(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Another no-incident morning commute so far in this area.

SCHOOLS & SCHOOL ZONES: As a result of developments yesterday, Seattle Public Schools will open tomorrow (Thursday, September 17th). So that’s when to expect school buses, families dropping off kids, people walking and biking, etc. And as noted here last night, West Seattle will have a fourth speed-enforcement camera, on Delridge Way by Louisa Boren K-8 STEM/interim Arbor Heights Elementary.

RECHANNELIZATION REMINDER: Work continued last night on Roxbury (which is being rechannelized between 35th and 17th) and 35th (between Roxbury and Willow). Other changes are planned on both in addition to the restriping.

48TH & 49TH SW: The Seattle Public Utilities sewer-repair projects are under way or getting under way – the work on 48th at Edmunds is expected to last all week; work on 49th SW in Seaview could start as soon as today.

ADDED 8:10 AM – NEW WATER TAXI, CLOSER LOOK: As we’ve mentioned, the new West Seattle Water Taxi, M/V Doc Maynard, has arrived in Seattle and is on test runs, prior to its dedication Friday, though it won’t be on the WS run for another month or so (it’ll be filling in on the Vashon run while its twin M/V Sally Fox goes in for maintenance). Thanks to those who’ve sent more photos – starting with this one from Mike. We hadn’t seen the skyline detail before:

Here’s a full-length look, also at Seacrest, from Lise Thivierge:

The Friday dedication is on the downtown waterfront but you can ride the current Water Taxi to and from the event as space permits, per King County’s announcement (starting with the Seacrest departure at 10:45 am).

(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:19 AM: No incidents to report as the heart of Tuesday’s morning commute approaches.

SCHOOLS & SCHOOL ZONES: It’s day 5 of the Seattle Education Association strike, so Seattle Public Schools remain closed; the union says negotiators pulled an all-nighter and are still going. Independent/parochial schools remain open. School-zone beacons are still flashing in public-school zones, because, SDOT says, they’re pre-programmed, but if you get an automated-camera ticket from a strike day, SPD is not supposed to be enforcing those. (Unless it’s from the Holy Family School zone near 20th on Roxbury, where school IS in session.) **7:57 AM UPDATE** See our separate story for news of a tentative agreement.

(back to original 7:19 am report) Road-work notes:

ROXBURY/35TH: As reported here, work on both projects continued last night, so you’ll see changes in striping, for starters.

48TH & 49TH SW: The Seattle Public Utilities projects are getting under way. We added SPU’s update to yesterday’s traffic/transit report late in the day – in case you missed it:

The work on 49th Avenue SW at Edmunds was scheduled to begin the week of September 8. The contractor started light mobilization last week and began heavier construction (Monday) morning. Work on the sewer repair will take approximately one week.

* The work on 48th Ave SW between SW Juneau and SW Raymond Street will begin this week, with mobilization as early as Wednesday, and will also take approximately one week to complete.

FERRIES START FALL SCHEDULE SUNDAY: Washington State Ferries starts its fall schedule this Sunday (September 20th); for Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth, that means fewer weekend sailings.

8:39 AM: A portable classroom will be delivered to West Seattle Elementary this morning, we’ve just learned, around 11 am, on the 34th SW side.

(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
No incidents in the area so far this morning. And still no school for Seattle Public Schools – this is the fourth weekday of the Seattle Education Association strike. (Non-public schools remain in session.) Road-work alerts:

SB 21ST BETWEEN ANDOVER & GENESEE: This section of 21st will be closed to through traffic for repair work as part of the Delridge-Highland Park Neighborhood Greenway project, as announced here.

ROXBURY/35TH RECHANNELIZATION: Nighttime work to restripe and remove the old stripes (via hydroblasting) is beginning – crews were seen out last night on Roxbury. Here’s the alert.

8:40 AM: Just checked out Roxbury. It is now officially rechannelized (one travel lane each way, center turn lane) from 35th to just west of 17th.

The old lane lines are mostly gone west of 22nd; still some work to do east of there.

9:04 AM: We also went again to see if the SPU sewer work on 48th/49th has begun. While we still haven’t found anything in the Seaview area, we did find crews on 49th north of Hudson, which is closed to through traffic. (This also might affect you on west-east routes – we initially went west on Hudson and had to turn into the alley because it was closed at Hudson.) We’re checking with SPU to get an update.

10:36 AM: Nothing to add to that yet but – a crash reported in the 7100 block of W. Marginal Way, blocking southbound lanes right now, per scanner traffic. No injuries reported so far.

4:49 PM: Here’s what SPU says about the road projects:

The work on 49th Avenue SW was scheduled to begin the week of September 8. The contractor started light mobilization last week and began heavier construction this morning, as you saw. Work on the sewer repair will take approximately one week.

* The other sewer repair project you mention is on 48th Ave SW. The work on 48th Ave SW between SW Juneau and SW Raymond Street will begin this week, with mobilization as early as Wednesday, and will also take approximately one week to complete.

(City cameras appear to be down – see other state cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
6:40 AM: Good morning. We start with word of a crash at Delridge/Oregon – a texter tells us Delridge is closed southbound at Genesee. More…

6:45 AM: SB has just reopened, per scanner. City Light was checking out a utility pole because of the crash.

6:52 AM: Reminder that Seattle Public Schools are NOT in session; it’s the third day of the Seattle Education Association‘s strike. Instead of picketing, teachers have service projects today, most of which the community’s invited to join – see our list here.

SCHOOL-ZONE BEACONS/CAMERAS: Some (if not all) have been flashing despite school not being in session. If anyone receives a ticket from a camera in Seattle Public Schools areas – Roxhill and Gatewood (the new camera near STEM/temp Arbor Heights on Delridge would be starting with warnings only) – SDOT tells us, “Our understanding is that the Seattle Police Department will not issue citations based on camera data for the public schools which are not yet open; however, citations will be given for speeding in the case of Holy Family School, which is open and operating.” We’re still checking on the issue of why the beacons are flashing at all. (added) To that last point, SDOT’s Marybeth Turner says, “The beacons are programmed. To have some working and some not would take custom programming. We’re looking into that.”

ADDED 7:25 AM – TODAY’S ROAD-WORK ALERTS: As published here last night, SDOT says microsurfacing work scheduled to be completed in Arbor Heights/Arroyos areas yesterday was not, so it’s happening today instead. … 35th SW paving work between Cambridge and Barton, which DID begin on Thursday, is scheduled to continue today … As of our check yesterday morning, the SPU sewer projects on 48th and 49th SW had not started; we’re checking again today.

(Four WS-relevant views – more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:32 AM: Good morning. Again this morning, so far, no incidents.

SCHOOLS: This is day two of the Seattle Public Schools strike, so no students at those campuses, but all independent/parochial schools are now back in session as of yesterday.

Road-work reminders:

35TH SW PAVING STARTING TODAY: As part of preparation for SDOT‘s 35th and Roxbury rechannelization work, 35th SW is scheduled to be repaved between SW Cambridge and SW Barton starting today – here’s the announcement.

ARBOR HEIGHTS MICROSURFACING: Continues today – see the map and announcement here.

48TH AND 49TH SW CLOSURE: Seattle Public Utilities is closing 49th SW between Edmunds and Alaska for sewer repairs. And starting today, it’s also scheduled to work on 48th SW between Juneau and Raymond, closing that stretch to through traffic during the work hours, with “local access … with the assistance of a traffic flagger.” Work will take up to five days, 7 am-5 pm.

Following up on bus cancellations:

APOLOGY CARDS: Via Twitter, in the wake of a wave of cancellations, on north West Seattle routes in particular, recently. Let us know if you see these:

We published a followup yesterday, with Metro’s general manager giving his explanation to City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, who plans a hearing later this month on Metro’s first three months since the infusion of city money that among other things led to a Metro promise that the routes hit hardest recently would become more reliable, not less.

ADDED 8:09 AM: Thanks – we’ve heard from several riders who have indeed seen the cards. Meantime, thanks to NorDel, who points out in comments that the Mariners have a day game today, hosting the Texas Rangers at 12:40 pm.

8:57 AM – ROAD WORK UPDATE: Just went to the three locations mentioned above. The repaving work on 35th SW between Cambridge and Barton is indeed getting started – trucks were staging when we went through about half an hour ago. However, no sign of work at the 48th or 49th locations, so we’ll be checking with SPU.

7:31 PM: SDOT says it didn’t finish the microsurfacing today after all, and will do more work tomorrow.

(Four WS-relevant views – more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning. No incidents so far, but we do have road-work alerts:

ARBOR HEIGHTS MICROSURFACING: Starts today – see the map and announcement here.

49TH SW CLOSURE: Seattle Public Utilities is closing 49th SW between Edmunds and Alaska for sewer repairs.

48TH SW CLOSURE STARTING TOMORROW: Another project announced by SPU starts tomorrow:

Beginning September 10, Seattle Public Utilities will repair sewer lines on 48th Avenue SW between SW Juneau Street and SW Raymond Street. This work will require closing 48th Avenue SW to through traffic. Local access will be available with the assistance of a traffic flagger. Work may take up to five days to complete with hours from 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM. The lanes will remain closed for the duration of work hours, and will be opened to traffic after non-work hours. Metro bus 37 will run as normal.

35TH SW PAVING STARTING TOMORROW: Preparation for SDOT‘s 35th and Roxbury rechannelization work continues, and starting tomorrow, 35th will be repaved between SW Cambridge and SW Barton – here’s that announcement.

Also, though Seattle Public Schools are NOT opening today because of the Seattle Education Association strike announced last night – with picketing planned at all SPS campuses 8:30 am-3 pm today – some independent schools do start the year today:

BACK TO SCHOOL: This is the first day at the new Westside School campus (34th SW & SW 104th) as well as Explorer West Middle School (10015 28th SW) and West Seattle Montessori (11215 15th SW); all three are WSB sponsors.

Last Friday, we showed you the start of preparation work for SW Roxbury rechannelization and other changes. SDOT had said it would be staging for and working on the 35th SW changes – as announced in July (presentation above) – concurrently, and has just sent this update:

Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) crews will begin re-paving 35th Avenue SW between SW Cambridge and SW Barton streets Thursday, September 10. This work will occur from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. and is expected to take one week.

In addition, SDOT crews will begin re-channeling SW Roxbury Street and 35th Avenue SW after the repaving work has begun. Work will occur from 7 p.m. until 5 a.m. for about two to three weeks, weather permitting. Crews will also modify traffic signals and signal detection systems.

What to expect:

• Re-paving on 35th Avenue SW between SW Cambridge and SW Barton streets

• Re-channelization on:
• SW Roxbury Street between 17th Avenue SW and 35th Avenue SW
• 35th Avenue SW between SW Roxbury Street and SW Morgan Street
• SW Barton Street between 34th Avenue SW and 36th Avenue SW

Paving and signal work will occur between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., and channelization work between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. Expect periodic lane closures in construction areas and temporary parking restrictions. Moderate construction noise is expected when the existing pavement markings are removed.

This work is part of the 35th Avenue SW and SW Roxbury Street Road Safety Corridor Project, which aims to make streets safer and more accessible for everyone. The projects are expected to be completed by mid-October. SDOT appreciates the public’s patience while this work is being completed.

We note that the SDOT announcement today mentions “Roxbury to Morgan” for 35th, while it was “Roxbury to Willow” when announced in mid-July, so we’re following up on that.

Meantime, you can see the Roxbury plan in our coverage of the announcement last April.

3:24 PM NOTE: Project manager Jim Curtin confirms the rechannelization remains Roxbury to **Willow,** not Morgan.

(Four WS-relevant views – main bridge cameras weren’t working as of early morning – more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
Good morning. Here’s what you need to know as the holiday-shortened week begins:

ROAD WORK TODAY: Seattle Public Utilities’ closure of 49th SW between Edmunds and Alaska could start as early as today.

REMINDER FOR TOMORROW: The rescheduled microsurfacing work in Arbor Heights is scheduled to start Wednesday – see the map and announcement we published last week.

BACK TO SCHOOL: In addition to the parochial schools that have already started their year, independent Tilden School (California SW & SW Dakota; WSB sponsor) starts back today (easing in with a half-day, dismissal at noon). The rest of the independent schools start back tomorrow. That as you likely know is also supposed to be Seattle Public Schools‘ first day of classes, but might see the start of a strike instead.

EXTENDED WATER-TAXI SERVICE TONIGHT … because of the Mariners game.

(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:11 AM: No incidents in the area so far. But here’s one West Seattle bus cancellation announced by Metro so far this morning:

LABOR DAY TRANSIT REMINDERS: On Monday (September 7th), Metro will be on a Sunday schedule. So will the West Seattle Water Taxi run, and the Washington State Ferries Fauntleroy-Vashon-Southworth route. Sound Transit Route 560 will be on its “weekend” schedule.

8:05 AM: Trouble on northbound I-5 downtown – if you are headed out, you might consider an alternate route:

The SFD real-time 911 log lists this as a medic response.

Two road-work alerts for next week, to keep in mind before you check out for the long holiday weekend:

ARBOR HEIGHTS MICROSURFACING RESCHEDULED: The work originally scheduled for this week was postponed because of the stormy weather – and now, SDOT says it’s set the new dates, next Wednesday and Thursday, September 9th and 10th. However, they can’t just do it all as originally scheduled because SW 104th Street, now home to the new Westside School campus, is part of the project area, so they’re working on a specific plan for 104th. Otherwise, the rest of the area is getting neighborhood notifications of the new schedule today. We’ll have an update when the 104th plan is finalized and added in.

49TH SW CLOSURE: From Seattle Public Utilities:

Seattle Public Utilities will repair the sewer line near the intersection of 49th Avenue SW and SW Edmunds Street. This work will require closing 49th Avenue SW to through traffic between SW Alaska Street and SW Edmunds Street. Local access will be available with the assistance of a traffic flagger. Contractor crews plan to start work the week of September 8. Work will take up to five business days to complete with hours of 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM. The lanes will remain closed for the duration of work hours and will be opened to traffic after non-work hours. Metro bus 37 will run as normal.

(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:34 AM: Good morning! No incidents so far in our area or on the major outbound routes.

BACK TO SCHOOL: The local parochial schools are all back in session as of yesterday. And if you travel south of West Seattle, note that today is the first day of classes for Highline Public Schools (White Center and beyond).

SEAHAWKS GAME TONIGHT: The West Seattle Water Taxi will have extended service for tonight’s pre-season home game vs. the Raiders.

LABOR DAY TRANSIT PREVIEW: Monday (September 7th) is the holiday, and Metro will be on a Sunday schedule. So will the WS Water Taxi run.

ADDED 8:23 AM – ‘TRAFFIC THROWBACK THURSDAY’: Still relatively quiet. So how about a “Traffic Throwback Thursday” view from the Seattle Municipal Archives?

Click the photo to go to a city webpage with a larger view. The SMA says that building, photographed in 1914, was at 4525 44th SW – which would put it right across the street from the microhousing project the SW Design Review Board is looking at tonight.

ADDED 8:46 AM: Thanks to Doug for tweeting that a vehicle’s broken down on the bridge by the 99 offramp – but it’s off to the side, so not much trouble, so far.

ADDED 4:45 PM: Today’s two bus cancellation announcements:

Earlier:

8:36 PM: A crash on the eastbound West Seattle Bridge has closed the ramp to NB Highway 99, according to SDOT. We’re hearing that no one is seriously injured, so the closure might not last too long.

9:23 PM UPDATE: SDOT says the crash is clear and the ramp is open again.

(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:34 AM: Good morning. More rain due later today.

BACK TO SCHOOL: As of today, all the local parochial schools are back in session – today is the first day for Hope Lutheran and Holy Family (whose area of Roxbury has school-zone cameras – see the enforcement schedule here).

METRO CANCELLATIONS: In our followup published last night, a King County Department of Transportation spokesperson explained that cancellations aren’t new but their efforts to notify riders via texts/tweets are, while also responding to our questions about hiring efforts, since personnel shortages are behind the cancellations. So far this morning, one announced cancellation in West Seattle, the Route 37 run at 6:46 am.

ADDED 7:55 AM – SPEAKING OF TRANSIT: Just tweeted by Amanda Kay Helmick (who co-chairs the WS Transportation Coalition and Westwood-Roxhill-Arbor Heights Community Council):

10:12 AM: We’re following up on that bus bench, by the way. Meantime, in addition to the 49th/Graham crash we’re covering, there’s a stalled vehicle reported to be partly blocking the Admiral offramp on the westbound West Seattle Bridge – tow truck has been requested.

ADDED 2:17 PM: In subsequent tweets, Helmick had said she was told the bench was removed because homeless people were sleeping on it. Metro spokesperson Jeff Switzer cites loitering and drug dealing:

The bench in this shelter was removed April 20 at the request of Metro Transit Police due to chronic loitering and drug dealing* in the bus shelter. Removing the bench can often discourage this type of activity in a bus shelter. We don’t like to remove any benches needed by our customers, but it is an option we use when needed to try to reduce security issues in a bus shelter that otherwise drive customers away.

We’re monitoring and are open to further discussions with the community about solutions that work for this location. We’ve had two walking tours in this area with community leaders, Seattle Police and Metro Transit Police. We are always open to working with social service groups and law enforcement to address homeless and security issues beyond Metro’s control.

Metro staff were notified and plan to remove the giant rocks found in the shelter so riders don’t accidentally trip and become injured.

We covered both of those walking tours – most recently, at the end of March, about 3 weeks before the bench-removal date mentioned by Switzer; the previous one was 15 months earlier, at the end of 2013. Our coverage noted that liquor was mentioned as a problem at that bus stop – with four places to get it nearby.

2:32 PM: *Referring to the asterisk and struck-out text above – at the exact moment we were publishing that update, Switzer sent a note saying that Metro Transit Police corrected themselves in a followup note to him, saying it was alcohol, not drug dealing, that was the problem at this stop.

3:02 PM: Back to bus cancellations – just tweeted:

4:58 PM: Avoid Barton between Roxhill Park and the east end of Westwood Village – a potential-hazmat response has blocked off the street. Also, while this is bound to be causing some bus problems, there were more *unrelated-to-this* cancellations noted by Metro – we’re posting them here for the record:

(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:10 AM: Soggy and slow going out there – no specific incidents reported in our area so far.

BACK TO SCHOOL: Parochial schools are returning this week – today is the first day of school for Our Lady of Guadalupe (35th/Myrtle) and the second day for Holy Rosary (42nd/Genesee), so be mindful of school zones, buses, and crosswalks. Also, we’re told the buses that serve Seattle Public Schools will be out practicing routes.

7:14 AM – TRANSIT ALERT JUST IN: Tweeted and texted by Metro:

4:36 PM – THREE MORE TRANSIT ALERTS: We have a question out to Metro about how much longer these seemingly daily cancellations will continue. Meantime, three more tweeted/texted this afternoon, noted here for the record:

5:53 PM – ANOTHER ONE:

Fifth tweeted/texted WS Metro cancellation today.

6:24 PM: As Jeff from KCDOT mentions in comments, that one is back on (we were in transit to a meeting when the “back on” text/tweet came in):

We’ll have Metro’s explanation/update in a separate story later this evening.

(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
6:21 AM: Good morning! West Seattle’s last sizable power outage ended overnight, and that means the Highland Park Way hill should be open again; if you discover otherwise, please let us know – text/call 206-293-6302 (when you can do so safely & legally, if you’re not a passenger – thanks!).

ROAD-WORK ALERT: If not delayed by weather, today is the scheduled start of microsurfacing work in Arbor Heights – here’s the map and flyer.

10:18 AM UPDATE: SDOT says it has indeed delayed the microsurfacing work: “Due to the rain over the weekend and the rain in the forecast this week, we are postponing the work until dry weather returns to the forecast. The treatment is not effective when applied in wet conditions. Streets scheduled for Monday or Tuesday work will not be closed at this time. We will microsurface the scheduled roads within the next 2 weeks. Two to three days before the work begins, we will notify residents, businesses and organizations along streets to be closed and post ‘No Parking’ signs.”

7:36 AM: Thanks to Jason for the photo from an early-morning crash on a notoriously tricky stretch of road, the Olson Place curve at the east end of Roxbury. He reports it involved one car, whose driver crashed into a pole. Only one engine was dispatched, no medic unit, so it does not appear to have involved major injuries. It rained most of the night, so take extra care wherever you’re going this morning – we’re off to check on other potential trouble spots, including Highland Park Way, reported still closed at dawn, and the 35th SW/Avalon/Alaska tree situation.

8:31 AM: We’re out on rounds now.

35th SW is open again and the tree is out of the wires, in pieces on the ground (photo above). The sidewalk remains taped off.

(Photo from Margaret)
The Highland Park Way hill remains closed, with cleanup crews visible from the Holden intersection (photo above).

(Added: We also checked on Olson, scene of the crash at the top of this story, and it’s clear.)

8:59 AM: If you’re heading out of West Seattle, take note that you won’t be able to get past Seneca Street on NB 99 for a while: There’s a crash at Western, and the Battery Street Tunnel has been closed both ways because of “weather conditions,” according to SPD. We’ll update when this changes.

9:28 AM: No ETA yet for when this will be cleared, so if you have to head north, avoid the Viaduct/Highway 99. Here’s the closest SDOT camera – refresh our page to see the newest image:

10:06 AM: The tunnel has reopened.

(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
7:25 AM: The rain has returned, as forecast; tomorrow is expected to be more intense than today. Meanwhile, a transit alert just tweeted and texted by Metro:

We’ll be asking King County DOT later if it was the same problem as chronicled here last Friday, a driver shortage.

7:40 AM: Sue notes in comments that the 7:18 am Route 55 also was canceled (texted/tweeted with half an hour’s warning).

8:19 AM: Also a reminder that the SW Myrtle closure from 17th SW westward to Sanislo is expected to continue today; the repaving work represents the start of work related to the Delridge-Highland Park Neighborhood Greenway. We’ll check on the progress later. Meantime, the rain has just picked up again.

(Four WS-relevant views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
So far, no incidents in or from West Seattle.

ROAD-CLOSURE REMINDER: As reported here on Wednesday, SW Myrtle is closed from 17th SW to 21st SW for repaving, as the official start of work on the Delridge-Highland Park Greenway. The closure is expected to last through tomorrow.

SUNDAY FERRY ALERT: An annual motorcycle rally on Vashon this Sunday (August 30th) brings an alert from Washington State Ferries:

Drivers should anticipate heavier than normal motorcycle traffic on Vashon Island this Sunday, Aug. 30 from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. To expedite processing through the tollbooth, riders are encouraged to pre-purchase their ferry tickets online or at a kiosk at any terminal. Due to construction at the Vashon terminal, extra caution is advised when driving through the construction zone.

8:20 AM: Texter reports a stall on NB 99 – trying to find out more.

6:21 PM: Thanks to the texter who tipped us to this: SFD and SPD are responding to a crash reported on the westbound bridge near the Highway 99 overpass.

6:27 PM: Two left lanes are blocked. Here’s the view from SDOT via Twitter:

Looks like this will be a problem if you’re getting on the westbound bridge from I-5 but not if you’re getting on it from 99.

8:05 PM: All clear as of about half an hour ago (sorry for the delayed update).