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.
Visit our SDOT blog for traffic advisories.
by Jeanne Clark
The Green Lake and Wallingford Paving & Multi-Modal Improvements project has been out talking to the community about changes coming to Green Lake and Wallingford. Design is nearly complete, and we’ve made changes based on the design feedback we heard from the community earlier this year.
Map of Green Lake and Wallingford paving area; new/upgraded bike facilities and connections with existing bike facilities; and on-street parking removal.
In July, more than 670 people joined us at drop-in sessions and many visited our online open house, to learn about streetscape improvements and give feedback.
In review of design and construction planning, we heard support for our general safety and mobility goals, and some suggestions for changes. We’ve summarized everything we heard and our response to the feedback; for details, read our Feedback and Action Plan: What We Heard and What We’re Doing document!
Improving safety for people walking on N 40th St | We’re adding rapid flashing beacons and repairing some stretches of sidewalk on 40th.
Reviewing east-west bike connections in Wallingford | We’re taking a step back to reconsider the design for bike improvements on N 40th St. In the coming months, we’ll evaluate other potential improvements to east-west bike connections in Wallingford.
Evaluating options for people walking and biking through the N 50th St, Stone Way N, and E Green Lake Way N intersection | We’re looking at ways to make improvements at this intersection by clearly marking crossings and improving visibility and sightlines.
Partnering with Seattle Parks and Recreation to explore an alternative to the planned bike improvements on Green Lake Way N | Our original design included a new signal on Green Lake Way N at N 52nd St. We’re now partnering with Seattle Parks and Recreation to explore transforming a portion of the planting strip bordering the Lower Woodland Parks Playfield parking lot into a 1-way protected bike lane.
Making the NE Ravenna Blvd, NE 71st St and E Green Lake Way N intersection more predictable | We’re squaring up this intersection as much as possible by adding curb bulbs and widening the west side sidewalk. We’re also adding a rapid flashing beacon one block south of the intersection.
Improving safety and visibility at intersections | We’re adding “no parking” signs 20 feet from all intersections in the project area; on the north side of N 80th St on either side of the Ashworth Ave N intersection, we’ll add paint and post curb bulbs to improve visibility.
Reducing speed limits to improve traffic safety for all | We’ll post a 25 MPH speed limit around the east side of Green Lake, which is a reduction from the current 30 MPH speed limit.
Visit the project web site for details!
We’ll continue to engage you this fall and next year as we prepare for construction. This includes opportunities for public comment in early 2019 regarding bike improvements on N 40th St.
We anticipate completing the design by the end of 2018, beginning construction in late spring of 2019, and completing the project in 2020. For more information, please visit our project webpage.
It’s here! To help you prepare for Seattle’s new era of tough traffic that begins on January 11, 2019 with a three-week closure of SR 99 downtown as WSDOT works to #Realign99 , we have worked with our partners in the City of Seattle and across the region to bring you www.seattle.gov/traffic, your one-stop resource during what we’re calling the Seattle Squeeze.
Beginning with WSDOT’s permanent closure of the Alaska Way Viaduct on January 11 and continuing over the next five years, Seattle is entering a new era of tough traffic. Even after the new SR-99 tunnel opens, the tough times will continue. Additional private and public megaprojects will continue to reduce capacity on our City streets and contribute to gridlock. All this will be worth it. But everyone traveling to and in Seattle needs to have a plan for commuting to work or school, appointments, and/or running simple errands
This digital platform has tools, information, and resources you need to keep you moving safely to and through downtown.
At our evolving information hub you will find:
When the Viaduct closes, three solid weeks of construction begin. Crews will work around the clock to move State Route 99 off the viaduct and into the new, two-mile SR 99 tunnel beneath downtown Seattle.
During the Realign99 closure, the longest highway closure in Seattle’s history, both the viaduct and new tunnel will be closed. You can expect six weeks of impacts.
Removing the Alaskan Way Viaduct is an important safety project. WSDOT is removing an old roadway vulnerable to earthquakes and replacing it with a much safer tunnel. This regional disruption to traffic is unavoidable. Closing the highway for approximately three weeks is the only way crews can finish building the eight new ramps that will allow travelers to enter and exit the new tunnel. Check out this video to get more of the story.
In the meantime, WSDOT has completed work to provide a temporary surface Alaskan Way option, just west of the Viaduct.
Image by WSDOT | www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/Viaduct
The #Realign99 closure will be a very challenging time for everyone traveling to, from or through Seattle. We will need everyone’s help to avoid gridlock. Start making your plan today – visit www.seattle.gov/traffic to get started!
Heads up if you’re travelling downtown during rush hour this afternoon, Thursday, November 8, especially around 5 PM. A coalition of groups will be holding a rally and march regarding the dismissal of former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, in coordination with a series of rallies at the 5 PM hour across the country.
Expected Impacts to Downtown Core:
We expect impacts to the downtown core during the afternoon rush hour, as the march progresses. These impacts begin at approximately 5:30 PM today.
Other Impacts:
The Sounders MLS Cup Playoffs at CenturyLink Field game is tonight! Kick-off at 7:30 PM. Estimated attendance: 40,000. If you’re planning on attending the game, please plan ahead and expect impacts to your travel time.
We are working closely with our partners at the Seattle Police Department and our other City departments to make sure safety and mobility are maintained during the event. For live updates and other helpful information, please visit:
It’s time to make the switch – Friday PM to Monday AM – to #realign99 from under the Alaskan Way Viaduct to just west of it. The traffic switch is an important step towards viaduct demolition, which starts after the new tunnel opens in early 2019.
Also, this weekend, is SR 99 and I-5 work, making it important to plan ahead for any travel!
Closure: 9 PM Oct. 12 to 5 AM Oct. 15
South end of Battery St Tunnel to Spokane St to complete paving near Atlantic St – critical preparation for next year’s SR 99 tunnel opening.
Closure: 8 PM Oct. 13 to 10 AM Oct. 14
Alaskan Way along the waterfront, between Railroad Way S and Wall St to finish striping a new four-lane alignment and begin striping almost 250 new, temporary parking spots underneath the viaduct. Washington State Ferries’ Colman Dock will remain accessible.
Reduced to 2 lanes: 8 PM Oct. 13 to 10 AM Oct. 14
Martin Luther King Jr Way to Olive Way, plus several ramps to replace pavement and expansion joints.
To limit congestion, consider:
How you get around downtown is changing. The Alaskan Way Viaduct will permanently close January 11, 2109, for three weeks of work to #realign99 into the new SR 99 tunnel. WSDOT encourages everyone to plan ahead for this closure – the longest highway closure ever in the Seattle area!
To help manage congestion and prepare for the new era of tough traffic that will begin with the Washington State Department of Transportation’s (WSDOT) three-week closure of the Alaskan Way Viaduct starting January 11, 2019, our Transportation Operations Center (TOC) is operating around the clock beginning October 10.
The TOC is where we gather real-time information to help manage traffic incidents and to update travelers, media, first responders, and partner agencies. At the TOC, the traffic team is expanding its operation from 6 AM – 10 PM to include overnight and on-call service for 24-hour on-duty operations.
Along with 24/7 operation, the TOC will also have:
24/7 staffing of the TOC is one of many ways we’re not only working to manage congestion now, but to also prepare for WSDOT’s SR 99 closure that will begin on January 11, 2019, and for the Period of Maximum Constraint (POMC), the period of transition that Seattle will face over the next five years to meet the needs of our growing city.
Here are our five core strategies to manage congestion from 2019 – 2024:
The TOC is the heart of our Intelligent Transportation System framework, where our operators monitor and manage:
Between 2010 and 2017, 15.3 percent of crashes in the City of Seattle was between 10 PM and 6 AM and nearly 29 percent of all fatal and serious injury crashes were during overnight hours. In 2017, the TOC was activated 45 times for after-hour responses. Meeting that need cost the City 360 hours of overtime pay and 2,900 hours of standby pay.
In cooperation with our partners at WSDOT, the TOC will help lead the City’s response to the three-week closure of SR 99 alongside the SDOT Response team.
In coordination with our partner agencies, all traffic incident calls within the City of Seattle will be relayed to the TOC, keeping Seattle better connected. For questions regarding this transition, please contact 206.684.ROAD or email 684-ROAD@seattle.gov.
For real-time information during the Period of Maximum Constraint, follow:
For more information, follow:
This week started off with the Sounders whooping the Dynamos, 4 to 1. Beginning Thursday, Aurora Borealis comes to town; the Huskies host Colorado; the UW Dawgs dash; a Snails Shell Tour is scheduled; and….the Alaskan Way traffic switch is planned!
Image by MOHAI | borealisfestivaloflight.com/
BOREALIS – a festival of lights: Inaugural, annual event creating a kaleidoscope of light, color, and illusion on the exterior of the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI); plus, art installations in South Lake Union; music; food trucks; and a beer garden during this international competition. Four nights, 6:30 PM – 10 PM; 10,000 to 15,000 attendees expected.
BOREALIS – a festival of lights: Inaugural, annual event creating a kaleidoscope of light, color, and illusion on the exterior of the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI); plus, art installations in South Lake Union; music; food trucks; and a beer garden during this international competition. Four nights, 6:30 PM – 10 PM; 10,000 to 15,000 attendees expected.
Featured image courtesy of CenturyLink Field | Snails – Shell Tour 2
Puget Sound Heart and Stroke Walk: Walk from Seattle Center to Downtown and back in this fundraiser to help fight heart disease and stroke! Walk begins at 2nd Ave N and Mercer St; to E on Mercer; S on 5th ; W on Cedar; S on 4th; a U-Turn at University; N on 4th; W on Denny; N on 2nd; to the Seattle Center campus. RapidRide C Line to be rerouted. Event Hours: 9 AM – 11 AM; 6,000 attendees expected.
SODO Flea: Monthly flea market on Utah Ave S between S Stacy and Holgate streets. Event Hours: 10 AM – 4 PM; 1,000 attendees expected.
Women Build Nations Banner Parade: This march from the Washington State Convention Center (7th Ave and Pike St), with Seattle Police escort, travels along 7th Ave, to Pine St, to Westlake Park. Event Hours: 1:15 PM – up to 3:30 PM. 1,000 attendees expected.
BOREALIS – a festival of lights: Inaugural, annual event creating a kaleidoscope of light, color, and illusion on the exterior of the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI); plus, art installations in South Lake Union; music; food trucks; and a beer garden during this international competition. Four nights, 6:30 PM – 10 PM; 10,000 to 15,000 attendees expected.
Snails – Shell Tour 2.0 Tour concert at WaMu Theater: Event Hours: 7 PM – 11:59 PM. 7,000 attendees expected.
Image courtesy of Alaska Airlines Dawg Dash | www.washington.edu/alumni/dawgdash/
University of Washington Dawg Dash: Run in support of student scholarships! Route uses UW campus roadways, and roads/trails north and south 10K begins at 9 AM; 5K at 9:20 AM; 4,700 attendees expected.
BOREALIS – a festival of lights: Inaugural, annual event creating a kaleidoscope of light, color, and illusion on the exterior of the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI); plus, art installations in South Lake Union; music; food trucks; and a beer garden during this international competition. Four nights, 6:30 PM – 10 PM; 10,000 to 15,000 attendees expected.
October 28: Westlake Ave N SB lanes closed at Mercer St and SLU Streetcar will not operate. Seattle Public Utilities is installing a water service connection for the 201 Westlake Ave N development (future 7-story Citizen M hotel). Vehicles will be detoured to Dexter and Fairview.
Image from WSDOT Video | One Smart Tunnel
January of 2019 will be a significant traffic transition month, culminating with the opening of the new SR 99 tunnel. To prepare for what’s coming, plan now for options to deal with the necessary 3-week SR 99 closure.
Know before you go. Use the map controls to see real-time traffic, travel times, camera footage, if a bridge is up or down, and if a railroad crossing is open or closed – select by neighborhood if you choose.
Follow us for breaking news, real-time traffic, project updates, events, surveys, policy, advisories, blogs, & more.
Sign up for ALERT SEATTLE, WSDOT, and Metro Alerts. AlertSeattle is the official emergency notification system used by the City of Seattle to communicate with city residents during emergencies. Sign up now to receive free alerts from the City via text message, email, voice message or social media.
King County’s Get Ready website
There’s no way around it—getting around Seattle is going to be tricky during the SR 99 closure. Expect traffic delays and be prepared for full buses during peak travel times. Check out the travel options below that can help you get around in anticipation of the new SR 99 tunnel opening.
Commute Seattle’s Employer Resources
For over 10 years, Commute Seattle has helped Seattle businesses of all sizes unlock their potential and empower employees to utilize convenient, affordable, and sustainable transportation options.
This weekend, weather permitting, SDOT crews will be repaving the block of Republican St between Eastlake Ave E and Yale Ave N.
It’s in the same area as this last Saturday/Sunday paving of 1-block of Mercer. See the before and after photos, for what a weekend can do!
So why these 1-block paving efforts?
Well, if a picture paints a thousand words,
an aerial photo of Republican, Yale to Eastlake,
is upwards of 10K…
We’ll be removing the top two inches of the street surface along the block and smoothing it out with new asphalt.
September 22 & 23 | 7 AM – 5 PM daily
Closures | During working hours:
Restrictions | Local access only; drivers may wait up to 15 minutes for equipment to clear:
If you have questions about this work, email us at construction.coordination@seattle.gov or call 206-684-ROAD (7623). Information subject to change.
Know before you go. Use the map controls to see real-time traffic, travel times, camera footage, if a bridge is up or down, and if a railroad crossing is open or closed – select by neighborhood if you choose.
Follow us for breaking news, real-time traffic, project updates, events, surveys, policy, advisories, blogs, & more.
Sign up for ALERT SEATTLE, WSDOT, and Metro Alerts. AlertSeattle is the official emergency notification system used by the City of Seattle to communicate with city residents during emergencies. Sign up now to receive free alerts from the City via text message, email, voice message or social media.
King County’s Get Ready website
There’s no way around it—getting around Seattle is going to be tricky during the SR 99 closure. Expect traffic delays and be prepared for full buses during peak travel times. Check out the travel options below that can help you get around in anticipation of the new SR 99 tunnel opening.
Commute Seattle’s Employer Resources
For over 10 years, Commute Seattle has helped Seattle businesses of all sizes unlock their potential and empower employees to utilize convenient, affordable, and sustainable transportation options.
Remember early August, when a mast arm set sail for 6th and Seneca? On August 6, crews did install a new signal pole, but lifting up the mast arm had to wait.
To make room to lift and place the 35-feet-long steel mast arm, the team needs extra clearance. That’s why this time around, on Saturday, Metro trolley lines will be temporarily deactivated at the 6th and Seneca intersection.
Steel mast arm signal poles, like those at 2nd and University downtown, can double the life expectancy of signal equipment. They also decrease maintenance needed after wind storms (assuming actual sails are’t attached to these masts).
Saturday, September 22 | 6 AM to 1 PM
Closures | During work hours
Email 6thAvePaving@seattle.gov or call the project voicemail line at (206) 727-3669. Visit the 6th Ave Paving web site for more project information.
Know before you go. Use the map controls to see real-time traffic, travel times, camera footage, if a bridge is up or down, and if a railroad crossing is open or closed – select by neighborhood if you choose.
Follow us for breaking news, real-time traffic, project updates, events, surveys, policy, advisories, blogs, & more.
Sign up for ALERT SEATTLE, WSDOT, and Metro Alerts. AlertSeattle is the official emergency notification system used by the City of Seattle to communicate with city residents during emergencies. Sign up now to receive free alerts from the City via text message, email, voice message or social media.
King County’s Get Ready website
There’s no way around it—getting around Seattle is going to be tricky during the SR 99 closure. Expect traffic delays and be prepared for full buses during peak travel times. Check out the travel options below that can help you get around in anticipation of the new SR 99 tunnel opening.
Commute Seattle’s Employer Resources
For over 10 years, Commute Seattle has helped Seattle businesses of all sizes unlock their potential and empower employees to utilize convenient, affordable, and sustainable transportation options.
We’ve been working hard to better connect bicycle pathways across the city and beyond, and regularly report on progress. The assessment of efforts thus far in 2018, shows dedication toward the larger Bicycle Master Plan (BMP) vision is producing positive results. The BMP is primarily funded by the Levy to Move Seattle, approved by voters in 2015.
Working closely with the Bicycle Advisory Board to prioritize projects, decisions within the 2017-2021 implementation plan have focused on how well each project connects to the existing network. Construction plans are also measured against One Center City goals, to align pedestrian, bicycle, street, transit, and development projects. Highlights of what BMP projects are completing in 2018, include:
Specific locations of added bicycle facilities in 2018 include:
By the end of 2018, the total of bicycle facilities complete, or in construction, is expected to be 19.47 miles. That number includes, but is not limited to:
A definitive restart of the BMP effort last year, saw a dedication to more downtown pieces of the bicycle path network and to more bicycle projects making it to the “construction-ready” stage, increasing efficiency when any one project runs into a delay.
A much-desired result this year, that came after completion of the 2nd Ave protected bike lane, is a significant increase in ridership. From the 2nd Ave bike counter, the numbers show a 31% increase in ridership from 2017 to 2018.
Moving forward in developing the 2019-2024 BMP implementation plan, we will continue coordination with bicycle stakeholders, to:
As we assess and lay out BMP projects for the remainder of the levy, we will be providing quarterly updates on status to the Seattle Bicycle Advisory Board and the Levy Oversight Committee. It’s this continued collaboration that supports success in addressing bicycle traffic stress; bicycle and pedestrian safety; and safe connectivity, complete with destination tools such as more bike parking spots.