TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Wednesday watch

(SDOT MAP with travel times/video links; is the ‘low bridge’ closed? LOOK HERE)

7:12 AM: Good morning. No incidents reported in/from West Seattle.

STADIUM ZONE: Day game for the Mariners playing Houston at 1:10 pm.

WEEKEND CLOSURES: I-5 and 99 closures Friday night through early Monday, and the parameters of the 99 closure have changed – here’s the new info.

7:20 AM: As noted in comments, the live camera for the eastbound bridge shows something going on with a bus just past the exit to NB 99. No alerts on this but clearly blocking right now.

7:30 AM: Camera shows that’s now cleared.

9:25 AM: More bus trouble – one is stuck on the stretch of California SW near Fauntleroy Schoolhouse/Church.

9:31 AM: We just went to check on the bus – and it’s cleared. Adding a photo texted before that happened.

newnative August 22, 2018 (7:19 am)

There’s an empty rapidride withs Metro truck and a couple of cops 🚓 on the eastbound bridge just before the ramp to the 99.

WSB August 22, 2018 (7:20 am)

Thanks.I was just noticing that on the camera but neither SDOT nor Metro has sent an alert.

Deftones August 22, 2018 (8:36 am)

I was on that stalled C Line. Had to wait a bit and a 120 came and picked us up. Sad that the bus driver still had to ask people to move back several times to get everyone on.

JCW August 22, 2018 (8:55 am)

There’s a 120 bus blocking Barton St, right near Fauntleroy YMCA. It’s stretched across both lanes. Cars can get around bus the C Line is stuck.

Idle Curiosity August 22, 2018 (10:29 am)

That’s a very peculiar angle for the bus that got stuck by the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse/Church/Y. It appears to have been coming down the hill. I wonder what happened?

WSB August 22, 2018 (11:59 am)

We heard from the spouse of someone who was on the bus: “He told me that the new bus driver picked them up at Westwood Village and then turned west rather than east to go up to Delridge. Passengers didn’t start to panic until the bus crossed 35th and headed down the hill. Apparently the bus driver tried to turn around but got stuck blocking all traffic including the C bus.”

Railroaded August 22, 2018 (1:43 pm)

Yeah. It would be a tough row to hoe being a new bus driver in the Seattle area. I don’t even like driving my VW in Seattle.,,,and I have years of experience.

anonyme August 22, 2018 (2:30 pm)

This morning I witnessed the first of what will undoubtedly be many accidents due to the sidewalk construction in Arbor Heights. The bulbs not only create a bottleneck barely wide enough to accommodate two vehicles, but the new curbs are invisible to drivers. Today a southbound vehicle hit the curb at 35th & 102nd and was thrown into the oncoming lane directly in the path of an SUV full of kids. The SUV was able to swerve out of the way, while the vehicle that had hit the curb ran up over the curb on the other side of the street. The hubcap also shot off like a missile across the sidewalk during the first impact. This could have been a deadly accident for drivers and pedestrians alike. Additionally, the vehicles parked in areas leading up to the bulbs completely block visibility for anyone trying to cross the street. Way to go on “safe routes to school” SDOT. This fiasco needs to be documented, as taxpayers will end up paying to fix this mess. Oh, and the workers appear to be on strike, so throw away all of the previous unkept promises on completion dates….

WSB August 22, 2018 (3:15 pm)

Yes, SDOT confirms this is one of their projects affected by the strike, along with the 25th/26th walkways in Westwood.
1994 August 22, 2018 (9:59 pm)

I hope this was reported to SDOT? The curb bulbs are invisible. I wonder if SDOT will paint them yellow?
Sam-c August 22, 2018 (10:02 pm)

They really need to mark the ‘center’ of the road more clearly through here. Right now, you can see both the old yellow dashes, and what appear to be new yellow dashes. There’s about a six foot? difference between the two which makes itconfusing as heck. Luckily i haven’t crossed paths with another driver near the curb bulbs, but yeah, it definitely is narrow for two cars. Doesn’t a bus go down that street normally?
- Hoku August 23, 2018 (12:35 am)
  
  Yes, this is part of the 21 route.

Fire Ball August 22, 2018 (6:45 pm)

SDOT at it’s finest…., Making wrong improvements on something that has worked very well for 50+ years.

anonyme August 23, 2018 (6:38 am)

The new lanes are so narrow that they bring vehicles right up against the curbs, with no wiggle room for error. The bus stop also feels unsafe now, as cars pass so close – and right in an area where another accident, like the one yesterday, is bound to happen. I’m fully expecting a vehicle to shoot up over the curb where folks wait for the bus. Once school opens, and both lanes are filled with traffic again, it’s going to be a scary corner. The bulbs themselves contain so many ramps that navigating on foot is awkward and nearly impossible. As a gardener, I was taught to observe natural foot patterns and design around them; you’d think a sidewalk designer would know something about pedestrian needs, but apparently not. It’s all CAD, nothing human about it, just some techie who knows nothing about the terrain or neighborhood. Sidewalks and improved corners would have been fine, but this design is insane.

Sorry, comment time is over.