Your Seattle Cross Town Commuting Tricks? (Pacific, Roy: homes, neighborhood, school)

[homesinseattle]

This may very well be the most inherently non-participatory thread in Seattle history. With cross town traffic being increasingly challenging, thought this might be good to start. At the very least, we might collectively slightly ease a few bottlenecks. I'm not sharing all of my secrets, but here is one. My family lives in Phinney Ridge, I drive my daughter to school at 7:40AM (markedly better at 7:30) each morning on North Capitol Hill. I bushwhack around Green Lake, head east on NE Ravenna Blvd, take the I-5 South on-ramp, stay left in the carpool/express lanes, get off on Stewart St exit, take a right just after REI, go around the block, take Eastlake Ave E headed north, stay right on Belmont Ave E on ramp over I-5 headed up toward Capitol Hill, turns into E Roy St, left on Broadway E (10th Ave E) to her school.

Creatively yours, Vince.

[sean98125]

I've found that the greenways are wonderful at getting around traffic clogs as long as it is a rainy day. I use the one on Fremont between 85th & 105th all the time - no stop signs the whole way, and the speed bumps are pretty shallow so you don't have to slow down much. There is one in the U District that can be handy when 12th is backed up. If the cyclists are out it'll be slower, though.

[kaonevar]

As someone new to Seattle, what are the greenways? I know what one is, but not what ones we have in Seattle or where they are. I travel from Magnolia to Roosevelt pretty regularly, but it takes me a solid 30 minutes to do so. :/

[homesinseattle]

Welcome to town, kaonevar. Here is a good link for you: Seattle Neighborhood Greenways :: Safe Streets for All. Coming from Magnolia to Roosevelt, you may just have to suck it up and use surface streets. Consider yourself blessed with only 30 minutes. Have you tried Ballard Bridge, up 15th, east on 65th and over that way around either the top or bottom of Green Lake? I like the top much better. If you go around the bottom, there is a really long five way stop light as you turn from East Green Lake Way onto 50th. You can even go 65th, come north on 3rd Ave N (we call it I-3), go up and over Phinney Ridge on 77th st, 77th has a good light at Aurora, straight across and over the top of Green Lake, east on Ravenna, then east on 65th to Roosevelt. Sounds complicated but it isn't. Along the way once you clear the Ballard Bridge, you have quite a few bushwhacking possibilities in Ballard if you run into any trouble. Another option (you probably know this) if the Ballard Bridge is down is to take Nickerson along the north side of Queen Anne, bounce over the Fremont Bridge, take a right on N 34th, becomes North Pacific St, shoots (relatively speaking) you under I-5, then head North on 11th Ave NE through U District to Roosevelt. I like the first method much better though.

[Garfunkle524]

My tips for Seattle Traffic:
-Use the bathroom before you leave
-Bring snacks
-Turn the music up. LOUD
-When your lane of traffic starts to move 5 feet, make eye contact with the car next to you and start pumping your arms so it looks like you're moving at incredible speeds. When they catch up, look over at them like your freaking out and start pumping your arms again.
-Switch lanes as often as possible
-Chinese Fire Drill!!
-Put your car in reverse, turn around and look directly at the driver behind you. Scowl at them when they don't get out of your way
-Middle finger to the toll-photo thing on 520. EVERY TIME
-Open your window and try to offer your traffic-jam-neighbor some Grey Poupon. If they refuse, scream SACRE BLEU!!
-Giant novelty sunglasses
-Do some yoga on the roof of your car
-Carry a tent in your car. Every time there's a traffic jam, take your tent and set it up in the left-most lane. When people honk at you, repeatedly start yelling at them to "SLOW DOWN!!!"

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by homesinseattle

Welcome to town, kaonevar. Here is a good link for you: Seattle Neighborhood Greenways :: Safe Streets for All. Coming from Magnolia to Roosevelt, you may just have to suck it up and use surface streets. Consider yourself blessed with only 30 minutes. Have you tried Ballard Bridge, up 15th, east on 65th and over that way around either the top or bottom of Green Lake? I like the top much better. If you go around the bottom, there is a really long five way stop light as you turn from East Green Lake Way onto 50th. You can even go 65th, come north on 3rd Ave N (we call it I-3), go up and over Phinney Ridge on 77th st, 77th has a good light at Aurora, straight across and over the top of Green Lake, east on Ravenna, then east on 65th to Roosevelt. Sounds complicated but it isn't. Along the way once you clear the Ballard Bridge, you have quite a few bushwhacking possibilities in Ballard if you run into any trouble. Another option (you probably know this) if the Ballard Bridge is down is to take Nickerson along the north side of Queen Anne, bounce over the Fremont Bridge, take a right on N 34th, becomes North Pacific St, shoots (relatively speaking) you under I-5, then head North on 11th Ave NE through U District to Roosevelt. I like the first method much better though.

Someone who had grown up in Seattle and was a semi-old-timer told me there are a lot of old arterials in the city that were used for moving traffic before the freeways were built, and if you know where they are, you can use them to avoid traffic and get around the city very efficiently. He showed me a couple, but I don't remember now where they were. But he was right; there was 0 traffic on those streets when we drove down them, going from somewhere around Greenlake north toward Northgate. So much better than taking the freeway, or 15th NE.

[homesinseattle]

Well said, Ruth. Come on people, share your secrets .

[CrazyDonkey]

West Ballard to U District:

1. Go west on Market St.
2. Right on Shilshole Ave.
3. Left on 46th St.
4. Right on Leary Way.
5. Left on 39th St.
6. Right on Fremont Way.
7. Left onto 38th St. and Bridge Way.
8. Left on Stone Way.
9. Right on 40th St.
10. Right on 6th Ave.
11. Left on Northlake Way and continue on Pacific St.
12. Left on 15th Ave or continue to Montlake Blvd.

Anything to avoid 45th...