press release:
King County and its transportation partners have several ways to help you get around during the upcoming nine-day closure of the Alaskan Way Viaduct that starts at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 21.

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is warning that the viaduct closure is expected to affect traffic throughout the Seattle area. In addition to traffic congestion on the West Seattle Bridge, Aurora Avenue, and in SODO, you can also expect delays on State Route 99, Interstate 5, the floating bridges, and local streets.

WSDOT, King County, Sound Transit, the city of Seattle, and the Port of Seattle are urging people to help reduce congestion by leaving your car at home.

“If you can travel by bus, bike, water taxi, carpool or vanpool, or telecommute, it takes vehicles off the roadways and helps everyone travel more quickly and smoothly,” said Metro Transit General Manager Kevin Desmond. “Still, it will be very important that you allow for extra travel time no matter how you are getting around, and consider traveling outside of the peak commute times.”

Many of the partners have beefed up transportation services and are offering tips to help people cope with the expected traffic congestion and delays.

Visit the Get You There website for information about all the ways to get around.

Transit

Metro has been adding bus service along the SR 99 corridor for the past 18 months in anticipation of construction disruptions both during the nine-day closure and for the next several years. Since February 2010, Metro has added 92 additional weekday bus trips to the corridor.

Most recently, service on the busy Route 54 between West Seattle and downtown Seattle has been increased to 15-minute service for most of the day, Monday through Saturday.

During the closure, the 11 Metro bus routes that currently travel on the viaduct will be rerouted via Fourth Avenue South in the SODO area and Third Avenue in downtown Seattle. These short-term reroutes affect Metro’s 21 Express, 37 southbound, 54, 54 Express, 55, 56 Express, 113, 120, 121, 122, and 125.

Bus stops on Columbia and Seneca streets at Second Avenue will be temporarily closed during this time. When the viaduct reopens, those 11 routes will begin using the new viaduct bypass currently under construction.

Traffic congestion on the north end of the viaduct is also likely to cause delays for Metro routes: 5, 15, 16, 18, 26 Express, 28 Express, and 358.

Please be aware that bus tracking programs lose accuracy when buses are rerouted or significantly delayed, so your favorite smartphone apps may not be reliable during this time. More information about the closure and the affect on bus travel is available online.

Sound Transit rail services

In addition to its ST Express regional bus network, Sound Transit offers congestion-free Link light rail and Sounder commuter rail services into and out of downtown Seattle. If you are riding the bus to travel to and from locations south of downtown, the bus stop at Fourth Avenue South and Lander Street will be a good place to make transfers to Link light rail or other regional bus service.

“Seattle has never experienced a highway closure of this magnitude, so it’s hard to say exactly how bad traffic will be. We do know that using transit will take vehicles off the road, and reduce traffic,” said Sound Transit Executive Director of Operations Bonnie Todd.

“Sound Transit’s Link light rail and Sounder commuter rail services operate on their own dedicated right of ways for congestion-free commuting. Plus, they connect with ST Express, Metro, Community Transit and Pierce Transit bus routes to provide connections throughout the region. We encourage travelers to closely look at their transit options and plan ahead for the closure,” said Todd.

King County Water Taxi

The King County Water Taxi will be operating normal West Seattle Saturday-Sunday service during both weekends of the closure. In addition, commuters from West Seattle looking to stay off the road during the viaduct closure will have access to expanded weekday Water Taxi service.

Beginning at 6:15 a.m., the Water Taxi will provide a traffic-free commute every 30 minutes until 9:45 a.m. There will also be runs every half-hour beginning again at 3:15 p.m. and lasting until 7:15 p.m. This reflects the addition of two sailings for both the morning and evening commute periods each weekday during the closure. Passengers should note that the West Seattle Water Taxi begins its winter sailing schedule on Monday, Oct. 31 after the viaduct is scheduled to reopen.

During the closure, there is more daytime parking near Seacrest Dock in West Seattle. This includes street parking along Harbor Avenue and free weekday parking at the Don Armeni Boat Launch north of the dock. There will also be larger vehicles on the shuttle routes that take you to and from Seacrest.

“The King County Water Taxi can provide a great way to sail around the traffic congestion between West Seattle and downtown,” said Scott Davis, director of King County’s Marine Division, which operates the water taxi. “The schedule for the West Seattle route during the closure is easy to remember – there are commute-direction sailings every 30 minutes on the quarter hour during those peak travel times.”

Vanpool/carpool

If bus service doesn’t work for your schedule, try forming a vanpool or carpool with neighbors or co-workers. You can cut your driving expenses by at least half, and your employer might even subsidize or reserve a parking spot for those who drive together.

Biking/walking

Walking or biking to work is a way to cut down on trips in your car during the viaduct closure. Or, you could walk or bike to the water taxi or bus and make it a combo commute. Metro has several “In Motion” programs now underway to help you, and the city of Seattle has some great resources for biking and walking. Drivers are asked to be aware and patient with more bikes on the roadways. And, bicyclists should wear helmets and ride predictably and visibly.

Telework

Working from home could be an option for some for one or more days of the closure. Metro offers free assistance from expert telework consultants to create or expand telework programs.

For more information about getting around during both the nine-day closure and the long-term viaduct construction, please visit the Get You There website. Bus riders should be sure to sign up for Transit Alerts to receive emails or text messages about major disruptions and delays. A link to the sign-up information for alerts can also be found on the Get You There website.