West Seattle, Washington
22 Thursday
According to Seattle Police via Twitter, there’s a multiple-car crash in the northbound Battery Street Tunnel, so the tunnel’s closed and drivers are being diverted off at Western Avenue, right before the tunnel. Also via Twitter, SDOT says a tow truck’s on site, so perhaps it won’t be closed too long. “No known injuries,” according to SPD. (Thanks to Nichole Taylor for the photo.) 3:20 PM UPDATE: SDOT has tweeted that the situation is cleared up – but one commenter with a view says the BACKUP isn’t clear yet.
Just circulated by the city’s Delridge Neighborhood District Coordinator Ron Angeles, the latest mega-mondo-traffic update for the area between West Seattle and downtown, and then some. Among the highlights – the next Alaskan Way Viaduct shutdown is scheduled for March 27-28, 6 am-6 pm each day. Note that some 1st and 4th Avenue South closures/restrictions are coming up next month, too. See the full rundown of changes/closures here.
For the second time in three nights, a rollover crash has blocked traffic on Highway 99. This time, it’s northbound, near the stadiums, so if you are heading toward downtown from West Seattle, avoid that route TFN. Not much info about the crash yet except that it’s one vehicle this time, someone was rescued from the vehicle, and police were searching for someone who reportedly ran away from the crash scene.
(we’ve added additional info to this story later Wednesday)
ORIGINAL 10:50 PM REPORT: For anyone heading toward West Seattle soon from downtown or points north of there – the Alaskan Way Viaduct is shut down southbound because of a complicated crash that’s being sorted out – reportedly involving two cars, one of which is reported to be upside down on southbound 99 around Holgate, another of which is upside down on railroad tracks. At least three “patients” reported, between the two cars, per scanner traffic.
(Photo by CLIFF DESPEAUX/Seattle Times, used with permission of the Times, added Wednesday afternoon)
11:05 PM UPDATE: Just heard the full rundown via the scanner. 4 people involved in the 2 vehicles, both of which are described as totaled, both having “barrel-rolled” multiple times. The driver of the car that “left the Viaduct” was a 30-year-old man, driver of the car that rolled on 99, a 34-year-old man, and two men in their mid-20s were in the back seat of the car that stayed on 99. The worst of the injuries is described as the driver of the second vehicle possibly having a broken arm. They all got themselves out of the wrecked vehicles and are all going to the hospital.
11:34 PM: Here’s a Twitpic looking at one of the cars, from a distance, parallel with Starbucks HQ, from Seattle Times (WSB citywide-news partner) photographer Cliff DesPeaux. And from seattlepi.com‘s Casey McNerthney, here’s the other car.
11:59 PM: Per the scanner, police expect to keep southbound 99 closed for “several hours” – traffic has to get off at the 1st So. offramp by the stadiums.
12:30 AM: Cliff’s “official” Times photos are now published here. (minutes later) SPDBlotter has just published a summary of the situation.
7:29 AM: 99 southbound reopened a few hours, and SPD has published an update saying the Civic apparently was racing another car – NOT the one it hit. Here’s the update.
2 PM WEDNESDAY: SPD says the 30-year-old driver of the Civic has been booked into King County Jail for investigation of vehicular assault, now that he’s out of the hospital.
From the Alaskan Way Viaduct/Seawall Replacement Project South Working Group meeting Wednesday:
No bombshells; group members – including Jerome Cohen, Vlad Oustimovitch and Pete Spalding from West Seattle – were shown long lists of numbers regarding travel-time and traffic-flow projections, depending on scenarios including toll or no toll, vs. tunnel toll or tunnel-plus-other stretch(es) toll. (“Meeting materials” are linked here.)
Two of the scenarios looked at the possibility of tolling the stretch of 99 between the future tunnel’s entrance and the West Seattle Bridge, and Oustimovitch expressed concern about that in end-of-meeting around-the-table Q/A, but after the meeting, WSDOT’s Ron Paananen clarified to WSB that the extra stretch is NOT being seriously considered. “We looked at (tolling beyond the tunnel), recognizing that diversion (of traffic seeking toll-free routes) would be an issue, to see if (tolling) would change diversion patterns. It had a modest effect … people diverted further upstream. So if you’re worried about diversion, (expanding the tolling) is not a great strategy.” It brought in more money, of course, he noted, but he said that it appeared they would get the $400 million they need by tolling the tunnel. Summarizing, he said, “I think we answered the question that funding this project most likely will occur through tolling of the tunnel only.” If the tunnel is tolled, it is currently expected to start in early 2016, would be collected electronically, and could range from $1 to $5 in “2015 dollars.” Other toplines from the meeting (plus an explanation of the graphic above left, added Friday morning) – read on:Read More
Some new info out today from the Alaskan Way Viaduct project team. They’re out with a new report about the tunnel project’s projected cost, as well as potential tolls. The report is here; among the highlights, they say they’d charge different tolls for different times of day, potentially $3.50 during peak commute hours. Read on for the news release with toplines; the report’s also been summarized by our partners at the Seattle Times. (One of its points, the new alignment for the tunnel’s south end, was reported during the South Portal Working Group meeting covered here last month.)Read More
Dates are now set for the next meetings of the Alaskan Way Viaduct/Seawall Replacement Project‘s South Portal and North Portal working groups. Those meetings will be the first since Mayor Mike McGinn announced last Thursday (WSB coverage here) that he will ask the City Council to approve a May special election to ask voters to pay $241 million in property taxes for faster-than-scheduled seawall repairs. (About $12 per $100,000 of property value, for each of 30 years; 60% voter approval required.) In the days since that announcement, we’ve collected reaction from 4 of the West Seattleites on the Viaduct/Seawall “working groups,” as well as from West Seattle-residing City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen, who now chairs the Council’s Transportation Committee. Read on for what they have to say.Read More
(scroll down for info, links, reaction we’re adding after the original report)
(Graphic displayed at the mayor’s announcement)
ORIGINAL 9:55 AM REPORT: We’re at the Washington Street Boat Launch south of Colman Dock, where the mayor has just finished a news conference announcing he will ask Seattle voters in May to approve a property tax measure raising $241 million to replace the seawall, regardless of what happens with The Viaduct. He says current plans call for replacing the seawall in six years, and that’s too long – he wants it done in four. The 30-year property tax proposal will be on the May ballot if the City Council agrees, he says, and would require a 60 percent majority approval; he says it would equal about $48 a year for someone with a $400,000 home. McGinn showed a section of deteriorating seawall wood as a prop and said it runs the risk of failure even without a catastrophic earthquake. He refused to answer questions regarding The Viaduct/tunnel plan itself. He says the Council will be asked next month to approve the May 18 vote, and says he has had “positive” discussions with them so far regarding this proposal. The $241 million would not cover the entire cost of seawall replacement – the price tag would be about $50 million beyond that, he said, with about $30 million of that slated to come from the county. If the ballot measure is approved, McGinn said, it would take about 2 years to design the project, and about 2 years to build. How severely waterfront business and traffic would be affected, he couldn’t say. Side note: McGinn biked down here from City Hall (about half a mile uphill) and has now headed back – we’re heading back to HQ (via car) to add video to the story.
ADDED 11:23 AM: Some supporting documents are linked in the city’s own item on the mayor’s announcement – you’ll find the links (plus Seattle Channel video of the news conference) here. Here’s one of our clips, about a minute and a half, including his use of the aforementioned prop:
1:39 PM UPDATE: A statement from Governor Gregoire:
I congratulate the Mayor for his decision to seek early funding for the seawall portion of the Alaskan Way Viaduct project. I look forward to working with him and the City Council on this vital transportation effort.
Announcement this afternoon from WSDOT – regarding some of the work you may be seeing along 99 and The Bridge (the city’s working on part of this system too) – read on:Read More
SDOT just sent this traffic alert: “Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) crews will use closed circuit camera equipment to survey a sewer line on Battery Street above the Battery Street Tunnel this Sunday, January 3, from 2 a.m. to 8 a.m. This work requires closing the northbound lanes of the Battery Street Tunnel during this time.”
From the just-concluded last 2009 meeting of the Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement project’s South Portal Working Group – with three West Seattle members on hand – the big news is the new proposed alignment for the tunnel. (Click the graphic above to see it full-size on the Viaduct project website.) The south end of this one runs further west than the original proposal, which is good news for the Pioneer Square area in particular, where some historic buildings might have needed reinforcement work, among other impacts. There are a few other changes of interest to West Seattleites – we’ll add those shortly (in the meantime, all the documents and graphics shown at the meeting are now available online – find the links here). The working group is expected to meet again next month, though the date has not yet been announced. FRIDAY MORNING UPDATE: More toplines from the meeting:Read More
All’s been somewhat quiet in meeting-land, with the holiday season leading many groups to take December off. But not the two that are meeting today/tonight:
ALASKAN WAY VIADUCT SOUTH PORTAL WORKING GROUP, which is working on VERY West Seattle-relevant issues centering on how the south end of the planned tunnel ties into the transportation grid, meets 4 pm at Puget Sound Regional Council‘s board room, 1011 Western (map) …
SOUTHWEST DESIGN REVIEW BOARD looks at the Admiral Safeway redevelopment project at 8 pm (here’s our preview with the link to the proposal that’ll be reviewed) after Transitional Resources‘ new residential building at 6:30 pm (here’s the corresponding link); both meetings are at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center …
Also tonight, the WEST SEATTLE BIG BAND‘s Holiday Concert fills Grace Church (map) with music, 7 pm …
And one note from outside West Seattle – but maybe near your workplace or somewhere outside WS you’re going today/tonight – the Jimmy John’s sandwich chain is donating all Puget Sound PROCEEDS (as in, 100% of sales) today to the murdered Lakewood Police officers’ families’ fund. Here’s where to find local locations – Pioneer Square looks like the closest.
TRAFFIC ALERT TODAY: SDOT is closing the southbound right-hand lane on the Alaskan Way Viaduct for railing repairs, 8 am-3:30 pm today, tomorrow and Wednesday, between South Massachusetts Street and South Holgate Street (a short stretch south of the stadiums, parallel to what’s marked on this map).
THIS MORNING: The four finalists for appointment to the King County Council seat that represents West Seattle – held by Dow Constantine until he became County Executive — are scheduled to be interviewed by councilmembers today, during their Committee of the Whole meeting, starting at 9:30 am. More here.
TONIGHT: West Seattle Hi-Yu‘s meeting will not only feature the group’s holiday celebration, but also the general-membership meeting that’s scheduled to choose the theme of next year’s festival. 6:30 pm, St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church (3050 California SW).
HOLIDAYS: Ongoing holiday events, giving opportunities, etc. – all on the West Seattle Holidays page.
From SDOT:
Tomorrow, Friday, December 4, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Seattle Department of Transportation crews will close the left lane of Alaskan Way Viaduct northbound at Massachusetts Street. During the closure, the crew will install a temporary railing until a permanent repair can be made. The guard rail was damaged by a recent one-car accident. Motorists should expect slowing and use caution through the work zone.
ADMIRAL SAFEWAY PROJECT: The agenda’s just come out for this Thursday’s Seattle Design Commission meeting, and the group’s 2nd review of part of the Admiral Safeway redevelopment project – required because they’re requesting an alley vacation – is set for this Thursday at City Hall downtown, 2 pm, Boards and Commissions Room. Here’s our report on the project’s last Design Commission review four weeks ago. (As reported earlier, the Admiral Safeway project also has its next Southwest Design Review Board date set – Dec. 17, 8 pm, Youngstown Arts Center.)
ALASKAN WAY VIADUCT/TUNNEL: Also just announced: After a few months off, meetings are resuming for the “working groups” looking at how the tunnel will tie in with the transportation systems at both ends . There are West Seattle reps on both the “north portal working group” and the “south portal working group”; the latter has the most WS-relevant work to do, and its next meeting has just been set for Thursday, Dec. 17, 4 – 5:30 pm in the Puget Sound Regional Council Boardroom, 1011 Western Ave.; the north portal group will meet at 4 pm tomorrow at the Seattle Aquarium. More info at alaskanwayviaduct.org.
WEST SEATTLE 5K: Half a year after the first-ever West Seattle 5K, organized as a benefit for local schools (masterminded by West Seattle High School PTSA but with three other schools participating and more than 1,000 people participating), the date is set for the sequel: Jo Bader sends word that they’ve chosen May 23, 2010. Registration isn’t open yet so the website still reflects last year – but you can set aside the date right now.
If you’re heading back this way in the next few hours, this might be a reason to avoid The Viaduct. From Peg Nielsen at SDOT:
Today, Tuesday, November 24, a Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) crew will be making emergency repairs to an expansion joint on the Alaskan Way Viaduct southbound just past the First Avenue S exit. From 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. the left and center lane will be closed southbound just south of the First Avenue off-ramp and will not hinder traffic taking that exit. Then, from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m., the center and right lane will be closed at the same location. Please use caution through the work zone.
Alaskan Way Viaduct/Battery Street Tunnel drivers, heads up. The city sent an advisory today about some upcoming maintenance closures – including an overnight closure of the northbound tunnel this weekend, and some daytime southbound shutdowns – read on for details:Read More
Doesn’t change the concerns raised by this now-infamous video, but at least, WSDOT says, last week’s inspection didn’t turn up anything new to worry about. Read on for the just-announced details:Read More
This morning, seattletimes.com (WSB partner) follows up on the WSDOT Viaduct-earthquake-simulation video release with a few more tidbits, including the price tag – which many asked about in comments here and elsewhere after the video started making the rounds Sunday night: $80,000. The Times story also questions why the video turned up “first” on a KING5 newscast – though it does not mention what we pointed out here Sunday night: WSDOT actually published the video to YouTube on Friday (which you can verify through Google Video Search, as well as the datestamp on the video’s YT page).
The Times and Publicola both note that the “public disclosure request” WSDOT cited as reason for the 2-year-old video’s release was filed by tunnel opponent Elizabeth Campbell of Magnolia – who says she didn’t see the video she’d sought till it went public Sunday night.
According to the YouTube stats an hour ago, few had seen that rather nightmarish simulation of Earthquake Vs. Viaduct online before Robert tweeted about it (and posted about it in the WSB Forums) within the past hour – even though YT says it was posted online on Friday. Turns out it was the subject of the newest item (posted around 9 tonight) on the WSDOT Blog, with guest author Ron Paananen, who’s been heading up the viaduct-replacement project. He wrote, “The specter of another major earthquake … is always present. That is why we are determined to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct before Mother Nature makes the decision for us.” Even if the current tunnel proposal follows the timeline that’s been outlined so far, The Viaduct is still scheduled to stay in service until 2016; results from this weekend’s safety inspections are due to go public by Friday. MONDAY MORNING UPDATE: The viaduct project’s communications team says, in an overall update just e-mailed, that the video is based on a 2007 report but is being made public now in response to “a public disclosure request.” The update also includes more information on the forthcoming emergency-closure system that was announced over the weekend – see it here.
The closure was scheduled till 6 pm but (as often happens) the inspection work ended early and The Viaduct is open again to traffic. WSDOT says they’ll make the inspection results public by Friday.
The Alaskan Way Viaduct will close again today – scheduled for 6 am-6 pm – for the continuation of its semiannual inspection. During Saturday’s closure, at the ceremonial signing of the tunnel agreement, Gov. Gregoire revealed plans for a new system to quickly and automatically close The Viaduct if a quake hits – with, among other things, gates on approach ramps; according to this story at seattletimes.com (WSB partner), the federally funded system will be installed next year.
VIADUCT CLOSURE: Right about now, the Alaskan Way Viaduct is scheduled to close for the first of two days of inspections, as routinely happens twice a year. Today’s closure is scheduled to end at 5:30 pm to accommodate Sounders traffic; tomorrow’s shutdown is slated for 6 am-6 pm. (A few hours into the closure, the mayor and governor are scheduled to gather alongside The Viaduct for the ceremonial signing of the tunnel deal validated by the City Council this week.)
350 DAY: It’s the International Day for Climate Action. Big event in West Seattle: CoolMom and Sustainable West Seattle are is creating an edible garden on a plot donated by C & P Coffee (who answered this). You can join in – starting at 10 am. Then at 12:30, SWS leads a bike ride from Seacrest to Seattle Center, where events will culminate in the formation of the numbers 3, 5, 0 at 3:50 pm. Read more on the SWS website.
LESBIAN & GAY FILM FESTIVAL IN WEST SEATTLE: For the second year, the festival has screenings in West Seattle, at Admiral Theater starting at noon today and tomorrow – five films today and two tomorrow.
HELP SAMOAN DISASTER VICTIMS: 9 am to 1 pm, you can take donations to an event at Evergreen High School in White Center (map). See what’s needed, and find out more about the event, by going here.
WEST SEATTLE EAGLES’ OKTOBERFEST NOTE: They sent word yesterday they had trouble getting the right permits, so they’ve canceled the beer/sausage event, but are still doing breakfast and flag football.
Lots more! See the West Seattle Weekend Lineup.
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