Thank God I am not on the bridge today!

It has been a long, long time since I visited my own blog...

As I no longer am required to make a daily commute over the bridge, I have joined the ranks of those people who seemingly "could not care less" about the plight of those who have to cross the bridge.

Truth be told, I care.  I care a LOT.   However,  after experiencing a type euphoria, from no longer having to be part of the bridge insanity,  I didn't want to spoil my serene complacency by re-visiting any of my memories of the bridge horrors.  So I stopped all bridge discussion (with friends, or whomever I could corner to complain to)  and desisted all blog activity having to do with the West Seattle Bridge.  I haven't added to my blog since April!   But today -- after reading about the morning commute (or lack thereof) I could no longer remain silent on the matter.

Back in the day, last year, when I was trying to raise awareness of the bridge insanity -- during the time in my life when I had to commute across the bridge not once, but twice a day -- I came to the conclusion that the reason nothing was getting done about the bridge was because there were so many people who did not experience the utter failure of the West Seattle Bridge.    When you do not experience it -- you can't truly imagine it.   If you try to describe the horrible bridge situation to those that do not, or have not experienced it,  you are wasting your breath.  It is unimaginable, even with the best of descriptions.

Today the bridge remained (remains?) backed up and clogged because of accidents -- and.... the lack of tow trucks available to clear the bridge!!! ????    OMG.   Then someone apparently fainted during their commute and that required an ambulance....how's that going over?  I need to check the West Seattle Blog (www.westseattleblog.com) -- who does a great job of keeping folks as up to speed as possible on the bridge insanity.   Just reading the comments on the blog is painful enough for me -- it throws me right back into that time in my life, not so terribly long ago, when I was one of those poor people who found themselves helplessly among hundreds of other anxious, angry, and beyond frustrated bridge commuters.   I feel my blood pressure rising as I type.

So, what is to be done?  There are people who care and there are people who are organizing.  There are people who know what can be done and there are people who apparently don't want anything to be done.  Who are these various groups and what is their agenda?

If you care about correcting this situation -- you best find out who the players are and what they are up to.

And for all my Bridge Buddies out there who must continue be part of the hellish commute across the West Seattle Bridge, please know that it can always get worse, and it will -- think micro-housing, podominiums, viaduct destruction, tunnel construction (perhaps?).

I believe there needs to be a planned, organized, systematic protest -- where many of us fine West Seattle citizens gather in a place that can't be ignored (*midspan?!)  and raise our collective voices over what is a totally unacceptable bridge situation.


Yours Truly,

Bridge Buddy

* I am not advocating an unsafe protest, but I have often fantasized about a time when all morning commuters simply stop their cars, get out, and walk away -- leaving the bridge littered with cars and a traffic jam to rival all traffic jams.  Such a protest would certainly make the news and garner attention.  There might be a few tickets issued and perhaps jail time -- but hey -- seems the end justifies the means.   But I am not advocating for this -- just imagining it.

For up-to-date traffic information regarding the West Seattle Bridge, please visit one of my favorite sites...
westseattleblog

Gee, ya don't say...

I hate to say "I told you so",  but I did.

Apprently there's a slight delay in the tunneling project...

This just in from www.westseattleblog.com:
Highway 99 tunnel machine won’t dig again before March 2015 ...
hence the new timetable for getting the Highway 99 tunnel going again.  Digging will hopefully start again in “late March 2015,” according to the latest update from WSDOT’s contractor Seattle Tunnel Partners.
_____________________________________

Well then, can't they just issue shovels and get on with it?

No matter -- even when the tunnel is complete, we'll still be sitting pretty, waiting to cross the West Seattle bridge.

New cracks in viaduct while Big-Bertha still sleeps...

News that you might want to be aware of -- especially for those of us who travel off the island.

Check it out at
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/News/2014/03/10_SR99Inspections.htm

The important part is that the Alaska Way viaduct is going to close on March 22 for a spell... so engineers can inspect:

..."new cracks, as well as movement and widening of existing cracks, along girders and supports near Spring and Seneca streets. "    from WSDOT


And in case you would like to read further commentary and reporting on all things West Seattle, including transportation and over-development  -- check out the westseattleblog.com
(who always provides real time and pertinent West Seattle news).

I know I have said this in previous posts, but it seems relevant given today's news and certainly deserves another posting...

My husband and I have always called the Alaskan Way viaduct  "the IHOP" -- which of course stands for "International House of Pancakes".    From day one of living in Seattle (when we moved here 20 years ago) -- and we read about the double-decker death trap of a viaduct... we knew it was a potential "flattening" mechanism of demise.  Yet, we continued to drive it... what choice do Seattleites really have when I-5 is a parking lot from dawn to dusk? 

So --we would choose to drive on the viaduct with a rather macabre sense of humor -- calling it the IHOP while we drove as fast as we could to get off it.

Now it continues to crumble -- and you can actually see cracked concrete and "stuff" when you drive across it -- especially from the lower deck.   And to make matters worse... Big-Bertha, our state-of-the-art "digger", continues to be inoperable, delaying the viaduct's replacement tunnel construction. 

Two major unknowns here as far as I can see:
When will the viaduct fall down?
Will the viaduct be replaced before it falls down?

The third question that goes along with the first two is:
When will Big-Bertha get fired so that we can get on with actually replacing the viaduct?

Oh, one last thing -- some people believe that it is the tunneling project that has brought on new cracks -- sounds like a reasonable deduction. 

Have a great day and pay no attention to the recent, major, tectonic activity along the West Coast...

Times a wasting! Hop to it West Seattle...

It is time for action my fellow bridge warriors!

For the love of all things sacred!  *and especially the love of West Seattle

Take Action: Send Email to Seattle City Council

I strongly encourage you to join forces wth the rest of us who are urgently concerned about the over deveopment of West Seattle (especially given there seems to be little to no legitimate oversight.)

I personally support the agenda presented by Getting It Right for West Seattle http://gettingitrightforwestseattle.com/ and I have taken their recommendation about writing a letter to Tom Rasmussen, our Transportation Chairperson, re: the proposed development at 4755 Fauntleroy Ave. SW.

 I implore you to do the same.  Here is their suggested letter, which I have cut and pasted here, for your convenience:

To: Tom.Rasmussen@seattle.gov
CC: tim.burgess@seattle.gov; sally.bagshaw@seattle.gov;
sally.clark@seattle.gov; mike.obrien@seattle.gov;
kshama.sawant@seattle.gov; nick.licata@seattle.gov;
bruce.harrell@seattle.gov;  jean.godden@seattle.gov;
BCC: info@gettingitrightforwestseattle.org
Dear Transportation Chairperson Tom Rasmussen:
{INTRODUCE YOURSELF}
I’m concerned that the proposed development at 4755 Fauntleroy Ave SW, as designed by Weingarten Developers, directly conflicts with the recommendations of the community-developed and approved West Seattle Triangle Plan. I’m also concerned the current proposal will make our traffic problems even worse as tractor trailers, delivery trucks, and more cars block traffic on Fauntleroy Ave SW. I urge you to withhold approval of the proposed megaproject and require Weingarten Developers to submit other design alternatives that will not worsen traffic and are consistent with the West Seattle Triangle Plan.
Sincerely,
{YOUR NAME }
{YOUR ADDRESS}

Look familiar?  This is my commute, EVERY DAY of the week -- twice over.  
The responsiblities I have as a parent require me to drive downtown and return to West Seattle, only to turn around later in the day, cross the bridge again into downtown, and return again to West Seattle.  I am a person who sees the bridge situation for what it is -- a clear indication that THINGS ARE BROKEN in West Seattle.  And guess what -- it is fixing to get WAY, WAY worse.  I am not an alarmist, I am simply stating the obvious.

Your Bridge Buddy
See you on the bridge!

New Year but same old same old...

Today's commute -- what can I say?   Words really can't describe it, but I'll try.....

"Cuckoo-crazy" is what first comes to mind.   For me, that just about sums it up.  

Now don't get me wrong, I love all my bridge buddies dearly (and by "bridge buddies" I am referring to all you other commuter people who find yourself stuck with me on that God forsaken chunk of concrete,  trying in vain to get from point A to point B)  but sometimes I just want to drive across the bridge by myself.

Today I asked the gods that be to "please let me cross the bridge" without incident.  But of course the answer that was given was "NO!  No, no, no, no, NO!  You can NOT cross the bridge without incident"  

Why can't I cross without incident?  BECAUSE,  many other things are on the bridge thwarting my efforts and crushing my meager dream of an incident-free bridge crossing.
What kind of "many other things" are hindering my crossing?  Things such as all of the following, and a few more that I'm sure I have inadvertently left out: 

wrecked cars, cars out of gas or otherwise disabled cars,  aid cars, fire truck, police car, tow truck, lower bridge opening, ten billion other cars, and a donkey

What about you? 

 

What do you have to say about the bridge commute?   

Please leave a comment  or  share a story below.....

Bet ya didn't know that de-icer makes roads more slippery than ice.

Regarding the fact that cars are spinning out of control and crashing into each other on the West Seattle bridge -- this just in from Seattle DOT:

With colder temperatures approaching, SDOT applied liquid de-icer to the high-rise bridge as a pretreatment prior to the evening commute and football game.
Due to current warm temperatures, the de-icer can create a brief period of slippery conditions, especially if vehicles are traveling above the posted speed limit.
Out of caution, SDOT is applying sand on both directions of the structure to address any traction issues. We expect the bridge will reopen by 3:00 p.m.

Sounds like SDOT is trying to redirect the blame to commuters -- "traveling above the posted speed limit" Ha!  I just tried to get on the bridge to pick up my child from downtown and couldn't -- as the bridge was closed.  I turned around to go home and wait it out -- my tires spun while making a very slow turn off Avalon onto Fauntleroy.   The road was slick, it had nothing to do with my speed .  My wheels spun and I was barely moving.   I think it stinks that SDOT is trying to put blame on drivers when they clearly f-ed up.

Apparently the city is now putting sand on the road to make the de-icer not so slippery -- what?!

While they do that -- they have closed the bridge entirely in both West and East bound directions.   C-R-A-Z-Y.

Pretty funny if it weren't so terribly moronic...check out the coverage on the West Seattle Blog...

http://westseattleblog.com/

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/