SDOT Blog Department of Transportation

SDOT Blog

A Vibrant Seattle Through Transportation Excellence.

WEEKEND EVENTS: #SeattleSqueeze Edition

by

Keyon Wilford Jr., 4, from Seattle, marched (with two signs) along with his grandmother. (Photo courtesy Neal McNamara/Patch) | https://www.seattlemlkcoalition.org/

 

It’s Friday eve and we wanted to give you an early heads up, as the second weekend of the #SeattleSqueeze nears. A couple large-scale events to be aware of – Womxn’s March and the 37th Annual MLK Day Rally and March, plus some smaller ones that may impact commutes, including the YG Stay Dangerous Tour at WaMu Theater – despite that awesome title, we always advise people to stay safe. As we head into the holiday weekend, remember to plan ahead and please pack your patience as you get around town.

 

…

 

Westlake March & WaMu Theater Concert

Friday, January 18

Afternoon rally + march at Westlake Park (2-4 PM) – rally and march related to a previous officer shooting. Expect about 250 potential attendees. March route from Westlake Park to the Federal Courthouse via 4th –> Virginia –> 7th –> Stewart, and rally at the Federal Building.

YG Stay Dangerous Tour at WaMu Theater begins at 8 PM and should end by 11:30 PM. They’re estimating 7,000 concertgoers.

 

…

 

Womxn’s March on Seattle

Saturday, January 19

Image of Women's March 2017

Image via KUOW’s Joshua McNichol’s, 2017 Womxn’s March 

. Schedule .

9 AM Rally at Cal Anderson Park, followed by a march to Seattle Center

9:45 AM March to Seattle Center begins

11:30 AM Program and panels begin at Seattle Center

With the Squeeze in mind, event organizers have coordinated with city and county staff, as well as local businesses, to minimize the pain without lessening the impact of the march’s message. The rally will start earlier and be shorter than in the past.

Organizers are encouraging participants to arrive at Cal Anderson before 9 AM and to be prepared for a longer commute given the viaduct closure and the expected attendance (35,000 – 45,000 people). The event should wrap up by 1:30 PM. Organizers have created this Google map to show the 2.2-mile route from Capitol Hill through downtown to Seattle Center.

Screen grab of march route

Image via Google Maps

. Street Closures .

Fully closed: Pine St from Broadway to 5th Ave.

Rolling closure (as the march moves through) of 4th Ave to Cedar, 5th Ave, Harrison St, and Seattle Center.

Heads up, uniformed police officers will be at 4th and Battery and 4th and Stewart to accommodate any emergency responses.

 

. Getting There .

Take transit – light rail will drop you off at Cal Anderson!

Rideshare – use the designated drop-off zone on 12th Ave between Olive and Howell.

Accessibility – an accessible drop-off location will be at the SW corner of Pine and Nagle Pl until 8:30 AM.

Check out all the event details at www.seattlewomxnmarchingforward.org.

 

…

 

Annual MLK Day Rally + March

Monday, January 21

Photo of people at 2018 MLK march

Image credit: Seattle Times, from 2018 MLK Day March

The 37th Annual MLK Day Rally and March event starts off with a series of workshops and speakers at Garfield High School focused on the goals of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr – defeating racism, poverty, and war. Yes. Yes. Yes.

. Activities .

9:30 – 10:50 AM Workshops at Garfield High School.

11 AM – 12:30 PM Rally in the gym.

12:30 PM March departs Garfield High School and heads to Westlake Park.

1:30 PM Rally at Westlake, followed by a community meal.

The march will go along 23rd Ave, turning west at Union, north on 12th Ave, then west on Pine, ending at Westlake Park.

If you’re planning to participate, plan ahead and consider carpooling, ridesharing, or taking transit – Metro routes 3, 4, and 48 will get you right to Garfield!

 

For more details, head to www.seattlemlkcoalition.org/.

 

…

 

City offices closed on Monday

Monday is a national holiday in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. While city offices will be closed, our Transportation Operations Center will be staffed and running to monitor the Squeeze.  On-street parking will be free on Monday.

For all things #SeattleSqueeze, don’t forget to check out our website.

 

###

 

 

Share Button

TOP 6 things you can do to avoid #SeattleSqueeze traffic.

by

Image result for viaduct closure seattle

We’re day six in the #Realign99 Alaskan Way Viaduct closure and here’s how traffic has been:

 

Friday: meh, great final drive and fireworks . . .
Monday: not totally unbearable.
Tuesday: much worse than Monday.
Wednesday: worse than Tuesday.
Thursday: who knows? But you can make help make a difference.

 

Over the next three weeks or so, the City of Seattle and the region will continue to feel the effects of the Alaska Way Viaduct. This major connection of the State Route 99, which served as a trusted daily route through the City of Seattle for millions since 1954 is gone forever (insert tear), as part of the Washington State Department of Transportation’s work to #Realign99.

As we await the opening of the brand-new tunnel, the traveling public still needs to travel but more conservatively. For now, the best way to maintain Seattle’s transportation system and traffic flow is by reducing the number of vehicles on the road in downtown Seattle.

Now for some us, this is an easy fix. But for others, work, family, health, and other life circumstances simply won’t allow for such an adjustment, which is why those who can must do their part to help maintain traffic flow and be a good neighbor to fellow Seattleites and King County neighbors who must hit the road each day, with no exceptions.

 

TOP 6 List 

“Things you can do to avoid traffic, plus help those who can’t.”

1. Be an Early Bird: Leave home early. Consider leaving at least an hour earlier during the morning commute.

2. Be a homebody: Work from home. If your employer is amenable, give it a go.Image result for telework

3. Get in Earlier or Later: Alter your work schedule. Check with your employer to see if you can arrive to work earlier and so you can leave earlier. Or the opposite. Schedule that happy hour with friends!

4. Travel in a group: Carpool with friends and neighbors. Organize a group going in the same direction during the week to take one vehicle. We have a list of bike and car share and carpool partners on our website.

Image by Waze Carpool via http://bit.ly/2QOxekp

5. Be multimodal: The possibilities are endless. Map out various ways to get there with a combination of walking to public transit, biking to public transit, park and ride and maybe reverse it all in the right order and transportation mode that works for you.


6. Take a post-holiday vacation. You deserve it!

For more tips and tools, visit our website!

 

 

###

Share Button

Squeezing in the rain. What’s a little water?

by

When it comes to the rain, Seattleites say,

“what rain?” 

As IF we had enough sunshine, the rain is back in the forecast for the rest of the week. #NoBigDeal riiight? For a lot of us – it’s not a big deal. But for another lot of us who are taking a new mode to get around (perhaps by feet, bike, or transit) during the #SeattleSqueeze, you might need a little encouragement and a plan – we can help with that! What’s a little water, anyway?😙

We’re hearing a lot of positive feedback coming in through our social spheres about people’s first commute of the #Realign99 closure. Super awesome! Buuut (oh no, not the but!), our WSDOT partners say that folks tend to lose their steam and return to their pre-closure routine and as a result = higher volumes of traffic soon follow that first couple of amazing commute days. Let Wayne Campbell tell/show you how it works: 😁😆😂🤣

If you’re one of the new proud road peddlers or pavement trekkers, here are a few tips:

 

Be road wise.

Allow for extra time. When the rain returns, the roadways can become all the slicker because of accumulated surface oil mixed with the first return of rain. Take it slow when walking or riding. Be road wise! Plan out your walk or bike path to where you want to go. Now might not be the best time to blaze a new unfamiliar trail. We have online maps if you care to take a gander. Our walking map is designed to help Seattle residents and visitors choose a walking route that best suits their interests and fitness level and our bike maps show where our bike facilities are like:

  • Protected bike lane
  • Bike lane/climbing lane
  • Multi-use trails
  • Neighborhood Greenways
  • Sharrows

BIKE and WALK MAP. Take a look!

 

Be gear wise.

Image by REI via http://bit.ly/2ssznbw.

Plan ahead. This tip is an easy one. So you know it’s going to rain. Pack a lightweight waterproof shell for both your upper and lower body. This way, if it rains for your commute, you’re ready to go. Switchback Travel just released their top rain jackets of 2019. Also, if you have no idea where to start with rainwear, REI has a helpful writeup about rainwear basics – How to choose rainwear. Start here and slowly begin adding to your rain gear. For now, this is a good start and you don’t have to spend a fortune gearing up. Don’t forget, you can always grab cheap gear at a second-hand store.

 

Be safety wise.

We can’t stress it enough, no matter if you’re walking or biking, light yourself up! Being seen is key especially when it’s a double doozy like a.) being a dark winter month and b.) low visibility with rain. Help yourself to some #FREE ped/bike lights we have here at the transportation mothership (SDOT). We have both white steady lights for the front of your bike or body and red flashing ones for the back. We care about you, so get your free lights already. Contact our Vision Zero team.

Also, pretty please, if you’re planning to ride your bike or a bike share, please, pleeeease wear a helmet. Statistically, if you live in Seattle, odds are you’re one of the brightest people in America, so protect that brain!

One last thing, don’t be afraid to be #SeattleForward, make eye-contact with other fellow humans on various modes. It’s ok, look them in the eye, give them a wave, throw them the peace sign.

Whether you love it or hate it (or love to hate it?), Seattle wouldn’t be Seattle without our grey rainy days. We got this, Seattle. It’s time to #Squeeze in the rain!

 

Resources

For all kinds of cool #SeattleSqueeze and #Realign 99 resources, check out our website:

Share Button

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

by

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.

 

Share Button

SATURDAY, JAN. 5: Temporary Bus Lane Construction on 4th Ave S for the #SeattleSqueeze.

by

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. 

Bus Only Lane

Temporary bus lane construction will occur on Saturday, January 5.

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 re-channelizing key streets downtown starting Saturday, January 5. Streets include the Spokane Street Viaduct, the eastbound off-ramp to 4th Ave S and a short section of 4th Ave S approaching Spokane St.

These dedicated bus-only lanes will allow buses coming in from West Seattle to access the SODO busway and improve bus travel time throughout the SR 99 closure. 

The graphics included with our Street Changes for SR 99 Closure Begin Jan 5 flyer show what’s changing. 

Seattle Squeeze Alert

Here’s what you can expect: 

On the Spokane Street Viaduct in the eastbound direction, the right lane will be converted to a bus-only lane from 1st Ave S and will continue to the 4th Ave S exit to the signalized intersection at 4th Ave S.  On 4th Ave S, we are adding a short bus-only lane heading northbound approaching Spokane St. These changes will be in place by 11 PM on Saturday, January 5.

To accommodate this change, we have modified the island separating the north and southbound lanes on 4th Ave at Spokane St and a third northbound lane was added in December.  

 

Rain is expected to occur after Saturday, January 5 so these lanes will be installed prior to these weather impacts. Completing this work one week early ensures that we avoid delays associated with the weather for this installation in order to allow buses to begin using the lane on January 11. So, while we are installing these lanes on Saturday, January 5, there won’t be any buses using this lane until after 8 PM on January 11.

Please note that these are temporary bus lanes and will be restored to general travel lanes open to all vehicles in mid-February when the northbound off-ramp to Dearborn St is opened and King County Metro resumes northbound service on the SR 99 corridor.

 

More info?

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. 

Share Button

STARTING WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2: Buses merge with traffic on Aurora Ave N at N 100th St. 

by

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. 

We’re making progress on the North Seattle Neighborhood Greenway.

Heads up travelers, we’re making progress on the North Seattle Neighborhood Greenway and will be installing accessible curb ramps and sidewalk improvements. Starting as soon as next Wednesday, January 2, here’s what you can expect.

Construction area.

Construction area

Nearby at Greenwood Ave N and N 100th St, traffic on Greenwood Ave N will be shifted around the construction work zone as we install a pedestrian island and pedestrian signal on Greenwood Ave N, as well as new accessible curb ramps on the west side of the street. Regular weekday work hours will be 7 AM to 4 PM.

  • Temporary on-street parking restrictions, with “no park” signs placed in advance.
  • Typical construction equipment, materials, noise, dust, and activity in the work area.
  • It is weather-dependent and may be rescheduled. For the safety of everyone using the street, please follow posted detour signs and avoid residential streets unless you live there or have business in the area. It’s important to drive slowly and be aware of the work areas.

 

Closure

N 100th St at Greenwood Ave N (west side of intersection) will be temporarily closed to through traffic during this work and open for local access only. Traffic will return to normal in spring 2019 once improvements are complete.

  • Once complete, those driving will no longer be able to cross Greenwood Ave N at N 100th St (see map on project webpage).
  • Two-way traffic on Greenwood Ave N will be maintained with lane shifts around the work zone.
  • Bike lanes in the vicinity will be closed during construction, and people biking will be directed to merge with traffic.
  • People walking will be redirected around the work zone, with a flagger available to assist during work hours.

 

Buses and bus lanes

The northbound bus lane on Aurora Ave N near N 100th St will be closed during the weekday, off-peak hours. Buses will merge with traffic. N 100th St at Aurora Ave N (east side of intersection) will also be temporarily closed to through traffic during this work and reopen outside of work hours (Monday-Friday, 7 AM to 4 PM) when possible. Local access will be maintained via Stone Ave N.  Traffic will return to normal in spring 2019 once improvements are complete.

  • Bus stops will remain open but may be temporarily relocated. Please check King County Metro Alerts for more information.

 

About the North Seattle Neighborhood Greenway.

The North Seattle Neighborhood Greenway will connect the Crown Hill, Greenwood, Licton Springs, and Northgate neighborhoods with the planned Northgate Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge, which crosses I-5 and connects to the future Northgate Link light rail station, bringing people to popular destinations including parks, schools, business districts, other greenways, and transit hubs.

 

Want more info?

Please contact the project team at northseattlegreenway@seattle.gov or 206.684.8105. There’s also more information on the project webpage! For more information about King County Metro service, visit kingcounty.gov/depts/transportation/metro.

 

Thank you for your patience as we work to complete this new neighborhood greenway!

Share Button

Storm Advisory: Getting gusty! High winds throughout the day. See our quick tips!

by

An umbrella today, may not help much.

You’ve likely noticed, it’s already quite windy and wet today.

The National Weather Service is predicting a blustery Thursday, with sustained southerly winds (25-40 MPH) and gusts up to 60 MPH from 10 AM to 7 PM in the Seattle area. To that effect, they’ve issued a High Wind Warning for today, 7 AM – 7 PM. Stay inside as you can and take a look at our quick windy weather tips below. Please take extra care when traveling, and if possible avoid commuting, during the high wind times.

Image courtesy of National Weather Service.

 Quick tips:

✔️ Safety

Look out for each other. It’s no fun being outside in this type of weather. If you’re driving, be extra mindful of pedestrians and people biking. If you’re walking or biking, make sure you can see and be seen. We have safety lights if you need any! Let us know. Drivers, be sure to turn your headlights on.

 

✔️ Trains, buses, and ferries

Metro’s Thursday AM Commute: Service delays are expected to subside as the peak commute winds down; visit the Get Ready website for SR 99 closure updates. See the latest information on their blog. They’ll keep their eye on the King County Metro Transit commute from 6-9 AM and again from 3-7 PM and will post about service disruptions. Follow their RSS feed for real-time updates, bookmark their blog, or visit the Metro Online website for additional information and services. If you take the train, find Sound Transit alerts and information here. For Ferry info, please visit Washington State Ferries’ Travel Alert Bulletins, Kitsap Transit’s Fast Ferry, and/or WSDOT’s ferries site regarding your ferry commute.

 

You can also follow:

 

✔️ Outages

If you notice a downed power line, DO NOT touch or approach it. Please report downed wires or outages to Seattle City Light at 206.684.7400. Check out City Light’s outage map and tips for what to do when your power goes out. When traffic lights are out, treat the intersection as a 4-way stop. You can also stay connected, even when the power is out by downloading Puget Sound Energy’s (PSE) mobile app, to track and report power outages in your neighborhood and check status and estimated restoration times, all in the palm of your hand. Follow PSE on Twitter.

 

✔️ Fallen trees or branches

If you notice fallen trees or other debris blocking streets or sidewalks, contact our 24-hour dispatch crews at 206.386.1218.

 

✔️ Blocked gutters or flooding

If you see a blocked gutter, please help clear the leaves and debris to keep the 80,000 storm drains throughout our city flowing smoothly and to help prevent flooding. Please report flooding issues to Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) at 206.386.1800. Follow SPU on Twitter.

 

✔️ Park facilities

Park programs and facilities may be affected. Please check the @SeattleParks Twitter channel, blog, and/or website.

 

✔️ Winter storm planning

For information on planning for the winter storm season, like what you should include in your emergency preparedness kit, check out Take Winter By Storm, our multi-agency preparedness site. For the latest emergency notifications, sign up for Alert Seattle to get alerts via text, tweet, and more. You can also follow the National Weather Service Seattle’s Twitter.

 

Learn about our Winter Weather Response.

Check out our Winter Weather Response webpage for a winter weather response map, winter weather brochure, and snow route map. Learn about our winter environment and what to expect if it snows.

 

Stay safe, everybody!

Share Button

Announcing: Rideshare to Transit pilot. Creative solutions for reducing congestion.

by

It’s time to say farewell to the SR 99 Alaskan Way Viaduct – the stretch of highway along the Seattle waterfront. The longest major highway closure the Puget Sound Region has ever seen is slated to begin 10 PM on Friday, January 11, 2019, when SR 99 will close from South Spokane St to the south end of the Battery Street Tunnel. Seattle is entering a new era of tough traffic and we’re working to find creative solutions for reducing congestion. #Realign99

 

99 problems but a viaduct ain’t one.

▶️ Do you live in, ⏩⏩⏩⏩ work in, ⏩⏩⏩⏩ or visit downtown? 🆒⏬

Have you ever hailed a ride with Lyft, ReachNow, or Uber to get there? Well, now you can switch to transit for the portion of your trip that goes through downtown Seattle and save $2.75—the price of a one-way transit ticket—off the price of your rideshare trip on the other end! For some of you whose employer subsidizes your ORCA transit card, this is sort of a bonus! Inserting an ORCA and Commute Seattle plug here:

 

To assist employers, Commute Seattle, (a nonprofit Transportation Management Association funded by the Downtown Seattle Association, yours truly (SDOT), King County Metro, and Sound Transit), will be providing free, personalized tools for Seattle-area employers to plan ahead for the #SeattleSqueeze.

 

Together with King County Metro and Sound Transit, we’re collaborating with three of the region’s rideshare companies—Lyft, ReachNow, and Uber—to offer this discount as part of our efforts to reduce drive-alone trips to and from the downtown Center City during the closure of the Alaskan Way Viaduct.

 

How is this all going to work?

 

From December 17, 2018, through February 15, 2019, ridehailing trips to and from select light rail stations and transit centers outside of Center City will receive a $2.75 discount to cover the cost of riders taking transit.

New and existing rideshare users will be able to access the discount through their preferred mobile apps. In most cases, discounts will be applied automatically to qualifying trips. For more details about promo codes and information for first-time users, visit www.seattletraffic.org/RideshareToTransit.

 

Where will the discount apply?

Light rail stations and transit centers from the University of Washington station to further north and from Beacon Hill station to further south. Rides to and from these locations will receive a $2.75 discount to cover the cost of taking transit the rest of the way into downtown Seattle. Take a look and see if a transit hub near you is covered. CLICK THIS MAP. 👉

 

Want more info?

Visit our website to find more information about the pilot, as well as detailed trip-planning tools and live traffic updates to get you through the #SeattleSqueeze. Still, have questions? Contact Margo Dawes (margo.dawes@seattle.gov) or Kelly Rula (kelly.rula@seattle.gov) to get them answered.

 

Share Button

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

by

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.

 

Share Button

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

by

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.

 

Share Button