The right answer in Seattle’s great viaduct debate turned out to be one they never proposed (hotel, costs)

[BATCAT]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Switch to transit? But aside from the water taxi, that's not an option for West Seattle. The transit used parts of the roadway system that are being dismantled.

Oh well. I guess there was no way to avoid a temporary disruption. It's a little strange for people who have to go to work, though. I guess they'll have to use the water taxi, and then transit once they're in downtown.

Buses will still go from West Seattle to downtown, just like before. They're just using routes that bypass the viaduct and construction, so it's very likely to make trip take at least a little longer.


The Water Taxi will certainly not be the only option, though it might be the best one for a lot of folks.

[rjshae]

Originally Posted by mhays25

I'm not sure whether you're implying that a replacement viaduct would have been cheap. This was actually studied...the estimates were lower but still in the billions....and the structure would have been wider and taller to boot.

Yes, companies are much better at gouging, er, ... I mean obtaining inflated government contracts in the modern era.

[mhays25]

The transit solution doesn't have to work for everybody to still be worth suggesting for others.

[homesinseattle]

On this last day of Seattle viaduct usage, cool little tribute someone made:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilPwz0xEMBE

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by BATCAT

Buses will still go from West Seattle to downtown, just like before. They're just using routes that bypass the viaduct and construction, so it's very likely to make trip take at least a little longer.


The Water Taxi will certainly not be the only option, though it might be the best one for a lot of folks.

Thank you. This is the info I was hoping for. So there IS an alternate route for bus transit! People are not stranded. Thank you!

[pnwguy2]

That highway view will be gone as of tonight. That is the really only sad thing about the end of the Viaduct.

Did anyone see the last ride-along with Mayor Durkan?

https://komonews.com/news/sr-99-tunn...r-jenny-durkan

I like Jenny as mayor. However, note that at one point in the vid she says "I'm gonna go slow here". She was in the left lane at the time! How ironically poetic.

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Thank you. This is the info I was hoping for. So there IS an alternate route for bus transit! People are not stranded. Thank you!

https://westseattleblog.com/2019/01/...nned-saturday/

To manage the increased volume of traffic on our city’s streets and changing traffic patterns in advance of the SR closure beginning Friday, January 11, we’re rechannelizing key streets downtown starting Saturday, January 5. Streets include the Spokane Street Viaduct, the eastbound off-ramp to 4th Ave S and a short section of 4th Ave S approaching Spokane St.

These dedicated bus-only lanes will allow buses coming in from West Seattle to access the SODO busway and improve bus travel time throughout the SR 99 closure.

[josie13]

Originally Posted by homesinseattle

On this last day of Seattle viaduct usage, cool little tribute someone made:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilPwz0xEMBE

Thanks for that. I was curious to see what it was like. I've lived in Seattle on and off (mostly on) for 15 years, but I NEVER dared to drive on the Alaskan Way Viaduct. Not after seeing what happened to people who were driving on the Cypress Street Viaduct in Oakland when the big Quake of 1989 hit.

I'm glad they're tearing it down. I hope that the waterfront opens up and becomes more beautiful for everyone to enjoy, just as the waterfront did in San Francisco when the Embarcadero Freeway was torn down following the 1989 earthquake.

[pnwguy2]

Seattle's Alaskan Way Viaduct. Born April 4, 1953. Died January 11th, 2019, at age 65. R.I.P.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by CrazyDonkey

https://westseattleblog.com/2019/01/...nned-saturday/

Thank you, Donkey. My friend in W Seattle refused to believe that an accommodation like this was being made. He's a bit of an alarmist and curmudgeon.

"...we have rechannelized..." Who writes this stuff? Who told the writer "rechannelized" was a word? Oh well. lol. That's Seattle for you, I guess....?