So says Daily Weekly.
West Seattle, Washington
21 Monday
So says Daily Weekly.
The day the viaduct goes down, WS property values will drop 20%. You can benchmark WS against other neighborhoods.
If you are willing to take a boat to downtown Seattle you can live in Kitsap county where the schools are better and the lots are measured in fractions of an acre instead of square feet.
Renton is also about 20% lower. WS has views, but Renton has better access to the east side and has better mass transport. (park & ride, commuter rail)
i’m confused as to why there is an argument that we’re going to be “marooned” over here if the Alaskan Way viaduct goes down (although i agree it won’t be coming down voluntarily)… there’s the West Seattle Bridge and the Spokane Viaduct and it seems to me that the majority of the traffic on the Alaskan Way Viaduct is coming from Ballard and points south (i.e. Renton). what will need to happen to help traffic flow are better on/off ramps between here and I-5.
Why does everyone seem to think the Viaduct begins at Spokane St? We are still going to have the exit to N bound 99. The only difference is we will probably have a couple of exits and an discharge near the stadiums. 20%? They aren’t taking the Bridge down. There will hardly be a difference getting downtown. However, there will be a big difference getting to Fremont, Green Lake, etc…
CandrewB — from what I can tell the argument is that all the people currently taking 99N will either:
a) be forced onto the surface streets of downtown, thus creating gridlock for people trying to get north AND people going into downtown -or-
b) take 5N, creating backups on the bridge, stopping anyone from getting to the exits to downtown, and making it doubly painful for people going north.
It’s like you have a pipe with a certain amount of water coming out of it and if you make it smaller, either you have to increase the rate of flow or push less water into it.
CandrewB – The Viaduct IS Northbound 99. NO options.
dq – 1. Ballard is north.
2. Renton really has nothing to do with the Viaduct.
3.The West Seattle Bridge, and Spokane Street Viaduct, will have to empty onto I-5, that is so hopelessly backed up now, that you will not be able to get from here to there.
WS Guy – I think 20% is optomistic.
Mr. Willow..you are technically correct. But there is a stretch of SR 99 that could have some exits before downtown into the Safeco Field/Qwest Field, etc. area, leading to Pioneer square. It would be especially good for express transit. Yes, it will inundate the downtown streets, but I’m assuming that the city planners know this already, and if they don’t, they’ll find out. And, yes, traffic from south of West Seattle does play a part, whether it’s from Renton, or Des Moines, or Normandy Park, or wherever…it’s not a private West Seattle road.
CandrewB…not only will it affect Fremont/Greenlake..having no viaduct will affect Wallingford, Queen Anne, Ballard, Magnolia, even up to Shoreline and Edmonds. It WILL make a difference..and if you think not, you have your head in the sand, methinks.
I don’t think that anyone can say it won’t make a difference, just take I-5…trying to get on that from West SEattle is a joke most of the time..I’ve seen traffic back up halfway over the bridge until past 10am sometimes…not exactly reliable if you’re trying to get to work or some other appointment..do I have an alternative plan? No…I don’t get paid to figure that out…
just my 2 cents :) hope you all had a good 4th…
“ad” is right. When 99 is no longer a high speed avenue north of downtown, thru traffic will divert onto I5. Anyone who has commuted north via I5 off the WS bridge knows it’s already impossibly backed up in the morning.In 2008, construction will begin that includes a new exit to 4th Ave S off the Spokane Street viaduct (eastbound). Travelling north up 4th Ave, you can get onto I90 or I5 at Atlantic street near the ballparks.Unfortunately while this helps solve the WS bridge exit problem, it doesn’t provide a replacement for the loss of the high-speed avenue north. Some people who live in WS today, or who might someday buy here in the future, will find it impractical to commute to anything north of downtown. This will impact property values here, and as I said, I think 20% is about right on the “day of” demolition. Some recovery could happen over time but not fully; not unless SODO becomes a high-tech employment center :-!Anyway, we don’t have to wait long to find out if I’m right. The section of 99 between Holgate and King is going to be dismantled in 2009 and replaced with surface lanes, except for an overpass and on/off ramp over Atlantic. (Unlike the section of 99 across Seattle’s waterfront, this project is not in dispute) I’m not sure how the detour is going to be planned around that work, but that event should pretty much usher in the new era of West Seattle.
I also want to point out that the population density in WS is on the rise. The city has approved many townhome projects and three real blockbusters (60-80′ buildings) near the WS Junction.I think it is irresponsible for the city to approve all those projects, given the lack of a transportation strategy for West Seattle.
WS Guy…I totally agree. Just between the Whole food project and the QFC project, we’re looking at..what? over 300 new apt/condos?…put two people in half of them…and then put them on the bridge to I-5 in the AM. I’m sure glad I work at home :) I’d hate to have to fight that…
I’m bailing Seattle and moving back to my home state once the viaduct shuts down permanentley for a new one. Its going to be real ugly and really not worth it to live here until after its finished.
mr. willow-
1. i’m well aware of the fact that Ballard is north
2. people coming from the south (i.e. Renton, Burien, Kent) use 99 north (which then becomes the viaduct) to get downtown
3. i agree that unless we have improvements on our on/off ramps, there will be (worse) gridlock
the point i was trying to make is that the viaduct going down will affect more communities than just west seattle.
and you know what? even if west seattle housing drops %20, a good number of us will still be making money on our homes!
Sorry, comment time is over.
| 13 COMMENTS