On the Move Blog Department of Transportation

On The Move

Advisories from the Seattle Department of Transportation

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

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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!

UPDATE: North Seattle Neighborhood Greenway work progressing

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North Seattle Neighborhood Greenway progress continues, with the installation of new curb ramps and other crossing improvements on the east side of the street at the 3rd Ave NW and N 92nd St intersection: 3rd Ave NW is closed northbound with a detour via Greenwood Ave N until construction is complete in January 2019, weather permitting.

 

What you can expect:

3rd Ave NW and N 92nd St – Installation of curb ramp improvements, crosswalks, and a new crossing beacon on the east side of the street.

Weekdays | 7 AM – 4 PM

Closures

  • Local access only for northbound travelers on 3rd Ave NW between NW 85th St and NW 92nd St through January 2019.
  • NB traffic on 3rd Ave NW will be rerouted to Greenwood Ave N. We recommend using NW 85th St to reach Greenwood Ave N (see map).
  • Those walking will be redirected around the work zone, with a flagger available to assist during work hours.

 

General

  • SB traffic on 3rd Ave NW from NW 95th St to NW 90th St will be maintained throughout construction.
  • Temporary on-street parking restrictions, with “no park” signs placed in advance.
  • Typical construction equipment, materials, noise, dust, and activity in the work area.

 

The North Seattle Neighborhood Greenway will connect with the planned Northgate Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge at N 100th St, 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.

North Seattle Neighborhood Greenway Project, 100th & Greenwood3rd Ave NW & NW 92nd St, October/November 2018 | click for project map.

Questions?

Please contact the project team at northseattlegreenway@seattle.gov or 206-684-8105. There’s also more information at the project webpage.

 

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

Multi-Modal Improvements Coming to Green Lake & Wallingford!

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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.

 

What we heard

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!

 

Some changes based on your feedback.

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!

 

What’s next.

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.

 

Web Resource Launch | Period of Maximum Constraint resource!

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With eight weeks until #Realign99, we are launching a new website!

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.

What’s that?

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

 

 

What can you find on the new website?

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:

  • The ”Seattle Squeeze” explained.
  • Current traffic times to neighborhoods across Seattle.
  • Projected travel times 45 minutes from now.
  • Apps, maps, and other tools to help you get around.
  • Q & A to read what people are asking, and ask your own questions!
  • A Partners page for the full list and resources!
  • And lastly… Subscribe to traffic alerts for your commute. We are providing the latest travel times, tips and suggestions for your commute, and traffic alerts twice per day to different neighborhood corridors to help you plan ahead!

 

Realigning travel during Realign99.

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.

 

Why is so much work needed?

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.

 

Visit www.seattle.gov/traffic.

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!

 

Spokane St Bridge outage 7 – 9 PM tonight | Shuttle van available!

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Image by Google Maps | www.google.com/maps

 

For 2 hours tonight, starting at 7 PM, the Spokane St Bridge (West Seattle Lower Bridge) and the bike trail will be closed, so crews can replace a power control cable. A shuttle van will be available both directions, to take interested travelers over the high bridge.

 

What you can expect:

During this project, barrels and barricades as well as message boards, will direct traffic. After cable replacement and successful bridge testing, the bridge will reopen to traffic.

November 13 | 7 – 9 PM

Impacts | 

  • Spokane St Bridge (aka Lower W Seattle Bridge) closed.
  • W Seattle Bridge Trail closed.

 

Assistance | A shuttle van will travel back and forth over W Seattle High Bridge, in 15-minute intervals, with the following stops:

  • East Side – 11th Ave SW and SW Spokane St.
  • West side – SW Spokane St and Port of Seattle Terminal 5 Entrance.

 

Shuttle service is scheduled to run during the duration of the outage. Should this maintenance work experience unexpected challenges, the shuttle will run all night, as needed.

 

Questions?

Email paul.jackson@seattle.gov to learn more.

Thank you for your patience as we maintain the Spokane St Bridge!

 

Rally & March Impact Afternoon Commute in Downtown Seattle | Thursday, November 8

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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.

  • 5 PM – 8 PM event includes march from Cal Anderson Park to Henry M Jackson Federal Courthouse.
  • General route is westbound on Pine St to southbound on 2nd Ave.
  • Estimated attendance is ~5,000; this is an estimate and may vary.
  • Protest is expected to be peaceful; organizers are working with the Seattle Police Department.

Information for travelers.

March route for protest – 1.6 miles

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.

  • E Pine St cross-streets, Broadway to 2nd Ave | Rolling closures as march progresses, starting from north to south along Pine, then onto 2nd.  Length of closures dependent on event attendance numbers.
  • 2nd Ave at University or Seneca | Closed for an extended period after the group arrives at the Federal Building, until the rally disperses sometime after 7:30 PM.
  • Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel | Metro and Sound Transit bus routes 41, 74, 101, 102, 150, 255 and ST Express 550 will not be operating in the tunnel from 5:30 PM to 6:15 PM, utilizing their surface street routing instead, available online. This is subject to change depending on conditions. Capitol Hill and Second Avenue bus routes also are subject to reroutes due to street closures. Sign up for transit alerts and follow @kcmetrobus for updates.

 

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.

 

Stay informed.

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:

SDOTtraffic TWITTER

SDOT TWITTER

SEATTLE POLICE TWITTER

 

This Weekend: #Realign99 SB & NB #ReviveI5 closures.

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Looking S from Marion at new Alaskan Way striping in front of the ferry terminal.

Making the switch.

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!

 

Southbound – #Realign99 Alaskan Way: 

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.

 

Alaskan Way along the waterfront: 

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.

 

Northbound #ReviveI5: 

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.

 

Plan ahead. Expect delays.

To limit congestion, consider:

  • Using transit, particularly light rail.
  • Postponing discretionary trips. Fewer trips = fewer cars = less backup.
  • Before hitting the road, get real-time Revive I-5 traffic information on mobile devices using the WSDOT traffic app, and tracking #ReviveI5 on the WSDOT Traffic Twitter feed.

 

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!

Beacon Ave S & S Columbian Way lane closures | Sat/Sun

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Image by Google Maps | www.google.com/maps

The intersection of Beacon Ave S and S Columbian Way will be under construction this weekend, while crews demo and rebuild ADA curb ramps and improve drainage.

This work is weather-dependent and may be rescheduled if necessary.

 

What you can expect:

October 13 & 14 | 7 AM – 7 PM daily

Closures |

  • Shoulder of Beacon Ave S, starting ~200ft before intersection.
  • Right-turn lane from SB Beacon Ave S to WB S Columbian Way.

Detours |

  • Drivers turning R from Beacon Ave S to S Columbian Way WB will be rerouted for R turns around traffic island.

General |

  • Beacon Ave S will have one lane open in each direction.
  • All lanes on S Columbian Way will remain open.
  • Intersection traffic signal will be deactivated during work.
  • Flaggers will help direct traffic.
  • Beacon Ave S median parking will be accessible.

 

Questions?

Please contact the construction outreach team at (206) 256-5112 or ColumbianAlaska@seattle.gov. There’s also more project information at www.seattle.gov/transportation/paving-columbian.

We appreciate your patience during this work!

 

What’s Moving Seattle | This Week

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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!

 

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11

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.

 

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12

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.

 

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13

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.

  • 4th Ave University St to Denny Way closed 8 AM – 11 AM.
  • 4th Ave is WSDOT  I-5 detour route.

 

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. 

 

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14:

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.

 

Construction updates…

  • October 13: 2nd Ave, Pine St to Pike St, will be reduced to one lane for crane work in support of the future State Hotel (1507 2nd Ave).
  • October 12 – 15: NB I-5 reduced to 2 lanes, MLK to Olive Way, Fri 8 PM – Mon 5 AM.
  • October 12 – 15: SR 99 SB closed, S end of Battery St tunnel to S Spokane St, Fri 9 PM – Mon 5 AM
  • October 13 – 14: Alaskan Way will be closed from 8 PM Saturday night until 10 AM Sunday morning, to switch traffic from under the viaduct to west of viaduct.  Parking will be available under the viaduct until the viaduct closes on January 11, 2019.
  • October 12 – 15; 19 – 22; and 26 – 29: Rainier Ave S at I-90 will be closed, Fri 11 PM – Mon 5 AM, for the Sound Transit East Link Extension project.
  • October 15 – 21: Full closure of SR 99, John St to Harrison St, for multiple utility projects; Times TBD.
  • October 19 – 22: Full closure of SR 99, West Seattle Bridge to Battery St tunnel, Fri 9 PM – Mon 5 AM.
  • WSDOT construction details at:
    www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/Viaduct/construction-notifications
 

In the pipeline…

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.

 

The tunnel down under…

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.

 

Other event/construction info…

 

Contact us!

Resources:

SDOT’s Traveler’s Map

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!

Follow us for breaking news, real-time traffic, project updates, events, surveys, policy, advisories, blogs, & more.

 

Alert Seattle

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.

 

Join the Seattle Transit Advisory Board!

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Would you or someone you know like to influence issues such as commuter access to frequent transit; transit access for low income residents; Seattle transit investments; and future RapidRide lines? You can, as a member of the Transit Advisory Board.

Would you like input on transit strategies during the so-called period of maximum constraint? Do you want to have a say in the future of Seattle’s mass transit, bringing your experiences or representing others? Join the Transit Advisory Board. One monthly meeting gets you up close and involved.

 

Influence public transportation!

The Transit Advisory Board (TAB) is accepting applications through Friday, October 12, for new members, an extension of the original deadline to help ensure the word gets out.

The volunteer board plays an important role in advising the City of Seattle on decisions regarding transit and other forms of public transportation. The TAB’s recommendations go to the Mayor and City Council and the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), to name some partners in this space.

 

Board members serve a two-year term, with opportunities for re-appointment, and attend a meeting the fourth Wednesday of every month, 6 – 8 PM at Seattle City Hall.

TAB members can be representatives of any of the following:

  • Different geographical locations citywide
  • A variety of transit rider groups including persons with disabilities, senior and school age community members, commuters, and low-income riders
  • Travelers of different public transportation modes (e.g. bus, light rail, streetcar, and ferry)
  • Residents with an interest in improving transit conditions within the City and region, and have experience with urban transit issues
  • Transit-related organizations and clubs
  • Schools, business, and neighborhood organizations that depend on our public transportation system

 

Please submit a statement of interest (cover letter) and resume (or equivalent information) by Friday, October 12, 2018!

Email: TransitBoard@seattle.gov | subject line: “TAB Recruitment”

Mail:

Benjamin Smith
ATTN: TAB Recruitment
Seattle Department of Transportation
P.O Box 34966
Seattle, Washington 98124-4996

We’re committed to promoting diversity in the City’s boards and commissions. People of color, immigrants or refugees, youth, seniors, persons with disabilities, and sexual and gender minorities are encouraged to apply.