Wednesday, May 29, 2013

What the hell?!

The bridge gets highest marks for consistency.   Traffic backed up yet again today... Fed Ex semi jackknifed and flipped, then caught on fire on I-5 southbound.   This effectively shut down I-5  for a "while".   Any I-5 injury refers pain down to the West Seattle bridge... so we all suffered.   

A friend  suggested that West Seattle developers be required to pay a special tax to help offset  transportation infrastructure expenses.   I am supposing that the very large condominium complexes being built will be filled in the near future.  I am so curious as to how more people can possibly fit on the West Seattle bridge?   There amazingly seems to be no thought given to improving /upgrading transportation infrastructure to meet the demands of increased West Seattle population.  How the hell are we all expected to get in and out of West Seattle?   The development of West Seattle is going gang busters and the traffic/parking/road congestion is already beyond capacity.  Developers are going to make a lot of money bringing in the masses to West Seattle.  Unfortunately, they don't yet worry about how all the new people get in and out of West Seattle.   Developers should be required to have transportation impact studies done and a transportation plan devised, and approved, before they are allowed to break ground for any new housing or business development.  Then they should be taxed so that they pay for some of the improvements to transportation infrastructure.   Perhaps there are already taxes in place for such things -- but if so, apparently they are not enough.  

Something has got to give -- the bridge continues to be an unacceptable mess.

Do other West Seattlites feel outraged as I do?   Do you feel my pain?  Are you wid me or agin me?



Were you my bridge buddy today?   Did you say a few choice words?
Do you wonder "WHAT THE HELL?"  as I do?
(I took this pic from a viewpoint on Beacon Hill)









7 comments:

  1. I'm with you. Amen!

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    1. Good -- nice to know -- now if we can only band the rest of us bridgers together and take a stand -- do something crazy smart to get the attention of the powers that be -- maybe we can get something done.

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  2. In what part of town do you work? At one time I made the commute from the Junction area to Everett every day. Worst 6 months of my life. I was regularly spending 4 hours per day in my car stuck in traffic. It's not just the WS Bridge. It was often 1-5 mph speeds from 35th/Fauntleroy until past the 45th Street exit off I-5 (U District). I haven't had any commuting horror stories for the past 7 months since I was laid off from my job. Not sure which is worse - going into huge debt/bankruptcy or dealing with the traffic out of West Seattle in the morning...

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    1. Sorry you got let go :( I now feel like a huge whiner...I only have to make it to Seattle U area... which is infuriating because we live so very close -- just about a stone's throw from downtown and it still can take me an hour to get to E. Union. My husband used to make that Everett commute and it is a bitch. That commute can eventually take even the most joyful person into a deep depression.

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  3. I wasn't trying to commute shame you, BTW - it really is a toss up between being broke and having to deal with traffic out of WS! Even working in Fremont, it would quite often take me an hour to get to work. I totally agree with the developer transit tax, or even better, tax incentives for companies to locate in WS.

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  4. This is great bridge buddy! Keep it up. I've lived in West Seattle for 60 years and it just keeps getting crazier. I work downtown - if I leave my house before 7AM I can usually make it within 15 minutes by driving. Door to door on the bus is more like 30 to 45 minutes so I really prefer to drive. My kids are grown, so I have the luxury of leaving early in the morning - but I do remember the days when I would get them to school or daycare and hit the traffic at 8 or later - makes my tummy hurt just thinking about it. I wish we could just stop any more development. It is already impossible to find parking in the Alaska junction area - we rarely go to those restaurants any more. Thanks for voicing our concerns BB.

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    1. BB-- we leave our house around 7:30 and it takes 30 to 45 minutes to get to Seattle U area. When I drive the same route during non-commute times - it only takes me 10 min. or less! Of course when the traffic is really bad, it can take an hour. I just don't see any planning to address the traffic problem and it is very worrisome.

      Wow, I can't imagine what it must have been like in West Seattle 60 years ago -- I bet it was sweet. We've only been here around 15 years, but in that time I can't believe the crazy growth -- I can't blame people for wanting to live here, after all, I love it... but the lack of planning is outrageous.

      Nice to hear from you!

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