

(Six WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
6:21 AM: Here’s what you need to know as the week begins in pre-holiday mode:

*No school – winter break is on

*Over the weekend, Metro added “announcements for all scheduled stops instead of intermittent announcements as has previously been the case” for 80 more routes, as part of adjustments to “meet or exceed Federal Transit Administration requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act.” The West Seattle-area routes on the list to be added as of this past Saturday include 21, 22, 37, 50, 60, 113, 120, RapidRide C.

TRANSIT CHANGES FOR CHRISTMAS EVE/DAY: Metro plans “reduced weekday” service on Thursday and Sunday service on Friday; the Water Taxi doesn’t run on Friday; Sound Transit Route 560 will be on a weekday schedule Friday.

8:53 AM: This major-incident-free morning commute is wrapping up; we continue to track traffic through the day, so if you see something, please let us know – 206-293=6302 (provided you can text/call safely/legally, as a passenger, or once you get to where you’re going) – thank you as always!

(Six WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning. Today’s the last day of school before the two-week winter break, and Seattle Public Schools get out an hour early.

PREVIEWS: One more reminder of nighttime Highway 99 closures north of the Battery Street Tunnel, starting tonight – details here. And the citywide weekend alert is here.

GOING TO THE AIRPORT? Whether you’re picking someone up, or departing, you might find this info helpful. Today is the second-busiest travel day of the holiday season at the airport.

(Six WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
6:30 AM: Good morning! Welcome to Thursday, December 17th – one week until Christmas Eve, two weeks until New Year’s Eve, last full day of school before winter break (tomorrow’s an hour-early-dismissal day for Seattle Public Schools).

One reminder to start the day – Friday night marks the first of a series of overnight closures for part of Highway 99 north of the Battery Street Tunnel – full details on the WSDOT website.

9:25 AM: Compounding what – as commenters have noted – has been a lousy traffic morning everywhere, there’s now a report of a crash on the eastbound West Seattle Bridge by the 99 exit. And at this exact moment, the low bridge also has closed to surface traffic.

10:04 AM: Debris reported on the westbound bridge by the Admiral exit – @HommeSea says it’s a broken ladder.

(SCROLL DOWN FOR W. MARGINAL WAY SW CLOSURE UPDATES)

(Six WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:09 AM: Though there’s been no alert from SDOT, we’re told West Marginal Way SW is still closed near the Duwamish Longhouse, following a crash last night that was reported to have taken out a utility pole.

7:38 AM: Our crew has just verified that it’s indeed closed both ways in the 4700 block while Seattle City Light crews work on repairs:

The pole is down by the Herrings House Park entrance on the river side of the road.

8:10 AM: Here’s a view showing the work right over the Duwamish Trail:

8:34 AM: Now there’s a crash at W. Marginal Way and Puget Way. Multiple sources say it involves a semi-truck.

9:09 AM: For now, we’ll continue updating the W. Marginal situation here. We’re also checking with City Light on why this has been an all-night-and-beyond repair job.

9:31 AM: City Light’s Scott Thomsen explains why this has been so complicated:

The crash involved a semi tractor-trailer. It obliterated the pole.

First, crews had to wait for the semi to be removed before they could start work.

They also have had to take extra safety precautions because the location is right next to a railroad line. That’s why the crews have been using the roadway as their work zone. Other safety considerations are in place because of an adjacent high-voltage transmission line.

Then there’s the complicated nature of the repair because of the equipment that particular pole was hosting.

That pole was carrying two feeder circuits and switching gear. It uses our heaviest, most robust wire, so replacing the lines requires more equipment and lineworkers.

Because of the location and the weight of all that gear, the pole was reinforced with a support pole and multiple guy wires on the opposite side of the road.

Crews continue to work on replacing all of that equipment and expect to finish about noon.

11:57 AM: Thanks to the commenter who reported that W. Marginal Way SW now has one lane open each way.

ADDED WEDNESDAY EVENING: We asked SDOT about the lack of signage and other alerts. Spokesperson Norm Mah replied: “While Seattle City Light had appropriate traffic control near their major electrical repair response, advance warning signage on the roadway likely would have been beneficial for providing earlier warning to the traveling public. We will work with SCL to ensure they incorporate that for future emergency repair responses that require temporary roadway closures.”

(Six WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
6:59 AM: As you can see on the traffic cams, it’s foggy as we head into the heart of the commute. No incidents in the area so far.

7:17 AM: Crash at 35th and Willow, with one SFD engine responding.

7:21 AM: The “low bridge” has just closed to surface traffic, according to @SDOTbridges.

7:35 AM: And it’s open again.

7:40 AM: … and closed to surface traffic again.

8:03 AM: Just reopened.

P.S. In case you missed it on Monday, this is what’s happening at the Highway 99 tunnel “access pit” alongside the Viaduct now.

(Six WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
6:03 AM: Welcome to the last full week of fall; the winter solstice is one week from tonight. This is also the last week before schools’ winter break.

HIGHWAY 99 ALERTS: If you use Highway 99 north of the Battery Street Tunnel, nighttime road work might affect you starting this week. Details are on the WSDOT website. As previewed here last Friday, Seattle Public Utilities also plans overnight work starting tonight, with southbound lane closures.

SURVEY FOR ORCA CARDHOLDERS: If you have an ORCA card, this survey’s for you.

RAPIDRIDE C/D LINE’S 2016 SPLIT: In case you missed this on Friday, an update on the March plan sparked some discussion here.

7:40 AM: If you ride the 21X or 22 from the southwesternmost area of the routes, note that a tree on Marine View Drive has led Metro to reroute those buses between 104th and 106th – info’s here. Trisha tells us via e-mail that SDOT is on scene now.

8:06 AM: Our crew is there checking out the tree-removal operation and reports that there’s still a significant chunk of it in the roadway, so MV Drive SW remains closed between 104th and 106th.

8:50 AM: Tree clear, Metro tweets:

(Six WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:29 AM: No incidents affecting the routes through/from West Seattle so far this morning.

One Highway 99 alert announced for next week – north of downtown

The west (outside) southbound lane of Aurora Avenue, between Comstock and Lee Streets, will have temporary lane closures overnight as Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) completes sewer repairs. During the closure, all southbound traffic will be diverted to the center southbound lane.

This work will take place overnight for up to five nights, but weather may extend the schedule. Contractor crews plan to start work the evening of Monday, December 14. Work will occur overnight from 10 p.m. – 6 a.m. During non-work hours the lane will be opened to traffic.

Here’s a map.

8:08 AM: Still nothing to report. So here’s a holiday note – an event we just added last night to the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide, for tomorrow – West Seattle Bike Connections is leading a ride to the Alki Christmas Ship stop tomorrow evening. Decorate your bike! Sign in by 4:15 pm at Seacrest – details on the WSBC website.

1:07 PM: Thanks to the texter who just sent word of wires down on the road at Lincoln Park Way and 47th SW (map), as almost-continuous storm bursts blow through. They called 911 and as verified on the online log, Seattle Fire is on the way.

1:21 PM: Handled quickly – by the time we got there to look, SFD was leaving and the road was clear.

(Six WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
6:47 AM: No incidents so far this morning on routes through/from West Seattle.

8:44 AM: Wrapping up what’s been an incident-free commute. Thanks again to everyone who shares the news when something does happen (as long as you can safely text or call – from the passenger seat or when you get to where you’re going) – 206-293-6302 any time.