Are we second class citizens?

It seems to me that West Seattle has become invisible to the rest of the city.   Or are we just the second class citizen neighborhood?  Maybe we're simply pushovers?  Easy targets?  Why else would our fine neighborhood be allowed to fall victim to roughshod developers?

We put our faith in city government, believing they would, at least, keep West Seattle's best interests on the table (when making decisions about city development and planning).  But we have sadly been foresaken by our elected leaders.   They have swept the best interests of West Seattle completely off the table and onto the floor.  What's left on the table, instead, is a pile of greed.

If we don't take swift and decisive action -- we are basically bending over and taking it in the you know what.

Have you driven around West Seattle recently and seen what all the cranes are up too?  Have you noticed the "proposed land action" signs that have popped up EVERYWHERE?   Have you driven across the bridge during commute time?  Have you noticed that free parking is starting to become a thing of the past, in West Seattle?  I often wonder how many condos and apartments the area can sustain -- and that frightens me because I am CERTAIN that nobody can answer that question and I'm fairly certain nobody who is in the development business, is actually working on answering this question.   Most likely, however, there is someone who is working to NOT answer the "how many is too many" question.

It is my opinion that West Seattle needs to have infrasturcture in place before any additional mega-developments are begun.  We can't stop growth, but we need to grow in an orderly fashion.  Too much growth is a bad thing.  Unplanned growth is a dangerous thing.   We are heading toward the danger zone in West Seattle.

If you want to really become educated and do your part as a responsible citizen -- take a look into the following links and decide for yourself what needs to be done:

West Seattle Transportation Commission

http://westseattleblog.com/2013/09/make-history-be-there-as-west-seattle-transit-coalition-launches/

http://genesee-schmitz.org/
West Seattle Green Space Coalition 

http://gettingitrightforwestseattle.com/

Good day to sleep in

I'm glad I slept in because the bridge traffic snarl up du jour was over and done with by the time I hit the pavement.  TGIF but watch out for those tricky closures of this lane or that lane, or this ramp or that ramp over the weekend.

Hold the phone!!!!!

"Stop Freak'n and call Beacon!" 
Call Roto-Rooter, fast!

Hwy. 99 viaduct is muffed up AGAIN!  Nobody can get ANYWHERE!  And the Battery Street Tunnel seems to be operating more like a clogged drain pipe. 

In other words -- nothing new going on.  It is business as usual on the West Seattle bridge.

That is all.

Oops -- not quite all...... if you are thinking about leaving West Seattle -- don't do it.

Hells Bells!

I am so frigging tired of the West Seattle bridge situation!!!!!  Honestly -- it is so absurd -- we are morons to put up with this $#it.  

Accident investigation shut down 99 northbound -- so nobody could exit the bridge and get on to 99 North -- and that meant everybody and their dog was having to continue crossing the bridge and take  the I-5 or 4th Ave. Exit -- which means that all of us were late to anywhere we may have been going today.

I had the pleasure of crossing the bridge 6 times today.  Twice, the bridge was completely backed up to 35th Ave.   I kept thinking to myself "Do it!  Do it!  Just get out of your car, leave it running, and walk away!"  I would have LOVED to have done that -- just muck up the mess even more.  Does that mean I have a screw loose, or do other people ever get so fed up that they want to do irrational and stupid things too?

But I digress....

Apparently there was a horrible accident someplace up on 99 Northbound.   This required the police to position cruisers on the bridge, blocking the exit to 99 north so an accident investigation could commence.  That must have been one confusing accident (huh?) because the accident investigation went on forever -- 99 northbound was closed for about 4 hours!  I do feel horribly for whoever may have lost their life in that accident -- and for their family.  It is tragic and I am sure if it had been a loved one of mine I would very much want/need  there to be an explanation of what happened and why -- but how long does it really take to figure out how a fatal crash/accident happened?  I understand the need to close the highway for a certain, reasonable, amount of time -- but can't they take photos and review those for answers, along with talking with witnesses, instead of keeping the highway closed for hours and hours?   Geez Louise!  I mean REALLY -- knowing that portion of 99 -- there must have been about 100 other drivers who witnessed the accident.  Collect witness names and contact info, clear the accident, take lots of photos and video, and then get the heck out of there.  Having that highway blocked during prime commute time is INSANE.  

Oh, and to make matters worse - during the duration of this outrageously long closure of 99 north, a car ran out of gas or just stopped working in the middle of the bridge -- blocking another lane -- OMG -- just when you think it can't get any worse... it ALWAYS CAN get worse.

Oh well-- tomorrow is a new day and I'm sure this couldn't possibly happen two days in a row, right? Tomorrow's commute will be a dream in comparison to the misery that was going on today.  Plus, it will hopefully be "Friday Lite".

Packing peanuts from heaven?

Yesterday's bridge commute was irritating and entertaining at the same time.

Traffic was backed up going West, with one lane closed due to SDT truck trying to corral millions of green packing peanuts that had escaped from ???????   The peanuts were floating, falling, blowing around the traffic -- and forming drifts along the sides of the roadway.  It looked like snow, or nuclear fallout.   It also looked like an impossible job for SDT -- sort of Three Stooges in scope -- trying to pick up millions of packing peanuts that are crazily blowing around on a huge bridge.  The West Seattle bridge is continuously bombarded by crosswinds.  The wind was playing with the peanuts and making them dance and tumble and float and blow around EVERYWHERE.   How do you hope to collect them with that kind of wind blowing.  Not to mention SDT had to contend with the cars, cars, cars, and trucks, trucks, trucks, and motorcycles, and the occasional wayward and birdbrained bicyclist who were all attempting to get across the bridge.  So what is the solution?  SDT decided to close half the lanes off so they could catch the little boogers and clean them off the bridge.  Uh, that is a very ambitious goal -- or should I say "impossible" - but you gotta give it to them -- they tried.  I can imagine the crew that was dispatched -- they probably said something like this " You want us to go and do WHAT!!!????"  then under their breath "F-ing unbelievable -- what dumb @$$ came up with that brilliant idea -- oh well, it all pays the same so why do I care?" 

Several large plastic bags of packing peanuts were also rolling round on the East bound lanes -- getting ready to be busted open by oncoming traffic.   I guess it could have been much worse -- it could have been other things dropped off a truck and loose on the bridge -- such as chickens, or marbles, or thumb tacks, or super glue.

Anyway -- the packing peanuts were a huge distraction that slowed people down.  But actually it was the SDT closing off a lane that allowed all of us commuters a chance to study the aerodynamic properties of packing peanuts.   And of course it was a mess (the commute and the bridge covered with green, Styrofoam)..  But it was at least different and unique.   If we have to be backed up in traffic, like we are every day anyway, it might as well be because of something interesting and different -- and green packing peanuts filling the air and piling up like snow on the bridge qualifies as "different".

As a footnote -- I was chagrinned at the amount of packing peanuts that were set free into our pristine NW ecosystem.  I couldn't help but consider how long those packing peanuts would be around to muck up the Earth (I think they say Styrofoam does not decompose or degrade for at least 15,000 years).   At least they were on a trajectory to land someplace in the Duwamish River -- which  already produces three eyed frogs anyway.

Bus lane... wha 'dat?

Who can drive in the bus lane?  This should be a no brainer but based on my observations, it is very, very confusing for a small, but very annoying, percentage of West Seattle commuters.   Let me clear up the matter for ya...

A bus lane is for a bus.

End of story.

As a footnote:  
I am pretty sure all you people who drive your car (not bus) in the "bus" lane know darn well you are doing something wrong -- but you think you are somehow more important than others on the road and you also don't give a rat's @$$ about the bus riders who may be late because you pretended not to know what a type of vehicle is allowed to drive in a "bus" lane.  

Was it as good for you as it was for me? ;)

Talk about your commute by posting a comment under "post a comment"  below. 

• Thoughts on the bridge situation welcome. 

• Personal anecdotes particularly appreciated.