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A Vibrant Seattle Through Transportation Excellence.

See what’s moving Seattle this week! March 4-10

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Take down your tech rivals (or good friends) with sumo wrestling at the GeekWire Bash! Image courtesy of GeekWire.

 

Here’s a snapshot of this week’s events moving Seattle that may affect how you get around. Plan your trip! See our trip planning tools section of this post.

 

T H U R S. M A R 7

 

GeekWire Bash 2019: The annual GeekWire Bash features virtual reality, video games, robotics, epic dodgeball, foosball, ping pong, and Catan tournaments.  At CenturyLink Field Event Center.  Event hours: 3 – 9PM.  Estimated attendance: 2,000.

 

F R I. M A R 8

 

Seattle Baseball Showcase: At T-Mobile Park.  The three-day, round-robin tournament pairs West Coast schools with national collegiate teams, each playing one game per day. Games are scheduled for 11:00 AM, 3:00 PM, and 7:00 PM daily.  Estimated attendance: 2,000.

 

S A T. M A R 9

 

Seattle Kennel Club Show: At CenturyLink Field Event Center.  Event hours: 8AM – 5PM.  Estimated attendance: 5,000.

 

SODO Flea: Monthly neighborhood flea market.  The event will close Utah Ave. S. between S. Stacy St. and S. Holgate St.  Event hours: 10AM – 4PM.  Estimated attendance: 1,000.

 

Seattle Baseball Showcase: At T-Mobile Park.  The three-day, round-robin tournament pairs West Coast schools with national collegiate teams, each playing one game per day. Games are scheduled for 11:00 AM, 3:00 PM, and 7:00 PM daily.  Estimated attendance: 2,000.

 

Seattle Sounders vs. Colorado Rockies: At CenturyLink Field.  Kickoff: 7PM.  Estimated attendance: 35,000.

 

S U N. M A R 10

 

LLS Firefighter Climb: The world’s largest on-air stair climb competition. Open only to career or volunteer firefighters, this event features over 2,000 members of the fire service who must register, commit to raising a minimum amount for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and then ascend the tallest building in Seattle on event day. The entirety of the course must be completed while wearing full turnout gear, while on-air.  Event hours: 7AM – 5PM.  Estimated attendance: 2,500.

 

Seattle Kennel Club Show: At CenturyLink Field Event Center.  Event hours: 8AM – 5PM.  Estimated attendance: 5,000.

 

Seattle Baseball Showcase: At T-Mobile Park.  The three-day, round-robin tournament pairs West Coast schools with national collegiate teams, each playing one game per day. Games are scheduled for 11:00 AM, 3:00 PM, and 7:00 PM daily.  Estimated attendance: 2,000.

 

Trip planning tools

For an expanded list of upcoming constructions and events, visit our website!

 

Traveler’s Map

Our map has real-time traffic and travel times, including construction, events, and incidents.

 

Project & Construction Coordination Map

See up-to-date information on current and future construction projects in the right of way, as well as other events that may impact traffic.

 

WSDOT mobile app

The WSDOT mobile app has Seattle traffic and travel information for the state of WA.

 

For other trip planning and transit, bike and car share, carpooling, parking, and ridehailing tools, visit our Seattle Traffic website!

 

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5th/6th Transit Pathway Installation Begins Saturday, March 2

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We’re extending the 5th Ave bus lane north to connect more bus riders to I-5 after buses come out of the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel.

New bus lane in downtown Seattle will help keep transit moving during the next chapter of the #SeattleSqueeze.

We made it through the longest highway closure in the Puget Sound Region! But the Seattle Squeeze is far from over.

Our next chapter of the Seattle Squeeze begins on March 23, 2019, when all buses that use the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel will be permanently relocated to surface streets. This change is being made to accommodate the Washington State Convention Center construction and future Link light rail expansion to the Eastside in 2023. In all, 15 bus routes will be changing what bus stops they serve. Additionally, all-door boarding will launch on 3rd Avenue, with 21 of 30 locations active starting March 23.

 

Things are going to feel different downtown.

  • More buses on the street: About 800 more buses will travel daily on downtown streets.  During the rush hour, there will be about 70 more buses on the street.
  • More people getting on and off their bus on downtown sidewalks: This change affects about 37,600 daily riders, including the 11,000 people who catch their bus downtown during the evening rush hour.

 

To keep buses and riders moving, the City of Seattle is building a new transit pathway on 5th Ave and 6th Ave.

To keep people moving efficiently through downtown, we’re creating a new northbound transit pathway on 5th Ave and 6th Ave in downtown Seattle. The existing, northbound transit lane on 5th Ave will be extended 2 blocks to Marion St, where it will connect to 6th Ave and continue north to Olive Way.

This new pathway will provide more transit capacity and improve travel time and reliability for northbound buses. The King County Metro routes that will use the new transit pathway to access I-5 northbound include:

74, 76, 77, 252, 255, 257, 301, 308, 311, 316

Project map with new transit pathway and bus information.

Installation of the 5th/6th Transit Pathway began this week with signal work on 5th Ave in downtown Seattle.

You’ll start noticing bigger changes to the street layout this weekend.

Starting Saturday, March 2, we will remove existing street markings and lane stripes by “hydroblasting,” which can be loud, and then install the new lane stripes and markings.

We will work on removing lane striping and adding new striping from 7 AM, Saturday, March 2, to 11 PM, Tuesday, March 5.

All noisy work will be completed 9 AM – 10 PM on the weekend, and 7 AM – 10 PM on weekdays.

The approved noise variance permit has been posted and we’ve spray-painted the layout on the streets and sidewalks already.

During this work you can expect:

  • “No Park” signs near the project area at least 72 hours in advance of work starting
  • Noise, dust, and vibrations during work hours
  • Intermittent lane restrictions and reroutes as we work along the corridor

This new striping will combine with new signs, new traffic signals, and new bus stops to create the 24/7 bus lane on 5th Ave and the peak-only bus lane on 6th Ave.

 

Get ready: 5th Ave and 6th Ave will feel different than they do today.

Example lane configuration along 6th Ave, between University St and Union St.

There will be more buses traveling northbound, the numbers of lanes will change in some locations, and parking and loading spaces will be restricted on the west side of the street between 3-7 pm. The existing parking lane on the west side, from Pine St to University St, will now be a travel lane during peak periods. Please be aware of these changes and practice patience as we all adjust to new ways of getting around downtown.

Overall, 5th Ave is going to feel different. Buses will now be heading northbound towards oncoming traffic, and southbound turns into I-5 express lanes will be made from the center lane instead of the curbside lane as buses pass through the area. If you’re traveling on 5th Ave, be ready for these changes.

You’re also going to see more buses on Marion St to 6th Ave. Right now, this stretch carries 10 buses per hour. After March 23, it will carry 53 buses an hour.

We are adding right turn signals at 6th Ave and Pike St and 6th Ave and Olive Way to help buses and vehicles making right turns off of 6th Ave, and to reduce potential conflict between people walking and people driving in the crosswalks.

We are being flexible with improvements and we will continue to monitor and adjust signal timing or striping if needed.

Thank you for your patience as we work to connect communities to downtown Seattle with fast, regular service and to create the public spaces our growing region needs during the #SeattleSqueeze!

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March 2-4, 2019: Sub base repairs + concrete pour as we make pedestrian improvements at the intersection of S Myrtle St & Beacon Ave S.

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Swift Ave S, S Myrtle St, and S Othello are two-way arterials serving south Seattle. The streets link Holly Park and Beacon Hill to Interstate 5 (I-5). Our goal is to improve the safety, accessibility, and comfort for all users. From March 2-4, 2019, we’re finishing up our sub base repairs to the ground for a concrete pour as we make pedestrian improvements at the intersection of S Myrtle St and Beacon Ave S.

 

Here’s what you can expect:

 

S C H E D U  L E

Starting on 7 AM on Saturday, March 2, we will be demolishing concrete on Swift Ave S. This will be followed by a concrete pour as soon as 5 PM and complete by 2 AM. The road will remain closed Sunday to allow the concrete to cure. We’ll return Monday at 12 AM to place temporary asphalt over the road panels. Traffic will return to normal by Monday, March 4 at 6 AM.

 

C L O S U R E  |  D E T O U R

Northbound lanes on Swift Ave S between S Eddy St and Beacon Ave S will be closed. Traffic will be detoured to S Graham St via Beacon Ave S. Traffic will return to normal by Monday, March 4 at 6 AM. Please follow marked pedestrian detours.

 

N O I S E

Expect loud noise, dust, and vibrations while crews are working

 

T R A N S I T

King County Metro route 107 will be rerouted. For information on changes to King County Metro stops, please visit kingcounty.gov/metro/alerts.

 

P R O J E C T  O U T C O M E

Swift Ave S, S Myrtle St, and S Othello are two-way arterials serving south Seattle. The streets link Holly Park and Beacon Hill to Interstate 5 (I-5). Our goal is to improve the safety, accessibility, and comfort for all users. We’re repaving about 1.75 miles of Swift Ave S, S Myrtle St, and S Othello between S Albro Pl and Martin Luther King Jr Way S. As part of the repaving, we will be taking off the old top layer of the road, placing new asphalt and repainting the lane lines. In addition to repaving, we’ll also be improving the existing bike lane along Swift Ave S / S Myrtle St between S Albro Pl and Martin Luther King Jr Way S by making it wider. There will be some parking consolidation along S Myrtle St east of Beacon Ave S.

Want more information?

For more information on this project, please visit our project page. If you have questions or concerns, please contact the construction outreach team at swiftmyrtleothello@seattle.gov, or 206.256.5227. Thanks for your patience as we make these safety improvements.

 

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Post #Snopocalypse potholes repairs. 

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The once in a half-century #snOMG mega-storm system (for Seattle 😉) has come and gone –  and unfortunately, so have parts of our roads. DOH! The storms dropped over 20 inches of snow on Seattle making this February the snowiest month in 50 years. This caused substantial damage to our roadways and led to a myriad of new potholes forming around the city.  

The storms not only set records but set Seattle up for a literal rough road ahead which will take several months for us to repair even as we work extra hard.  

 

Tackling nature’s cause and effect 

Snow and ice cause lasting damage to our roadways as water finds its way into cracks in the pavement. The recent series of storms were particularly damaging as temperatures rose above and fell below freezing several times allowing ice to repeatedly thaw and freeze. Each time trapped water freezes, it expands and forces apart larger fissures in the roadway. When heavy vehicles like trucks and buses drive over these fissures, pieces of pavement break loose and form larger holes.  

We received more than the usual number of requests to fill potholes, and so last week we sent out double our number of maintenance crews and worked through the weekend filling about 1,100 potholes. We’ve prioritized filling the most hazardous potholes on roads used by the most vehicles before they get worse – but there’s a lot more work ahead of us. 

 

To put this into context: 

Last year people reported an average of 100 potholes to us each week. Our maintenance crews filled 95% of these potholes within three businesses days, and also filled another 20,000 potholes before they were reported to us. 

 

But this year will be a much larger challenge, so we need people to understand that we’re still working hard even though it will take us longer than usual to respond to all the requests. 

 

More winter weather brings challenges. 

The weather continues to pose big challenges even when it’s not snowing. Repairs that we make in weather like this don’t always last because the asphalt won’t bind as well to the surrounding pavement when it’s too cold or wet. So many of the potholes we fill today will likely need to be repaired again in a few months when the weather is warmer. 

Future storms could also cause more damage and slow our work further. If more freezing weather comes our way, maintenance crews will need to shift their focus from potholes to preparing the roads for more snow and ice.  

We’re still working incredibly hard to respond to a large number of storm-related issues and prioritizing our work based on public safety.  

 

Report a pothole. 

Check our progress as we continue to repair our roads on our interactive pothole repair status map.  Download Find It Fix It app Submit an online report. Call 206 684 7623

 

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Wed, Feb 27: Local Access Only along 23rd Ave S between S Massachusetts St & S Jackson St.

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This Wednesday, from 9 AM to 3 PM, we’ll be pouring the center lane on 23rd Ave S between S Dearborn St and S Lane St. What this means for you is that when we pour, 23rd Ave S between S Massachusetts St and S Jackson St will be local access only. This means that people who live, work, play, or shop on or near 23rd Ave S in this stretch can continue to do so. All other through traffic will be detoured to Martin Luther King Jr Way S. See below for details. Thanks again for your patience!

What does Local Access Only mean?

If you live, work, shop, or play on or near 23rd Ave S between S Massachusetts St and S Jackson St, you will still be able to get to your destination. Please let the flagger know where you are going and they’ll get you there. Note, travel times may be longer. If you are passing through the area going north on 23rd Ave S, you will be detoured to Martin Luther King Jr Way S.

 

What does this work mean for your driveway?

During the pour, all driveways between S Dearborn St and S Lane St will be not be accessible. If you live on the west side of the street in this stretch, we’re advising you to move your car before 7am on Wednesday and not use your driveway until after 5pm.

If you live on the east side of the street, you should be receiving notification to move your car to a side street and plan to return Friday morning. The reason for this extended closure is because we have to form the new lane on Tuesday, pour it on Wednesday, and then the new concrete needs time to set (harden) on Thursday.

 

What else should you expect?

  • There will be a slight bump in side street traffic on Wednesday.
  • We are placing NO PARKS on S Lane St between 23rd Ave S and 24th Ave S to keep local traffic moving.
  • Expect traffic to be slower than normal in this area.

 

Questions?

Email: 23rdAveCorridor@Seattle.gov
Phone:206-727-8857

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Optimizing bus service on 3rd Ave by extending bus-only hours.

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Third Ave, Seattle. Photo by Jeanne Clark.

3rd Ave transit improvements.

One key pillar of our plan for dealing with traffic impacts is investing in transit and working to get 3rd Avenue to work as efficiently as possible. In our quickly growing city, adjusting and prioritizing transit is going to be a key way to make sure people can keep moving reliably and affordably. In August 2018, in partnership with King County Metro, we made a number of changes to 3rd Ave to keep pace with the demand for bus service to and through downtown Seattle.

 

Optimize bus service on 3rd Ave by extending bus-only hours.

In August, 3rd Ave from Stewart St to just south of Yesler Way was reserved for buses and people biking, from morning to night, 6 AM – 7 PM, seven days a week.

  • Cars are allowed on 3rd Ave from 7 PM to 6 AM seven days a week.
  • No left turns off 3rd Ave, 24/7.
  • You can cross 3rd Ave going east-west, 24/7.
  • Permitted commercial vehicles are allowed to use 3rd Ave, from 9 AM – 3 PM and 7 PM – 6 AM, seven days a week.

 

Other investments include:

  • Speed up bus boarding by installing ORCA card readers at all stops along 3rd Avenue so people can pay before their bus arrives.
  • Improve bus traffic flow by moving and adding bus stops.

 

Read more about other 3rd Ave transit investments on our blog here.

 

Seattle’s new normal – #SeattleSqueeze

Over the next five years, Seattle’s downtown will be in a state of transition to meet the needs of our growing city and region – #SeattleSqueeze. We’re making changes to our city and to our regional transportation system and help people get where they need to go safely and efficiently. New mobility projects are being developed and constructed to connect communities to downtown with fast, regular service and to create the public spaces our growing region needs.

For more information, tools, and resources on  #SeattleSqueeze, please visit our website!

 

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A new transit pathway on 5th & 6th Avenues will provide more transit capacity & improve travel time & reliability for northbound buses.

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New 5th/6th transit pathway coming soon.

A new transit pathway on 5th Ave and 6th Ave from Cherry St to Olive Way will provide more transit capacity and improve travel time and reliability for northbound buses. The King County Metro routes that will use the new transit pathway to access I-5 northbound include: 74, 76, 77, 252, 255, 257, 301, 308, 311, 316. The existing, northbound transit lane on 5th Ave will be extended 2 blocks to Marion St, where it will connect to 6th Ave and continue north to Olive Way.

The pathway will consist of an east side painted bus lane in effect 3 – 7 PM, Monday – Friday. We’ll install 3 new bus stops, widen existing lanes, add right-turn signals, and remove or alter some parking.The new northbound transit pathway will also include new bus stops at Marion St, Union St, and Pike St. By increasing transit capacity on these streets, we can move more people efficiently in the center city during the Seattle Squeeze. Bus service will be outbound only, and mostly in the evening peak period.

Read more on our website.

 

Over the next five years, Seattle’s downtown will be in a state of transition to meet the needs of our growing city and region – #SeattleSqueeze. We’re making changes to our city and to our regional transportation system and help people get where they need to go safely and efficiently. New mobility projects are being developed and constructed to connect communities to downtown with fast, regular service and to create the public spaces our growing region needs.

For more information, tools, and resources on  #SeattleSqueeze, please visit our website!

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King County Metro Service Change: On March 23, 2019, seven bus routes will shift from the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel (DSTT) to surface streets.

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Overview

On March 23, 2019, seven bus routes will shift from the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel (DSTT) to surface streets to accommodate the Washington State Convention Center construction and future Link light rail expansion. To keep buses and riders moving, the City of Seattle is establishing a new transit pathway on Fifth and Sixth Avenues and Metro will establish all-door boarding in the Third Avenue corridor and at stops along Westlake Avenue North. The Metro Customer Service Office in the Westlake Tunnel will close permanently.

In addition, Metro will continue to add service to address crowding and reliability, expand service in partnership with the City of Seattle, and make other changes across King County. These and other changes are summarized in the information listed on this page.

Read more on Metro’s website here.

 

For more tools and resources on all things the #SeattleSqueeze, visit our website!

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Tuesday, Feb 26: People biking on the Westlake Protected Bike Lane to expect delays near 2700 Westlake Ave N, 7 AM – 3 PM

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Westlake Protected Bike Lane May 2017

We’re repairing a damaged protection railing. Here’s what you can expect.

People biking on the Westlake Protected Bike Lane can expect slight delays near 2700 Westlake Ave N on Tuesday, February 26 between the hours of 7 AM and 3 PM. An attendant will be monitoring traffic as crews repair a protection railing that was damaged in a collision. The protected bike lane will remain open throughout. We are doing this work now in order to reduce impacts during warm months.

For more information see the Westlake Protected Bike Lane website.

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The demolition of the Alaskan Way Viaduct has begun. Learn about the demo plan, track the demo, & what’s next.

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Alaskan Way Viaduct + snow. Photo by: Matthew McQuilkin via http://bit.ly/2E2saV8

We’re doing it, Seattle. We’re breaking records left and right.

We’re only two months into 2019 and we went from the longest major highway closure to BAM- snow! But not just any snow. It’s the kind of snow that gave us the snowiest February we’ve had in over 50 years. #snOMG

Before we get too comfy adjusting back to our pre-viaduct/pre-snowmaggedon way of travel and work, the #SeattleSqueeze is well underway and there is more coming.

 

 

The SR #99Tunnel is open & the demolition of the Alaskan Way Viaduct has begun.

Photo by WSDOT. Excavator with a concrete cracking attachment chews up the deck of the Alaskan Way Viaduct near the Seattle Aquarium.

If you’re not familiar with the specs of the new tunnel, get to know the tunnel. On February 19, On February 19, the northbound off-ramp to Alaskan Way and downtown opened. This new exit ramp leads to a new intersection at South Dearborn Street where drivers have several choices:

  • Go straight to Alaskan Way and the waterfront or
  • Turn right to access First Avenue.

This video 👈👀 shows what the choices look like. 

Also, visit King County Metro’s website for info on bus routes now that the new ramps are open.

 

#DemoPlan

The demolition of the Alaskan Way Viaduct will take about six months. In most places, crews will use impact hammers to break up the viaduct’s roadway deck. Then large hydraulic munchers will remove the viaduct’s girders and columns. In certain locations, crews will cut the viaduct into pieces and remove them by crane. The rubble will be hauled away by truck. Demolition has started in two locations: at the Columbia St on-ramp, and at a section of the viaduct near Pike Street. Soon a third crew will begin work at the viaduct’s north end near the intersection of Western Avenue and Bell Street.  

The demolition will occur in sections similar to what you see in the image above, with the contractor working on the viaduct in multiple places at once to speed up the overall pace of work. Crews will generally spend around 30 days working in each area.

Dive in deeper into WSDOT’s demo plan.

 

Track the demo.

Wondering what’s happening at Columbia Street? Can’t wait to know when work starts on Union and University streets? Us too– that’s why we’re keeping a close eye on WSDOT’s interactive web tracker of the viaduct demolition.

 

YES – you can still walk | bike | drive on Alaskan Way. 

Photo by WSDOT. Just west of Pike Place Market, demolition is underway on the old southbound lanes of the Alaskan Way Viaduct.

Here’s what you can expect:

Alaskan Way will remain open throughout demolition. Important to know though, Alaskan Way will be reduced to one lane in each direction in areas that are directly adjacent to the work zone. 

While Alaskan Way running north and south will be open during the demolition, closures of streets that intersect with Alaskan Way (think: Seneca St, Marion St, and others) will be minimized as well, to keep east-west access between the waterfront and downtown open. 

 

The best vantage point.

The waterfront, Pike Place Market, and Pioneer Square will all be open for business throughout demolition and will provide good vantage points for watching this historic transformation unfold.

 

Use the FREE Waterfront Shuttle.

We encourage you to continue to shop, play, and stay downtown during the Squeeze! Use the free Waterfront Shuttle that runs between the downtown waterfront and three nearby neighborhoods (Seattle Center, Pioneer Square, and the Central Business District). The shuttle program, extended through summer 2019, is paid for with WSDOT funding set aside to help neighborhoods most affected by the project. Information about nearby parking is available at downtownseattleparking.com. 

 

Up next.

Once WSDOT completes the demolition and the removal of the viaduct, we’ll begin work on a new Alaskan Way street and a public open space along the waterfront. The future of the Waterfront is bright, and we can’t wait until we’re able to experience it to the fullest. 

In our next blog post, we’ll share more on what’s happening next beyond the viaduct demo and what we’re doing to help the city (YOU!) get through the #SeattleSqueeze.

Keep up with all things #SeattleSqueeze on our website.

 

 

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