News from King County Department of Transportation
Release date:  Aug. 9, 2007

Metro offers transit tips for coping with I-5 construction

The big construction project on Interstate 5 in Seattle is only a day away, and King County Metro Transit is offering some last-minute travel tips for coping with the freeway lane closures and expected traffic congestion.

Beginning Friday, Aug. 10 at 10 p.m. and lasting for the next 19 days, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will close multiple northbound lanes of I-5 between Spokane Street and Interstate 90 to repair the roadway and supporting structure. Metro’s buses will be detoured around the construction zone, and many other motorists will be looking for alternate ways to travel north. WSDOT expects widespread traffic congestion in South King and Pierce counties.

“Our advice to everyone is to be patient, be flexible, and be prepared for traffic conditions to change frequently,” said Metro General Manager Kevin Desmond. “Even with congestion delays, we still expect public transportation to be one of the best options for people looking to avoid some of the hassles and disruptions of driving alone.”

Metro offers these tips for coping with the I-5 construction:

1. If at all possible, avoid driving alone through the construction zone and major detour routes. Fewer vehicles mean less congestion. If the bus or train doesn’t work for you, go to Rideshare Online, and sign up to find a carpool partner or join a vanpool through Ridematch.
   
2. Ride the bus from a large park-and-ride lot served by multiple bus routes. That will give you more options and more bus trips heading north. Some of the southend park-and-ride lots that usually have spaces to spare and frequent service, include: Twin Lakes; Federal Way Transit Center; Federal Way/S. 320th Street; the Auburn park-and-ride at 15th Street Northeast; Kent’s James Street lot; and the temporary lot at the General Services Administration center on East Marginal Way.
   
3. Travel earlier or later. Many people want to arrive at work between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m., and buses arriving in Seattle at those times will be the most crowded. Traffic congestion is expected to be widespread in the next three weeks, so adding extra travel time to your schedule will help you arrive at your destination in a timely manner. If you have a flexible work schedule that allows you to start work later, consider traveling north after 9 a.m. on an all-day bus route with frequent service such as the Route 150 from Kent or Route 120 from Burien.
   
4. Some bus routes are more popular than others, and fill up fast. If possible, try another route. Southend routes that tend to have available seats include: 177 from Federal Way; 196 from South Federal Way; 175 from West Federal Way; 190 from Redondo Heights and Star Lake; 152 from Auburn; and the 150 from Kent.
   
5. Kent, Auburn and West Renton commuters may find that the Sounder train is their most convenient option. If parking near the train station is scarce, consider using Metro bus service to travel to and from the train. The regional online Trip Planner can help you plan a bus-train connection.
   
6. West Seattle commuters have additional service on the Elliott Bay Water Taxi from Seacrest Marina in West Seattle to Pier 55 on the downtown Seattle waterfront. Starting Friday, Aug. 10, there will be five sailings from West Seattle on weekdays between 6-9 a.m., and an extra van on the Route 773 shuttle on weekdays both in the morning and afternoon commute. Metro routes 37 and 53 also provide local connections between West Seattle neighborhoods and the Seacrest Marina.
   
7. If you are commuting from other areas of King County, you might not escape the ripple effect of the traffic congestion because people will be looking for a variety of ways to avoid the construction zone. WSDOT is expecting to see more traffic on Interstate 405, the Interstate 90 bridge, and other key corridors traveling in and out of South King County and Pierce County. There will also be impacts for connected bus routes that travel between West Seattle and North Seattle, if trips are delayed by congestion. And, Washington State Ferries is expecting more passengers to use their system during the construction period. So, commuters from the Eastside, North Seattle, Vashon Island, and Kitsap County may also see their trips into Seattle affected.
   
8. The best tip? Take some time over the coming weekend to plan your trip out for the weeks ahead – and don’t forget to have one or two alternates in mind. Metro is ready to help. Call the Rider Information Office 24/7 at (206) 553-3000, or visit Metro Online.