Slog - Comments on I-5 Clusterfuck Still Averted, Although Some Commuters Return http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/i5_clusterfuck_still_averted_although_so Hey, remember how people learned to cope with lane closures on I-5 yesterday by taking alternative routes, riding transit, and changing their commuting schedule? Well, although traffic remained generally mild this morning, some commuters apparently failed to to heed the lessons of the (very recent) past today, and crowded back onto I-5 , slowing speeds down below 45 mph. So, repeat after me. Tomorrow: Take alternate routes, Ride transit, or change your commuting schedule. Seriously. It works.... Copyright 2008 Tue, 14 Aug 2007 13:01:03 -0800 Wed, 15 Aug 2007 10:35:43 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by Big Sven Booooooooooooring. Next?

]]> Big Sven http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/i5_clusterfuck_still_averted_although_so#c783129 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/i5_clusterfuck_still_averted_although_so#c783129 City Tue, 14 Aug 2007 13:08:36 -0800 Comment by cochise that's strange. from a (very recent) post of yours:

"Despite predictions of “nightmare” traffic, “survival tips” for dealing with the commute.....Traffic Jam 2007 didn’t happen."

I heard it was pretty bad today.

]]> cochise http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/i5_clusterfuck_still_averted_although_so#c783130 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/i5_clusterfuck_still_averted_although_so#c783130 City Tue, 14 Aug 2007 13:09:52 -0800 Comment by Garrett i second that, second, that, Big @@1 !@11 ! Big, @1 that i second;

Fugazi's Repeater was a fave album cover for a long time. Repeater, after me and and others' purchases came out with this Encouraged For Work image, or before, whatever, still not as tranquil as Genius transitory art

http://www.southern.com/southern/band/FUGAZ/pics/07348L.jpg

]]> Garrett http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/i5_clusterfuck_still_averted_although_so#c783136 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/i5_clusterfuck_still_averted_although_so#c783136 City Tue, 14 Aug 2007 13:20:18 -0800 Comment by Gitai Below 45 mph? Big fucking deal. That happens during a normal rush hour with all the lanes open.

]]> Gitai http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/i5_clusterfuck_still_averted_although_so#c783142 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/i5_clusterfuck_still_averted_although_so#c783142 City Tue, 14 Aug 2007 13:25:29 -0800 Comment by Cato the Younger Younger Wait until I have my car overheat tonight around 4:45!!! That will be a HOOT of a good time!!!

]]> Cato the Younger Younger http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/i5_clusterfuck_still_averted_although_so#c783152 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/i5_clusterfuck_still_averted_although_so#c783152 City Tue, 14 Aug 2007 13:35:04 -0800 Comment by Fnarf Shit, I'm doing better than 45 on Stone Way -- as I type this. Whoo hoo!

]]> Fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/i5_clusterfuck_still_averted_although_so#c783155 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/i5_clusterfuck_still_averted_although_so#c783155 City Tue, 14 Aug 2007 13:36:39 -0800 Comment by Dave Coffman Monday according to ECB: Good little people of Seattle, you are following my instructions.

Tuesday according to ECB: LISTEN TO ME! DO WHAT I SAY!

Problem is that people need alternatives in place to realistically use them. Maybe if we had fewer workers and jobs in Seattle traffic would be lighter. Alternatively we can spend the next 2-3 decades installing the infrastructure we missed out on in the 70's and then have the debate about ripping out roadways.

A couple of weeks of uncertainty and *adjustment* for everyone in the region: doable. A couple of decades? Not on your life.

]]> Dave Coffman http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/i5_clusterfuck_still_averted_although_so#c783156 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/i5_clusterfuck_still_averted_although_so#c783156 City Tue, 14 Aug 2007 13:37:40 -0800 Comment by sad The transit option isn't working for me very well. I have always been a bus commuter, but due to all this stuff my buses run behind and I'm late to work. Also I'm 6 months pregnant, and people do not give up their seats under any circumstances anymore.

]]> sad http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/i5_clusterfuck_still_averted_although_so#c783159 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/i5_clusterfuck_still_averted_although_so#c783159 City Tue, 14 Aug 2007 13:43:44 -0800 Comment by Gomez Told you, Barnett.

Everyone in the media and blogosphere championed the WIDE OPEN I-5 corridor on Monday and everybody watching said, "Oh, well then, it's okay to take I-5 then!" Shouldn't have counted your chickens before they hatched.

Also, another person mentioned that people have been taking PTO 3 day weekends, and so of course Mondays and Fridays often see lighter traffic during the summer.

]]> Gomez http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/i5_clusterfuck_still_averted_although_so#c783168 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/i5_clusterfuck_still_averted_although_so#c783168 City Tue, 14 Aug 2007 13:51:58 -0800 Comment by Garrett @8

i get sad too, me or others, not sure. Today I took metro to and from pt temp work. Going there was nice, guy next me was flipping through T.S. Eliot, I showed him my library book, then he couldn't find his transfer, so not needing mine, i gave it over.

The trip back was less. The one sad instance that comes to mind is when the woman did a cliche of loudly complaining. The driver had mistaken her bag of birdseed for something else and suggested putting it away. She continued the rant with about the carefree attitude by metro toward people with needles in their veins who ride in the backs of buses. She got off eventually and smiled and said cutesys with the driver as if mission accomplished. Driver was like, 'yeah, yeah'like

Good luck with your pregnancy

]]> Garrett http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/i5_clusterfuck_still_averted_although_so#c783173 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/i5_clusterfuck_still_averted_although_so#c783173 City Tue, 14 Aug 2007 13:57:58 -0800 Comment by NaFun Or, traffic is going to get worse until a new equilibrium is met, just like the 'induced demand' theory would predict. Remove some of the roads and number of cars will go down as capacity goes down. I bet it wobbles around a settling point over the next week, and either tomorrow or Thursday traffic will suck then get better again.

]]> NaFun http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/i5_clusterfuck_still_averted_although_so#c783174 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/i5_clusterfuck_still_averted_although_so#c783174 City Tue, 14 Aug 2007 13:58:26 -0800 Comment by josh Sightline mused on the differences in Monday vs. Wednesday traffic patterns a couple months ago [dailyscore]. This, coupled with an overreaction to no trafficpocalypse yesterday, might be part of what's happening today.

]]> josh http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/i5_clusterfuck_still_averted_although_so#c783176 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/i5_clusterfuck_still_averted_although_so#c783176 City Tue, 14 Aug 2007 14:00:06 -0800 Comment by michael strangeways Monday is pretty much always an ok commute day anyway...the traffic always gets worse, day by day, as you approach the weekend. I wasn't that surprised that yesterday, it wasn't that bad. The real test, will be Thursday and Friday.

]]> michael strangeways http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/i5_clusterfuck_still_averted_although_so#c783233 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/i5_clusterfuck_still_averted_although_so#c783233 City Tue, 14 Aug 2007 14:47:38 -0800 Comment by john pi article:

HEADLINE: Woman misses train! It leaves without her!
HEADLINE: Train full during rush hour! When rider tries to wait for the next one, it is also full!

As a Montreal resident, I find this hysterical. You see, people of Seattle, this happens rather often there. About every four minutes on a weekday rush hour, times the number of subway stations there are, in fact.

]]> john http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/i5_clusterfuck_still_averted_although_so#c783338 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/i5_clusterfuck_still_averted_although_so#c783338 City Tue, 14 Aug 2007 16:27:09 -0800 Comment by Will in Seattle Hmm. My commute wasn't affected at all.

Mind you, I walk to work along the Burke-Gilman.

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/i5_clusterfuck_still_averted_although_so#c783425 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/i5_clusterfuck_still_averted_although_so#c783425 City Tue, 14 Aug 2007 17:50:48 -0800 Comment by neo-realist I have no choice but to drive to work-employed in sno ho county. But I suspect that a lot of people have chosen to take a vacation for the duration of the project. Even my drive home which is normally over an hour, was about 20-25 minutes faster than usual.

]]> neo-realist http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/i5_clusterfuck_still_averted_although_so#c783427 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/i5_clusterfuck_still_averted_although_so#c783427 City Tue, 14 Aug 2007 17:52:17 -0800 Comment by K X One
Part of the reason traffic is better on I-5 is that some of the buses from Tacoma have been directed onto surface streets. So people in buses get even longer commutes. :(


On the upside, perhaps some people trying other forms of transit for the first time will decide to leave their cars at home even after I-5 is back to normal.

]]> K X One http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/i5_clusterfuck_still_averted_although_so#c783671 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/i5_clusterfuck_still_averted_although_so#c783671 City Wed, 15 Aug 2007 04:47:11 -0800 Comment by K X One
BTW, Tacoma has WAY nicer buses than Seattle.

]]> K X One http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/i5_clusterfuck_still_averted_although_so#c783672 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/i5_clusterfuck_still_averted_although_so#c783672 City Wed, 15 Aug 2007 04:47:59 -0800 Comment by matthew fisher wilder Are you talking about Pierce Transit buses or Sound Transit buses? Either way, duh. Less people use Pierce Transit unfortunately, even though it works well enough. And Sound Transit isn't a Tacoma transit authority.

As for the "OMG Traffic is really bad now, I told you, ECB!" folks... now these people should get a clue and try something else. Very Pavlovian. Again, I'm still pleasantly surprised by Monday's non-event, and am even happier that today wasn't anymore hell on pavement than normal.

]]> matthew fisher wilder http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/i5_clusterfuck_still_averted_although_so#c783775 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/i5_clusterfuck_still_averted_although_so#c783775 City Wed, 15 Aug 2007 10:35:43 -0800