Home › Forums › Open Discussion › Rant – Cars on the bridge who drive in the ‘bus only’ lane
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September 1, 2009 at 8:50 pm #592141
johnnyblegsMemberYou know who you are. Either ignoring the signs or acting ignorant. Do you realize that the diamond lane on the bridge is for buses only? I ask because I see cars blaze past me at 65 mph all the time in the lane. The signs clearly say ‘buses only’ yet when the bridge is packed in the morning, everyone doing dangerous braiding curving driving to get over to the 99 lane or merging onto the bridge, I constantly see drivers cruising in the bus lane oblivious to the law. It erks me because I’ve had quite a few close calls getting sideswiped by those lawless drivers. I rarely see police on the bridge these days, but I always see drivers going 65 in a 45 straight up that bus lane. Or maybe I’m the one who’s mistaken. Is it a carpool lane? I don’t think so.
September 1, 2009 at 9:45 pm #676037
KBearParticipantI second your rant.
September 1, 2009 at 9:45 pm #676038
squareeyesParticipantA couple of times per year the cops do park down at the end of the bus lane and pull people over…they have so many offenders to choose from, it’s like shooting fish in a barrel. I like those days as I watch from my spot in the 99N lane.
Conversely, I hate when everyone tries to merge into the 99N lane immediately after the Delridge onramp as the Delridge drivers are trying to merge out of the 99N lane. That creates a terrible bottleneck. Go 100 yards further to merge smoothly please!
EB bridge traffic always seems to get worse when school is in session…I expect to see heavier traffic in the next few weeks.
September 1, 2009 at 9:49 pm #676039
MeeganMemberAs long as you’re not confusing the majority of that lane that is not bus only, with the bus only part. People should utilize all lanes available to them, but also should be merged out of the bus only lane once that’s what it becomes, which is after the crest of the bridge. People not using that lane early on is part of what creates a back up at the point where cars approach from Delridge, because everyone thinks the merging into the 99 lane has to happen at the end of the line. You can get upset about it, but people driving up that middle lane helps keep traffic moving. I do agree that they should be out of it once it becomes bus only though.
September 1, 2009 at 10:09 pm #676040
JanSParticipantMeegan, if you’re coming from Avalon or Admiral Way up the on ramp to the bridge, the right hand lane is Bus Only. It remains bus only, and is just there for us to cross to get to and from the N99 lane. One is not supposed to just drive up that on ramp like it’s your private lane. One gets to sit in the backed up traffic like the rest of us. I think that’s what the rant is about.
September 1, 2009 at 10:19 pm #676041
anatidaephobiaParticipantJan, if that is the case, you can’t tell this is true if your car is entering from Delridge. I was under the same impression as Meegan, but I enter the road after the Avalon/Admiral Way entry point.
September 1, 2009 at 10:30 pm #676042
JustSarahParticipantJan – sorry to break it to you, but Meegan’s right on this one, and it does bother me that everyone insists on merging to the right immediately. Yes, please merge *promptly*, but there’s no need to force your way over immediately. Premature merging from Avalon/Admiral onramps does pose an obstacle for cars coming up the Delridge onramp that need to get over to the left lanes. The lane isn’t technically “bus only” until around the crest of the bridge.
This does not negate my vitriolic feelings toward those who drive in the true “bus only” lane.
September 1, 2009 at 10:45 pm #676043
flowerpetalMemberI may be corrected on this. At some point on the bridge the bus lane has a solid white stripe on both sides. I believe that at that point you should be finished merging either way cuz you are not supposed to be crossing the solid line. So do your merging promptly across the broken lines.
Also, it is the law to let busses merge in. I ride the bus daily and I’ve witnessed countless times when cars have not permitted the bus passage into the lane they occupy. Some Metro drivers are more assertive at making their way into the lane; and that wins my admiration!
September 1, 2009 at 10:49 pm #676044
swimcatMemberI agree with the original rant. This whole merge is completely messed up. As I sit in traffic I often try to come up with a solution to the merge problem, but it’s pretty much impossible to fix.
Back to the OP, if the police were down at the 99 exit giving tickets on a consistent basis to the bus lane cheaters (as I firmly believe they are completely aware of their actions), maybe the behavior would change. Every time I see someone blow by me I always hope I’ll see a cop down there after I crest the bridge, but this happens only once in a blue moon.
September 1, 2009 at 10:50 pm #676045
JustSarahParticipantflowerpetal – I believe you are correct about the solid lines being the start of the “bus only” lane. So yes, everyone should merge promptly, but many people try to do it right away, which does block in the people coming up the Delridge ramp who need to get over to the left. I also observe this daily from my seat on the bus, shake my head, and return my attention to my book or podcast. ;-)
September 1, 2009 at 10:53 pm #676046
WesCAddleMemberAre we talking off-leash or on-leash here?
September 1, 2009 at 10:58 pm #676047
johnnyblegsMemberWhat prompted my rant includes everything below…
1) As previous posts have noted, at the crest of the bridge there is a sign that notes ‘bus only’. Cars blaze past all the way to the 1st ave exit in this lane all the time. I seem to notice that the majority are multiple occupancy vehicles which makes me think they think it’s a carpool lane – which actually would be a great idea on the bridge but right now it’s not.
2) Before the crest there seems to be ample room for cars to merge in either direction. I understand the occasional cars that have to sit in that lane (the ones using the Fauntleroy on-ramp) because not all drivers are graciously letting other drivers cut in front of them while waiting to get on 99, but when drivers ignore the law, lose their patience and force their way in at the 99 exit while in the bus lane it pisses me off.
3) Why can’t everyone follow the posted speed limit on the bridge? Is the 45 at the top and the 35 at either end ludicrous?
September 2, 2009 at 1:43 am #676048
marywsParticipantJust curious, what is up with the buses that are in the car lane while the bus lane is empty? I’ve had this problem a few time, stuck behind a very slow bus on the incline while the bus lane, right next door, is open and free. What’s up with that? If we can go faster, can we go around them?
September 2, 2009 at 2:07 am #676049
rockergirlMemberI agree with Johnnyb – frustrating as all get out when you are abiding by the “law” and staying out of the “bus only” lane – which resumes mid crest on the bridge – we sit backed up in the correct lane and a car (or several) go zooming by and either merge in way up at first ave or exit to first ave. Maybe we should start snapping photos of there cars & license plates and post them for all to see. Also amazed as others are that many people do not merge in a reasonable fashion – but rather feel the need to get over immediately. It’s not an emergency people, relax a little and go with the flow – it will make all of our commutes go smoother.
If you check out google maps and zoom in on the bridge you can totally see where the bus lane stops n starts.
September 2, 2009 at 2:12 am #676050
SemeleParticipantSeptember 2, 2009 at 3:43 am #676051
CMPParticipantWhen I first moved to West Seattle that bus lane confused me a bit. I think the Diamond sign makes some people think this is a carpool lane and the Bus Only may add to their confusion. If you haven’t noticed, we don’t have the sharpest, most observant drivers in Washington. However, I’m assuming the OP is complaining about violators during the morning commute so I’m 99% certain they aren’t that stupid. Can’t you call 864-HERO or something like that to report them? I’d be doing that all the time, although they might be driving by so quickly you won’t have time to take down their license plate number. I solve this whole problem by leaving early for work so I avoid the morons and bad mergers, and I get to speed. If you’re going to drive the speed limit, at least stay in the far right lane!
September 2, 2009 at 4:58 am #676052
JanSParticipantCMP…I want to make sure that I’m understanding yo. Speed limits aren’t for everyone? And if I elect to go the speed limit, and my destination is Beacon Hill, how can I possibly stay in the far right lane? The other lanes are for those whose privilege is great enough that they can choose to go however fast they want, and I’d better keep up or else? Am I hearing that right? Or did I miss something?
Disclaimer: this has been what I call “testy Tuesday”, so there is, yes, a bit of snark in there ;-)
September 2, 2009 at 5:26 am #676053
metrognomeParticipantsee my lengthy reply on the bus-only lane in the thread of responses to the suggestion regarding adding carpools to the bus-only lane.
On this topic, clearly some people are more important than the rest of us and should not have to waste their valuable time sitting in traffic when it is so easy to violate traffic laws to get ahead, as it were. Clearly, their (self) importance allows them to speed by the less important law-abiding citizens — in fact, it also allows them to illegally cut in front of waiting traffic at the on-ramp to NB I-5. The best way to tell that they are truly more important is that they are also on their cell phones.
And, there is no legitimate reason I can think of for a Metro bus (full or empty) to be in an EB general purpose lane instead of the bus-only lane, unless the driver has made a judgement call to pass the merging drivers clogging the bus-only lane.
One reason some people may make late merges in either direction is that you can’t see if there are back-ups on the bridge or the viaduct until you crest the bridge, which is after the allowable merging distance has ended. Still illegal.
Regarding the need to immediately merge, I frequently observed this phenomenon at the SB on-ramp to I-5 at NE 145th when I lived in what is now Shoreline. Before the lanes were restripped, this on-ramp continued as its own lane for quite a while. It was not uncommon to see driver with a completely clear lane in front start merging immediately, often illegally crossing the ‘gore point'(converging solid lines which designate when it is safe to merge.) If the express lanes were closed, there was absolutely no compelling reason to endanger on-coming traffic by merging so soon.
September 2, 2009 at 3:08 pm #676054
CMPParticipantSlower traffic keep right.
September 2, 2009 at 3:11 pm #676055
beachdrivegirlParticipantIt is illegal to be in any lane but the far right lane accept for passing or exiting. So Jan, would suggest you stay in the far right lane until your exit appears.
September 2, 2009 at 3:37 pm #676056
KBearParticipant“If you haven’t noticed, we don’t have the sharpest, most observant drivers in Washington.”
My first clue to that, when I was a newcomer to Washington, was the sign at the border explaining the purpose of the right lane.
September 2, 2009 at 3:58 pm #676057
swimcatMemberI still feel that the major problem with the 99NB onramp and ensuing back-ups is because there is such a long area to merge. If everyone changed lanes in one place (i.e right where the Delridge onramp is), then traffic should theoretically keep moving because the merging would be complete. Merging needs to work like a zipper. If there are missing teeth in the zipper (no specific merge point), the zipper won’t close or open (traffic backups).
September 2, 2009 at 4:07 pm #676058
JulieMemberbeachdrivegirl, Jan has a tricky problem if she follows your suggestion; follow me in your imagination: let’s assume we’re eastbound in the lane between the bus only and the far left lane, maintaining the posted 45 mph up to the crest of the bridge, slowing to the posted 35 as we approach 99. Note that we have at this point likely backed up quite a few impatient drivers who would like to exceed the posted limits. If there are openings in the left lane, these impatient drivers zip around us; if there are no openings, they stack up behind us. As we approach the I-5 exit, we must merge left to take that exit. If, as is commonly the case, there are no openings in the left lane, we must slow or stop to await the driver who will notice that we are attempting to merge, and allow us to do so. Note that many of these drivers will deliberately NOT allow us to merge, because they are upset that we are “jumping the queue”. While we wait, we are backing up even more cars in the right-hand lane, and they are furious by now.
September 2, 2009 at 4:42 pm #676059
beachdrivegirlParticipantThe leftlane is passing. I didnt say Jan had to do anything i just stated what the law is. Jan and other drivers can choose to do what they want to in regards to the law but I would suggest to *everyone* to follow the law even if you piss a few people off doing it.
September 2, 2009 at 4:48 pm #676060
HomerParticipantNot to be one of “those” people but why is the W. Seattle bridge the practically the ONLY spot in all of Seattle that has a Bus Only lane? I-5 is not like this. I-90 is not like this. Everywhere else they have a shared lane and this works well to reward those that go out of their way to try and reduce their effect on the environment et al. It also helps overall traffic to reduce how many cars are clogging up the regular lanes as these Bus Only lanes are almost always completely empty.
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