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A Vibrant Seattle Through Transportation Excellence.

Right-sizing citation fees

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If you’re walking or biking to work, busing to school, driving goods across town, or enjoying a meal at a sidewalk café, you’re using a shared public resource known as the right-of-way.

 

The right-of-way is the space above, below, and at the surface of places like public streets, sidewalks, alleys, planting strips, and alleys. Occupying nearly 30% of Seattle’s total land area, the right-of-way is used in many ways.

 

Naturally, careful management of these spaces is essential to keep Seattle moving; however, it’s especially important as we work through the Seattle Squeeze – the period of the next five years where private and public construction projects will put pressure on our transportation system.

 

Issuing permits for activities that impact how the right-of-way is used is to everyone’s benefit.

 

We have a team (our Street Use Division) that oversee this process.

 

 

When we first adopted citations for violations of Street Use permits in 2002, the impacts on the right-of-way, whether construction-related or not, were considerably different from what they are today.

 

Since then, we’ve made some minor updates to our citation penalties, but we’ve not done an overall review of them until this year.

 

In our review, we found that penalties are lower than the cost of obtaining a typical permit to use the right-of-way for construction or utility work. Meaning, there’s little incentive to obtain a permit. Additionally, citation fees are the same in all parts of the city and do not account for the higher and lower impact activities.

 

Seattle’s South Lake Union street market (Photo by Jeanne Clark)

 

With this in mind –

 

We drafted a proposal to update our penalties to achieve a few goals:

 

  1. Make our citation penalties more equitable.
  2. Create an escalation scale before issuing a stop-work order.
  3. Simplify the penalty sections of the Street Use code.

 

Now that we’ve completed this work, we’re sending it to the Seattle City Council for their consideration at the Sustainability and Transportation committee meeting on 9/17. Our proposal provides essential updates which we outline below.

 

A sidewalk cafe is on a public right-of-way.

 

As part of the legislative package, we’d adjust our citation penalty amounts & create a schedule for violators of Title 15 (Street & Sidewalk Use) of the Seattle Municipal Code.

 

Penalty amounts are based on the type of right-of-way use and nearby zoning to ensure that the fees encourage people to get the necessary permits and adhere to the requirements, while not disproportionately affecting individuals and small business owners. To keep the proposed fee scale flexible, we’ll ask that the amounts be adjusted annually with the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

 

A community garden growing in a planting strip (the public right-of-way). Photo by Jeanne Clark

 

We’re proposing to lower penalties for certain permitted activities (such as vending, sidewalk cafés, block parties, urban forestry, & building maintenance), while increasing penalties for utility permit & code violations.

 

We’re not asking for any changes to penalties for construction permit and code violations in single-family zones, though we’re requesting an increase in all other zones. With these changes, we hope to help minimize lopsided impacts on small and minority-owned businesses. Here are our proposed changes:

 

 

By making these changes, we hope most people will run into fewer un-permitted uses of the right-of-way. Otherwise, only people and businesses working without a permit or outside the terms & conditions of their permit should be affected.

 

Bicyclists on a bike path and sidewalk (bike paths and sidewalks are public right-of-ways). Photo by Jeanne Clark

 

We hope to adopt the new fees in early October.

Please send any questions or concerns that you may have to publicspace@seattle.gov.

 

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It’s not over yet – more freezing temperature on the way! Please clear storm drains.

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Hey everybody, meet Daryl. He shoveled his walkway and sidewalks for his family and his neighbors and then went on to shovel his other neighbor’s sidewalk.

We can’t say it enough.

Did you think we were going to say please shovel your walkways and sidewalks? Well, you’re wwrrrooong….right!😙 Well, first we wanted to give Seattle a giant-sized snowball-snowcone worth of a humungous thank you for helping the snow response effort by shoveling and clearing the snow and ice off your walkways and sidewalks (and storm drains). But there were some of you who literally kept on shoveling to help a neighbor. You all are just wonderful people, Seattle!

 

– A little “quote” from Forrest Gump (If he lived in Seattle during the great February 2019 snowstorm.)

 

I just kept on shoveling.

That day, for no particular reason, I decided to go for a little run sidewalk snow shoveling. So I ran shoveled to the end of the road. And when I got there, I thought maybe I’d run shovel to the end of town. And when I got there, I thought maybe I’d just run shovel across Greenbow King County. And I figured, since I run shoveled this far, maybe I’d just run shovel across the great state of Alabama Washington. And that’s what I did. I ran shoveled clear across Alabama Washington. For no particular reason I just kept on going. 

 

 

 

People helping people.

As Vince Vaughn once said, “Everyone wants to be a part of a miracle – people helping people. It’s powerful stuff.” We heard of neighbors walking dogs or feeding pets for those who couldn’t get outside. We heard of neighbors shoveling their neighbors’ sidewalks. And we heard of neighbors working together to exchange equipment from snow shovels to sleds.  

Your hard work is making it safe for your neighbors to get around in the snow.

 

It’s not over yet – more winter weather is on the way.  

While temperatures have risen and the snow has started to melt (hooray!), there’s more winter weather on its way, which means more work is ahead of us.

The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning through this evening, as excessive runoff from the combined rain and melting snow will cause some flooding of small creeks, streams, urban areas, streets, and underpasses as well as other drainage areas and low lying spots.

 

Temperatures may drop below freezing tonight. This could create icy conditions for Thursday morning’s commute, which is going to make all travel extremely challenging and hazardous. 

 

Check out the National Weather Service’s full prediction.  

 

We need your help.  

The great meltdown of 2019 has started! All that snow is turning into a lot of liquid on our streets and sidewalks. The water that collects on our streets flow into storm drains like the one above to help keep neighborhoods from flooding. We’re doing our best to clear storm drains but we need your help to locate and clear your neighborhood storm drains so they’re unblocked so that water can get its flow on and be freed into the drains and prevent ice from forming on the roadway. 

Seattle Public Utilities’ drainage crews work hard to maintain all of the City’s drainage infrastructure, including storm drains on streets. But with tens of thousands of drains spread all across the City, we need your help too.  

 

Please help prevent urban flooding by clearing nearby storm drains. Your help is critical. 

 

This is how you do it.

If you can safely do so, use a shovel, rake, or broom to move snow, slush, and other debris off of the top of the storm drain. Keep any accumulation about one foot away from the curb, as this helps prevent ponds or puddles of water from forming and allows water to flow into the drain.  

Read more information on tips to reduce flooding, including more info on the City of Seattle’s drainage system, on Seattle Public Utilities’ webpage here! 

 

Besides keeping our storm drains clear, here’re a few other reasons why shoveling is important.  

 

  • Safety! Shoveling prevents ice and keeps people from falling. 
  • Accessibility for people with disabilities. People who need wheelchairs and mobility devices to get around may have a much harder time traveling across slippery sidewalks and using ramps. Let’s make sure everyone can get where they need to go. 
  • It’s the law. Sidewalks and driveways are the responsibility of the adjacent property owner to maintain and clear.  

 

It’s time to get creative.  

Use what you’ve got.

Don’t have a snow shovel? Lots of household items can substitute! One super smart SDOTTER used a baking pan to shovel the sidewalks in front of his house.

 

Put the kids to work.

Have kids? Get the kids outside while there’s no school and have them help play!  Weee!! Shoveling is so much fun!

 

Spread the word.

Have a neighborhood Facebook group, NextDoor community, or email listserv? That’s the perfect place to spread the word about the need to shovel, exchange equipment, or best yet…organize a snow shoveling block party! You can also organize a neighborhood outing to shovel walkways, check on vulnerable neighbors, and make sure pets are safe and warm. 

 

Getting through all this snow and ice takes a village city.

This means we all need to help each other. Lend a hand to your neighbors and to our crews and take the time to clear your sidewalks and storm drain.  Thanks for all your help, Seattle!

We’re all in this together.

 

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Say what, now? Learn how to talk #WinterWeatherResponse nerd speak.

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Hi, I’m a skid steer.

 

Sometimes we talk nerd.

From time to time, we SDOTTERS have been known to speak in some really ridiculous technical nerd transportation speak that resembles what most would think might be an alien language👽 but really – English. During our #WinterWeatherResponse, our operations team go full throttle with strange words that may or may not mean anything to some who just wants to know what the heck is up with your wonderfully plowed PBLs (protected bike lanes)!😁

 

Psst, we’ve plowed our city’s fabulous bike lanes! See where we’ve been here.

 

We don’t mean to, Seattle! So to #justdobetter (haha!) and in an effort to speak more clearly, and also help you up your snow response lingo game, we’ve curated an assortment of familiar and not-so-familiar words to de-code SDOT operations update.  

 

We know you’re secretly a nerd at heart. So – here – you – go.

 

Salts 101:

Anti-icing

Anti-icing is an application of enhanced (we’re so fancy) salt brine (Magnesium Chloride, defined below) to specified city streets when a winter weather event is forecasted. Anti-icing is the pre-treatment snow crews use to prevent ice from bonding to the pavement and allows for easier removal.

 

Brine

Brine is a mix of rock salt and Magnesium Chloride, dissolved in water and sprayed on the road as anti-icing or pre-wetting measures.

 

De-icing

De-icing is an application of salt on top of snow and/or ice after it has accumulated. De-icing accelerates the melting of snow and ice that has already accumulated on city streets.  

 

Magnesium Chloride

Magnesium Chloride is the newest de-icing salt. It continues to melt snow and ice until the temperature reaches -13 F. The salt releases 40 percent less chloride into the environment that either rock salt or Calcium Chloride.  

 

Snow Routes 101: 

Gold Routes

We established service level goals within our 2018-2019 Snow and Ice Plan. Gold Routes provide regional connections. Our main goal with Gold Routes is to achieve wet and bare pavement for all travel lanes within 12 hours of a significant lull in the storm.  

 

Fun fact: Approximately 476 lane miles of Gold Level streets are located within the city.  

 

Emerald Routes

Emerald routes provide citywide connections. Our Emerald Route goal is to plow and maintain snow and ice-free pavement for one lane in each direction within 12 hours of a significant lull in the storm.  

 

Fun fact:  Approximately 650 lane miles of Emerald Level streets are located within the city.

 

Check out the winter weather response map to see all the Emerald and Gold routes and get the inside scoop on Seattle’s snow and ice street network.

 

Snow Equipment 101: 

Hi, I’m a grader.

Grader

A grader is a vehicle that plows, like the one pictured above.

 

Skid Steer

A skid steer is a smaller plowing vehicle for tight areas like protected bike lanes (PBLs). Big shout out to our partners at the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreations who are helping our amazing transportation crews clear PBLs! 

 

Plows

A plow is a general term for all plowing vehicle equipment.  

 

Snowblower

A snow blower is a machine that clears fallen snow by blowing it to the side. 

 

Hand Crews

Hand crews are people who shovel snow by hand (thank you hand crews!)  

 

Boom – there you have it! We dub thee a transportation nerd!

 

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#SeattleSqueezeAlert – More Changes to Seattle’s Streets Beginning February 1

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Image credit: Chun Kwan. SR 99 Alaskan Way Viaduct 2019. Looking north.

Preparing for more changes to traffic patterns downtown.

As we say #GoodbyeViaduct and hello to the new SR #99Tunnel, we’re preparing for more changes to traffic patterns downtown. Read on for details about:

  • The Battery Street closing for good.
  • Planning ahead for the Aurora Ave N detour and construction impacts.
  • Temporary parking restrictions and uniformed police officers – keeping transit and emergency responders moving.
  • Lane changes – be prepared for changes to your commute.

We’re almost there! When the new SR 99 tunnel opens, which is on schedule to open before the morning commute Monday, February 4, traffic patterns will change as travelers encounter this new tunnel and new route options. This will affect everyone who travels to and through downtown Seattle, even if you’re not using the tunnel!

WSDOT’s website for the new SR 99 tunnel, www.99tunnel.com, is your best resource for learning all about the new tunnel. Watch these videos that show you how to use the new tunnel and how connections to downtown will be different. Check it out!

Read on to learn about some upcoming street changes and actions we’re taking to keep people and goods moving safely, including reconfiguring key streets and restricting parking downtown.

 

Bye-bye, Battery Street Tunnel!

This photo shows the three streets – Harrison, Thomas, and John – that will be reconnected as part of the #Realign99 work.

The Battery Street Tunnel will close for good at 10 PM on Friday, February 1. The tunnel is vulnerable to earthquakes, just like the Alaskan Way Viaduct (it’s over 60 years old!), and continuing to use it for any purpose would cost lots of money in restorations and repairs. Additionally, closing the Battery Street Tunnel allows us to “reconnect” streets at the north end of the tunnel that was previously cut off by the approach to the tunnel. Over the next year and a half, John Street and Thomas Street will be reconnected, and Aurora Avenue North rebuilt between Harrison Street and Denny Way. Learn more about the project here!

 

Plan ahead: Aurora Ave N detour and construction impacts.

Traffic Detours: Between Friday, February 1 at 10 PM and the opening of the new SR 99 tunnel, traffic will be detoured off of Aurora Ave N at Valley Street. Please note that 5th Ave N will be closed for Saturday’s Tunnel to Viaduct 8K Run/Walk from 7 AM until the end of the event. Please be aware of these changes to traffic and plan ahead if you’ll be heading either northbound or southbound on Aurora Ave N.

Temporary parking restrictions and uniformed police officers – Keeping transit and emergency responders moving!

During the #Realign99 closure, we restricted parking in key locations and placed uniformed police officers at specific intersections to keep traffic moving and to make room for transit and emergency responders. Since traffic patterns will again be changing when the tunnel opens, we are continuing to restrict parking and keep UPOs in certain locations to maintain that capacity.

The parking restrictions will continue from February 4 for up to two weeks. The parking restrictions are from 6 AM to 7 PM, Monday – Friday.

The uniformed police officer locations are also in place Monday-Friday and will be stationed during the peak morning and evening commute periods: 6 – 10 AM, and 3 – 7 PM.

Click here to view our flyer: Seattle Squeeze Alert – Parking Restrictions and Uniformed Police Officer Locations

Lane Changes – Be prepared for changes to your commute.

Tunnel is open, single NB off-ramp near stadiums still closed.

We reconfigured lanes around downtown to make space for transit and freight vehicles during the Realign 99 closure.

This included a temporary bus-only lane on the Spokane St Viaduct and 4thAve S. This bus lane will remain in place until the new northbound SR 99 off-ramp to S. Dearborn St opens, which will open about one week after the new SR 99 tunnel opens.

We also installed freight and transit-only lane on Alaskan Way during the closure, which will be removed this weekend between February 2 – 3.

Visit King County Metro’s Get Ready site to view bus routes once the new tunnel opens.

We are striping a bus-only lane on Cherry St between 1stand 3rd Ave to keep transit moving eastbound once the S Dearborn St northbound off-ramp from SR 99 is in place.

Now that buses will not be traveling on the Alaskan Way Viaduct, this dedicated bus lane allows these bus lines to keep people moving quickly and efficiently through downtown.

  • This work is scheduled to occur the weekend of February 9 – 10 at the latest but may occur during the week of February 4 to ensure that crews have good weather to restripe this lane. If work occurs over the weekend, it will begin at 5 AM. If work occurs during a weekday, work will begin at 3 AM to be completed before the peak morning commute period begins at 6 AM. Work will take up to two hours and impacts to traffic will be minimal.

 

Why are we making these changes?

These changes are going to make travel times more reliable and help keep people moving during this time of increased traffic. By installing temporary and permanent changes to Seattle’s streets, we will keep transit and vehicle travel reliable and improve our emergency response times as responders address incidents downtown.

 

What does this mean for you?

On-street parking options downtown will be limited. People, businesses, schools, manufacturers, and many others rely on the timely delivery of products and goods, and we want to ensure they move as predictably and efficiently as possible.

If you need to drive, plan ahead and be prepared for your new route and parking locations downtown. Use the Seattle Parking Map to make a plan before you leave. Keep our Vision Zero goal in mind, follow the rules, take a deep breath and travel safely.

This is a great time to try a new commute! Try transit, biking, walking, carpooling or vanpools. View our Tools page at www.seattle.gov/traffic for helpful resources.

We recognize the impacts that parking restrictions can have on local businesses, and we’re here to provide support during this time. We’ll closely monitor our downtown streets to confirm traffic is moving smoothly and adjust as needed. If you have any concerns, please contact our Customer Care Center team at 684-ROAD@seattle.gov or call (206) 684-ROAD.

We’re working hard to make sure we’re keeping people and goods moving safely and efficiently, and we appreciate your patience and understanding as we all adjust to this new normal.

Notice of future impacts related to the closure of SR 99 and other projects impacting traffic during the Seattle Squeeze are posted to our blog at www.seattle.gov/traffic. 

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Meet Sam, SDOT’s new director!

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Welcome, Sam!

 

Monday marked the first day on the job for SDOT’s new director, Sam Zimbabwe. Here’s a snip from his first email to the City team:

 

“Thank you for welcoming me so enthusiastically to Seattle! I can’t express what an honor it is to be a part of this internationally recognized transportation agency and have the opportunity to work with all of you. Seattle is one of the coolest cities in America and one of the best places to live, work, play, and travel. Thanks to SDOT’s commitment to a strong mission and to your remarkable achievements, all eyes look to Seattle as a transportation leader.”

– Sam Zimbabwe

 

The entire City transportation team is thrilled to welcome Sam and eagerly anticipates his leadership in advancing our mission of delivering a high-quality transportation system for Seattle. Since Mayor Jenny Durkan announced his selection in December, we’ve been excited to get to know him. Sam is learning quickly and has been enthusiastically meeting staff, learning about key projects and programs, and helping us plan future priorities.

 

He’s a multimodal leader for all.

 

Sam comes to SDOT from Washington, DC, where he served in senior management positions at the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) for the past 7 years, first as the Associate Director for Policy, Planning & Sustainability. He moved on to become DDOT’s first Chief Project Delivery Officer, responsible for transportation planning, capital project design and construction, traffic engineering and signals, and transit service delivery.

Prior to joining DDOT, Sam was the Director of the Center for Transit-Oriented Development, a national nonprofit partnership dedicated to leveraging transit investments to preserve and create equitable communities.

Sam also has a background in urban design and transportation planning and spent five years working for urban design and architecture firms in the San Francisco Bay Area. Sam holds a master’s degree in City Planning from the University of California, Berkeley and a bachelor’s degree in Urban and Regional Studies from Cornell University.

 

He’s a quick study.

 

Sam will absorb an enormous amount of information in the next several weeks as he learns about Seattle. He’ll be getting to know staff throughout the organization as he meets with City teams and departments over the next month to get an overview of SDOT’s work program. He’ll also be meeting with residents and businesses to understand their multimodal transportation challenges.

 

 

To Team SDOT: Your contributions to helping me get up to speed will be invaluable. I deeply appreciate all the time and energy staff have already contributed—and will continue to dedicate—to help me get the lay of the land so that I might lead the department in a manner that will make you and Seattle proud.  – Sam Zimbabwe

 

Sam is committed to fulfilling the SDOT mission.

 

 

Sam is committed to fulfilling the mission of delivering a high-quality transportation system. In his first year as a director, his goals for himself and SDOT can be captured in six broad areas:

 

Getting to know Seattle.

Sam plans to immerse himself in the city and get to know it well by hearing from residents, modal boards, community groups, and other stakeholders – and by learning about the past as much as about plans for the future.

 

Getting to know SDOT.

Sam plans to get to know the agency from top to bottom while he works to identify any additional changes necessary to ensure we can meet Levy and ongoing program commitments.

 

Maintaining downtown mobility.

The Seattle Squeeze is well underway with the permanent closure of the Alaskan Way Viaduct. Sam understands this is one of many changes we’ll face with respect to moving in and around downtown Seattle over the next few years. While we’ve now operationalized plans to mitigate traffic impacts, Sam will also work over the next year to make sure we’re doing all we can to provide safe, efficient, affordable options for today while continuing to create a mobility framework for the future.

 

Delivering on Levy and other capital project commitments.

We have more major capital investments underway than at any time in SDOT’s history, including the Move Seattle commitments and the Center City Connector Streetcar. Sam understands the challenges these projects have faced. Over the next year, we’ll need to follow through on our promise for more openness and transparency as we continue building the public’s trust in our ability to deliver projects, large and small.

 

Working with partner agencies to continue improving transit in Seattle.

The next year will see some critical decisions for how Seattle and the region invest in public transportation. Seattle’s success is tied to public transportation, and this region is building, operating, and riding transit in ways the rest of the country envies.

Sam knows that working collaboratively with partners will be essential as we determine the ST3 Locally Preferred Alternatives and the future of the Seattle Transportation Benefit District. We’ll also be working through the upcoming changes from the ST2 light rail buildout while continuing to shape how people interact with our public transportation system on a daily basis.

 

Improving our delivery of the basics.

SDOT is fundamentally a service delivery organization. While we’re building for the future, we must also deliver on the present day-to-day needs of Seattle residents and visitors to get around the city safely and efficiently. Over the next year, Sam plans to understand where we are performing well, where we need to improve, and what changes are necessary to strengthen our delivery of services and our capacity to maintain, improve, and safely operate today’s system.

 

Zimbabwe means a strong foundation of stone.

 

Did you know that Zimbabwe derives from the Shona name for an ancient town believed to mean “large houses of stone?” Great Zimbabwe was such an important part of its national identity that the country in southern Africa was named for the historic town. Obviously, Zimbabwe is also Sam’s last name; when he and his wife got married they combined the beginnings of each of their four family surnames to form the name “Zimbabwe” — and thereby established their new home and family on a “strong foundation of stone.” Sam looks to bring the same foundation to SDOT as we work together to build the city of the future.

 

Welcome to SDOT, Sam!

 

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THANK YOU, SEATTLE! Here’s a #SeattleSqueeze playlist just for you!

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One week of changing your commute: COMPLETE!

We’re almost half way through the #Realign99 closure before the new SR 99 tunnel opens in February, and we want to extend a tubular tunnel THANK YOU, Seattle, for doing your part to keep things moving.

Over this last week, you’ve switched work schedules or days, rearranged your daily routine, started commuting via carpool or bus or bike, and you certainly all practiced patience.

…

Just like an 80’s mixtape.

Seattle, this playlist is supported by your’s truly: SDOT and the Office of Film and Music and celebrates our music industry and the people who live, work, shop and play in Seattle!

As a thank you for your efforts over the last week, we present to you, DJ Sharlese Metcalf’s #SeattleSqueeze Spotify playlist!

Curated by KEXP’s DJ Sharlese Metcalf, the diverse playlist highlights local artists, past and present, and showcases the Northwest’s range of musical talent. Metcalf currently serves as a member of the Seattle Music Commission, advising the City of Seattle on policy and issues important to Seattle’s music industry.

…

Keep on Squeez’n Seattle!

As we say hello to the new SR 99 tunnel, take the opportunity to get to know some local artists and queue up this playlist for your commute! Thanks again, Seattle, and keep squeezing. Listen to the #SeattleSqueeze playlist on Spotify here!

Lemon squeeze

For all things #SeattleSqueeze, visit our website!

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Slowing down has a serious upside when it comes to traffic safety

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A view from the Smith Tower – Seattle looking spectacular!

There’s this saying that when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

Well, in some ways the next three weeks present us with a series of opportunities to squeeze the heck out of some lemons. And with today’s sunshine and clear skies, it almost (almost) feels like we’re not in the middle of winter – lemonade is sounding pretty delightful.

But let’s get back to reality. It’s Monday, January 14, the first weekday after the #Realign99 closure of the Alaskan Way viaduct. The concern around traffic congestion increasing with the permanent viaduct closure is a real thing and gets people feeling all kinds of ways. Life is going to slow down a bit, and for many people, not by choice.

While our morning and evening commutes may feel more jammed over the next few weeks (and beyond), we’re hopeful the slower pace will result in safety gains for everyone.

 

Slowing down has a serious upside when it comes to traffic.

With speed, the consequences increase or decrease, depending on how fast you’re going.

That’s because slowing down has serious upsides. When it comes to traffic crashes (ahem, not accidents), speed is the critical factor in their frequency and severity. It’s not rocket science, just basic physics. When we slow down, we can take in our surroundings better, which helps us make better decisions. If you do get into a crash, the consequences go down as you slow down (#rhymetime).

That’s why we lowered speed limits across the city in 2016, why school zones and all residential streets are set at 20 MPH, and why we’re evaluating and lowering speed limits in urban villages. Speed matters and is a key piece of our Vision Zero strategy.

 

We all have a role to play in making Seattle’s Streets even safer.

We all have a role to play in making Seattle’s streets even safer, and if you’re behind the wheel (especially during this particularly constrained time), you play a critical part. Here are a few quick tips to keep in mind.

 

#SeattleSqueeze safety tips (Drivers Ed-ition):

  • Just say no to road rage – deep breaths, deep breaths…
  • Slow down – 20 is plenty!
  • Pay attention – phone down and heads up.
  • Look out for each other – oh hey, fellow travelers.

 

Traffic is never any fun (unless you scored a sweet seat on the bus and are deep into a good read or podcast ). We’ve all got places to go, things to do, and people to see. As we round out day 1 of the region’s new weekday transportation normal, let’s remember to take a collective deep breath, keep calm, and travel on, safely.

 

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#SeattleSqueezeAlert – Be prepared for changes to Seattle’s streets beginning January 9.

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PLEASE NOTE: Starting January 14, 2019, we will retire the On the Move blog channel and all traffic advisory blogs will be posted on the SDOT blog channel. 

To manage the increased volume of traffic on our city’s streets and changing traffic patterns in advance of the SR closure beginning Friday, January 11, we’re configuring key streets and restricting parking on key streets in Seattle.

 

Overview by date:

👉 On January 9 – Roy St Closure

Roy St between SR 99 and Dexter Ave N will be closed during the day to allow crews to install temporary right-turn-only lane striping to help people traveling out of the tunnel exit and head south on Dexter Ave N. Here’s what you can expect:

  • On Roy St heading eastbound between SR 99 and Dexter Ave N, the right lane will be temporarily striped as a right turn only lane.
  • This will allow drivers traveling out of the tunnel to avoid backup on Republican St and instead take Roy St, the second exit, to turn right and head south on Dexter Ave N.
  • This work will occur from 9 AM – 3 PM on Wednesday, January 9 in order to be completed before rainy weather is expected to occur over the weekend.
  • Weather depending, this work may be pushed back, but crews will work to wrap this up quickly!

 

👉 On January 12 – Seneca St Changes

We’re converting Seneca St between 1st Ave and 3rd Ave into a one-way street headed westbound to accommodate the shift from the Seneca St off-ramp closure. Read our Seneca St lane change flyer with graphics here. Here’s what you can expect:

  • Beginning at 7 AM on Saturday, January 12, our crews will convert Seneca St between 1st Ave and 3rd Ave to a one-way street headed westbound.
  • This is to accommodate the shift from the Alaskan Way Viaduct Seneca St off-ramp closing, as cars will no longer need to use Seneca St headed eastbound off of the Viaduct off-ramp. This change increases our city streets’ capacity for mobility.
  • This work will be completed by the end of the day.

 

👉 Starting January 14 – Parking Restrictions

Parking restrictions will begin January 14 and will be in place until the new SR 99 tunnel opens in early February 2019. Read our parking restrictions flyer with graphics here. Here’s what you can expect:

  • Temporary no-parking signs will be posted beginning Friday, January 11 in order to provide 72 hours’ notice of these parking changes. Please note that only 24-hour notice is needed prior to parking enforcement so we’re posting the signs over the weekend to provide additional time for public awareness.
  • On key streets downtown and in West Seattle, on-street parking restrictions will be in place Monday – Friday from January 14 until about mid-February, when the northbound off-ramp to Dearborn St opens.

Why are we making these changes?

These changes are going to make travel times more reliable and help keep people moving during this time of increased traffic. By installing temporary and permanent changes to Seattle’s streets, we will keep transit and vehicle travel reliable and improve our emergency response times as responders address incidents downtown.

 

What does this mean for you?

On-street parking options downtown during the SR 99 closure will be limited. People, businesses, schools, manufacturers, and many others rely on the timely delivery of products and goods, and we want to ensure they move as predictably and efficiently as possible.

 

If you need to drive, plan ahead and be prepared for your new route and parking locations downtown. Use the Seattle Parking Map to make a plan before you leave. Keep our Vision Zero goal in mind, follow the rules, take a deep breath and travel safely.

 

This is a great time to try a new commute! Try transit, biking, walking, carpooling or vanpools. View our Tools page at www.seattle.gov/traffic for helpful resources.

We recognize the impacts that parking restrictions can have on local businesses, and we’re here to provide support during this time. We’ll closely monitor our downtown streets to confirm traffic is moving smoothly and adjust as needed. If you have any concerns, please contact our Customer Care Center team at 684-ROAD@seattle.gov or call (206) 684-ROAD.

 

Want more info?

These are just a few of the ways we’re preparing for the three-week closure of SR 99 and the Seattle Squeeze, which will impact traffic across the region. We’re working hard to make sure we’re keeping people and goods moving safely and efficiently, and we appreciate your patience and understanding as we all adjust to this new normal.

Notice of future impacts related to the closure of SR 99 and other projects impacting traffic during the Seattle Squeeze are posted to our blog at www.seattle.gov/traffic. Head to this website for the latest updates and announcements.

 

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City of Seattle to celebrate 100th Community Engagement Event | SR 99 Viaduct closure & Seattle Squeeze!

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To inform people about their travel options during the SR 99 closure and beyond, the City of Seattle – in coordination with partners at the Washington State Department of Transportation, King County Metro, and Sound Transit – has been actively engaged in briefing communities since early September, throughout Seattle and the Puget Sound region. These events educate people about suggested strategies to navigate or avoid the upcoming challenges to the City of Seattle’s transportation system.

100th for the holidays…

This week, the City celebrates its 100th event at the Figgy Pudding Caroling Competition on Friday, December 7. Join us from 6 – 8:30 PM at Westlake Park for caroling and hot chocolate as we celebrate the holidays and provide visitors with information about the Seattle Squeeze. Figgy Pudding attracts nearly 10,000 people and raises funds for the Pike Market Senior Center and Food Bank.

Finding a new path.

WSDOT Video | The path to demolition for Alaskan Way Viaduct in Seattle

To continue spreading awareness of the upcoming permanent closure of the Alaskan Way Viaduct on January 11; the new SR 99 tunnel that will open in early February; and Seattle’s new era of tough traffic over the next five years, Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, and the Seattle Department of Transportation began hosting information sessions across Seattle last week. At these sessions, community members get the latest details, ask questions, and begin preparing.

Upcoming SDOT/DON briefings (our 95th and 99th, respectively):

Wednesday, December 5
Northgate Community Center, 10510 5th Ave NE
6:30 – 7:30 PM

Thursday, December 6  (99th!)
Southside Commons, 3518 S Edmunds St
6:30 – 7:30 PM

A full list of the briefings hosted by Seattle Department of Neighborhoods and the Seattle Department of Transportation is available here.

Additionally, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is holding a series of information sessions this week to share what to expect during the Viaduct removal; meet members of the team; and have your questions answered (details on WSDOT’s Program Events webpage).

Upcoming WSDOT information sessions:

Wednesday, December 5, 2018
11 AM – 2 PM
Waterfront Space
1400 Western Ave., Seattle, WA

Monday, December 10, 2018
5 – 8 PM
Seattle Center, Armory Loft Room 2
305 Harrison St., Seattle, WA

Preparing together!

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out! Thank you for your help in informing Seattle about the Seattle Squeeze! For more information on the City of Seattle’s strategy to manage congestion over the next five years, please visit www.seattle.gov/traffic.

 

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2018 Traffic Report – still growing, moving, and getting safer 

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Yup, still growing.

Seattle – newsflash – is still growing. Our city’s population hit an estimated 713,000 in 2017*, a 1.8 percent increase (9,000 people) over 2016. We continue to be one of the fasting growing cities in the country, with more residents and jobs moving to the area.

With this growth, we’re seeing:

  • Decreased vehicle volumes;
  • More people riding transit; and
  • Fewer people driving alone to work downtown. Woot!

Sidebar, we’re going to need to see that trend continue (read Period of Maximum Constraint and the new www.seattletraffic.org/).

As we grow, we’re also continuing to see safety trendlines head in the right direction, toward zero fatalities and serious injuries.

Driven by data.

There’s more work to do, for sure. A key ingredient to making more progress is through data collection and analysis. Good news is we collect a lot of data here at SDOT 🤓, and we use it to guide changes to city streets – to make them safer for all, and to make them work harder and more efficiently to serve a growing population.

Every year, we pull together a traffic report that provides an update on our core data sets – traffic speeds and volumes, reported collisions, walking and biking counts. Numbers are in for the past year (2017 data). We’ve pulled out some highlights below and you can find the full report at www.seattle.gov/transportation/document-library/reports-and-studies.

Key findings:

Total crashes are down. Police-reported crashes are down, and our collision rate decreased 1.8 percent from 2016 to 2017 (we’re below 11,000 crashes/year)

Fatal and serious injury crashes:

— 191 in 2016
— 187 in 2017

Fatal crashes:

— In 2016, 20 people lost their lives due to a traffic crash;
— In 2017, 19 people were killed.

These numbers are headed in the right direction – and we are one of the safest cities in the country – but one death is one too many. We continue to focus improvements on streets where the most serious and fatal injuries occur.

More people ➡ more people walking. The general year-to-year trend is increasing pedestrian volumes. We conduct quarterly counts, and the busiest pedestrian location counted in 2017 (and 2016) was Broadway and E Olive St, with 28,899 people walking there last year (up from 22,539 in 2016) 😮.

Broadway at Olive near Seattle Central College | Image by Google Maps

Pedestrian safety. The pedestrian collision rate is decreasing (6.5 percent from 2016) – but the number of pedestrians killed increased from 5 in 2016 (25 percent of total fatalities), to 11 in 2017 (58 percent of total fatalities). Issues like impairment, speeding, distraction, and failure to yield to pedestrians continue to be the primary contributing factors.

Bicycle volumes are down. Ridership decreased from 3.5 percent in 2016, to 2.8 percent in 2017. But let’s remember ridership is influenced, at least in part, by weather. Last year, we saw 48 inches of rain (our average is 37.5) 😱 and colder than average temps, too. Though it’s not all bad news. From July to December 2017 (during our free-floating bike share pilot phase), people took just under half a million bike share trips!

We’re pleased to report that as Seattle grows, we’re continuing to move more people and goods in and around the city safely.

As we mentioned earlier, we’ll use this data to inform decision making around how we adjust city streets – from lane markings to signal timing, and more.

You can find the full 2018 traffic report at www.seattle.gov/transportation/document-library/reports-and-studies.

 

*Reference data.

 

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