6 things bus riders should know about July’s I-90 lane closures

In less than a week, westbound Interstate 90 across Lake Washington will be narrowed from five lanes to two while crews replace the expansion joints on the westbound floating bridge. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is warning all motorists that the traffic delays could last an hour or more and stretch from Issaquah to Seattle.

The work begins Sunday, July 5 and sho uld be completed by July 20. In addition to WSDOT’s warnings for all motorists, here are a few things bus riders should know about transit delays and reroutes:

Delays – Bus travel times are expected to be delayed because all vehicles will be using the HOV express lanes across the lake into Seattle. This restriction does not end until you reach the west side of the Mount Baker Tunnel.

The I-90 work scheduled for July 5-20 is expected to create westbound delays of up to an hour.

WSDOT anticipates delays will be most disruptive westbound from 6-11 a.m. and 3-7 p.m., or when there are major events in Seattle. Also, eastbound traffic in the afternoon is expected to be slower than normal, because there will be no HOV lanes in that direction across the lake until the project is completed. There could be related slowdowns on State Route 520, Interstate 405 and Interstate 5.

Metro will make every effort to add buses to maintain departure schedules on east-west routes across I-90. Still, bus travel times are expected to take longer than normal due to anticipated traffic delays and backups. Most buses serving the Eastside make multiple trips across the lake in a single day, and congestion on one leg of the trip will create ongoing delays for individual buses.

There are more than 19 Metro and Sound Transit bus routes operating in the I-90 corridor, including routes: 111, 114, 202, 205, 210, 211, 212, 214, 215, 216, 217, 218, 225, 229, 981, and 989, plus Sound Transit Express routes 550, 554, 555 and 556. But, the congestion could also delay other routes and transit service.

Bus travel is still a good option for crossing I-90. Transit service, vanpools and carpools will be subject to delays, but at least you help get one more car off the road and can relax while someone else does the driving.

Bus riders are encouraged to travel early in the commute if possible. Use existing schedules to plan your trip and give yourself plenty of time to reach your destination.

Reroutes – Because westbound traffic congestion is expected to be severe, Metro is planning to reroute all Seattle-bound service that travels westbound on I-90 from Snoqualmie, Sammamish, Issaquah Highlands, Issaquah and Eastgate. This will have little impact on bus boarding locations, except for two inbound stops.

Westbound buses that are headed for the I-90 floating bridge will be routed off of I-90 at 142nd Place Southeast at Eastgate and re-enter near Bellevue Way. This will divert buses around several anticipated I-90 choke points and give them a queue jump onto Mercer Island.

Routes 111 and 114 coming from the Renton Highlands will also avoid some portions of I-90. Mercer Island routes 202 and 205 will have a short reroute on the island to enter I-90.

Read More

Staycationing this summer?

Let Metro help you save money on fun times

If you are trading Paris for Pike Place, Rio for Renton, or Lake Tahoe for Lake Washington, King County Metro Transit can help you stretch those holiday dollars even farther when you travel by bus.

There are all sorts of summer activities and vacations to take in King County and around the Puget Sound that can be made even more affordable when you leave your car at home and use public transportation.

Metro has many routes serving the big-city attractions in Seattle and Bellevue, but it also has regular service to parks, beaches, malls, movie theaters, sports fields, and hiking trails in King County.

A little planning before you go will make your hometown vacation much more enjoyable. Metro’s online Trip Planner is the best way to plot out your bus travels and tailor them to your schedule and starting point. It’s important to check first, because not all routes run all day or on weekends.

Read More

Overhead to underground: King County coordinates at all transportation levels

The transportation network in King County is so multi-layered that all maps should be rendered in 3-D. With state highways, county roads, city streets, multiple transit systems, bike routes, pedestrian paths, and passenger ferries, our county is crisscrossed by a complex travel web.

Right in the center of it all is the King County Department of Transportation (KCDOT), which provides road and transit services that intersect with every other jurisdiction, public utility, and transportation agency in the county. It requires King County Road Services and Metro Transit staff to closely coordinate with many agencies on many levels.

“As the local transportation systems expand, it really does put KCDOT in the center of things,” said Department Director Harold Taniguchi. “County roads and bridges in unincorporated areas carry traffic to and from 39 different cities. Metro Transit buses travel through those jurisdictions as well. Good communication and coordination helps us reduce travel delays for the public and save money on all our projects.”

A single project can involve many agencies. For example, installing a new electrical pole on a Seattle city street can require coordination of up to half a dozen groups, including: Seattle Public Utilities; Seattle Department of Transportation; Metro’s different crews that maintain the overhead trolley wires, the bus stops, and schedule reroutes; and any contractors involved in doing the actual installation.

A county road project near a city might involve the two government agencies, plus the utility companies that have electrical, gas, sewer and cable lines running underneath that road. If the road is on a bus route, it can also impact Metro and local school districts.

Depending on the project, the agencies will work together on a variety of issues, such as: signage, detours, temporary bus stop closures, utility relocation, erosion control, stormwater runoff, plus associated repairs and repaving.

Read More

Photo of the week Rich Green (left) accepts congratulations from his co-workers for winning Vehicle Maintenance Employee of the Year. RoadWatch News from KCDOT's Road Services Division West Snoqualmie Road – A culvert replacement project will close West Snoqualmie Road Northeast in the 18000 block near the King-Snohomish county line from Tuesday, July 7 through Aug. 7. 140th Place Northeast – The county will begin work to replace a culvert on 140th Place Northeast near Woodinville the week of July 6. The road will remain open, but there will be intermittent lane closures near 148th Avenue Northeast. Union Hill Road – The county is scheduled to close Union Hill Road Northeast east of Redmond starting Monday, July 13 for a culvert replacement. The road will be closed for several weeks between 208th Avenue Northeast and 196th Avenue Northeast. Southeast 244th Street – The county is replacing a bridge west of Covington and has closed Southeast 244th Street near 148th Avenue Southeast until mid September. 212th Avenue Northeast – East of Woodinville, 212th Avenue Northeast is closed south of the intersection with Woodinville-Duvall Road through the end of August while the county makes major improvements to the intersection. 172nd Avenue Southeast – The county is replacing a bridge north of Covington that has closed 172nd Avenue Southeast near Southeast 240th Street until mid September. Southeast 416th Street – Crews are replacing an aging bridge across Newaukum Creek, which has closed Southeast 416th Street near Enumclaw at 270th Avenue Southeast until September. Kanasket-Kangley Road – The Kanasket-Kangley Road is closed just south of Kent-Kangley Road through July 7 while crews replace a culvert. Southeast 80th Street – Crews are repairing the Kimble Creek Bridge on Southeast 80th Street near Snoqualmie. The closure of Southeast 80th Street across the bridge has been extended until Thursday, July 2. View updated King County road closures and conditions online. Check out your commute . . . Motorists can log onto the King County Road Services Division's My Commute Web site and view video images of traffic conditions in unincorporated areas. MyCommute traffic cameras		In other news... Transit service for the holiday weekend and beyond New Redmond garage opens Monday, July 6 Shortened hours for transit tunnel July 6-10 Three northeast King County road projects kick off in July Next King County spot auction is July 8 Construction in downtown Seattle to disrupt transit service Plan now for July lane closures on the I-90 floating bridge Construction projects causing daily disruptions for buses Road closure between Woodinville and Duvall set to begin June 22 Bridge projects will close roads in southeast King County     Climbing to curtail cancer Watch the video Check out the rest of our current videos on YouTube.
Subscribe to DOT Dash Sign-up to receive an e-mail text version of "Transportation Today," along with other significant DOT news by sending an e-mail to us with "Subscribe King County DOT Dash" in the subject line.