Results tagged “traffic” from Belltowner

Construction work to upgrade the north end of Seattle's Alaskan Way Viaduct, including major renovations to the Battery Street Tunnel will be discussed at an open house scheduled for 5:30 p.m. tonight (Thursday Oct. 16) at the Mountaineers Building, 300 Third Ave. W., Seattle. The tunnel work begins this fall and will result in closures on weekday evenings and up to two weekends each month. When completed, the short on- and off-ramps at south end of the tunnel will be closed to general traffic and converted to emergency access ramps.

This evening's meeting will touch on what this means for Belltown as well as information on the "Mercer mess" which no one is quite agreed on yet.

Click here for more info.

We all know how terrible it can be trying to get around the "Mercer mess" which is a total tangle of barriers and blockages. I avoid Mercer at all costs if I can. The dept. of transportation recently proposed widening Mercer between I-5 and Dexter Avenue North to include three travel lanes in both directions. Those lanes would be divided by a median of trees and with left turn lanes at many intersections. Both sides of the street would also feature a lane for parking, a path for bicycles and expanded sidewalks. SDOT believes it will provide a more direct route from I-5 to the Seattle Center, Queen Anne, Fremont, Ballard and Magnolia.

Most neighborhoods however, are not too keen on the idea. Will the proposed plan actually work? Representatives of Ballard, Magnolia and Queen Anne, say the project will bring nothing but major inconvenience and traffic congestion.

The Mercer proposal has been controversial since it was first brought up by Greg Nickels in 2002. In fact, a study solicited by the city found that the proposal would actually increase eastbound travel times and would decrease overall capacity.

Many believe the project is pure vanity and completely useless. So the question is, will the project really reduce traffic and better connect neighborhoods? Or will it be a huge chunk of tax dollars spent on simply "beautifying" the neighborhood?

After the tragic pedicab accident that happened in Belltown on August 6, many people blamed the driver. New information in an article in The Stranger is revealing however, that the pedicab company may be at fault. A former employee of the Cascadia Cabs company says in reference to the company's owner, Ryan Hashagen, "I've been reading what Ryan has been saying to the media and I want to say the other side of it... He's blaming the driver when I think that there are poor management practices that are actually to blame for the accident."

The former employee who asked to remain anonymous goes on to say that the company doesn't provide enough braking mechanisms on its pedicabs, relies on inexperienced bikers, and is insufficiently thorough in safety training. Not only that, but apparently the pedicabs have only a simple braking mechanism which is a metal bar connected to a leather strap. There are no hand brakes on the pedicabs.

When the owner of Cascadia Cabs was told of the former employee's complaints, he said, "Our company policy is safety first. We have a motto. That is, 'Be safe, have fun, and make money.' ...[Drivers] are not allowed to leave the shop with nonfunctioning brakes."

He also went on to say that drivers are told to avoid hills like the one that played a role in the tragic crash. Hashagen explained that all their drivers receive extensive training and are told, 'If you can't go up it, don't go down it," However the company's former employee insists, "They do do a very short training, but they never tell you not to go down hills."

What do you think?

Perhaps yesterday's tragic collision was just an isolated incident, or perhaps pedicabs are unsafe all together - that's what the city is currently trying to determine. Unlike cabs or horse-drawn carriages, pedicabs don't undergo inspections. In Seattle, all an owner needs is a business license. The driver can use it anywhere in the city.

Yesterday's accident occured when the pedicab driver was unable to stop, causing him to collide with traffic. Our hearts over here at Belltowner go to those involved in the accident. If we're going to keep these pedicabs around, the proper precautions should definitely be taken so something like this never happens again.

This is terribly tragic news that happened last night on the corner of Cedar and Western Ave. in Belltown. An older married couple in their 60's were going on what they thought would be a romantic ride on one of the waterfront's famous pedicabs when the driver of the pedicab collided with a scooter and then a van. All three were trapped underneath the van. Emergency responders had to lift the van to free the three accident victims. Sadly, the husband died at the scene. The woman and the 20-year old pedicab driver were taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with non life threatening injuries.

Very sad news.

More unfortunate violent news from over the weekend. Apparently early Saturday morning a dispute over who would be the first to exit a parking garage near O'Asian Kitchen on 5th ave. The dispute resulted in a 50 person brawl causing a woman to be beaten, another stabbed in the abdomen, and a man arrested for assault, according to police.

Apparently two separate groups, one of men and one of women, had left the restaurant and got into an argument about who would be first to exit says Seattle police spokeswoman Renee Witt.

The women, in one car, got in front. One of the men got out of another car and started an argument with the women. The man pulled one of the women out of the car and "began stomping on her." Whoa, I guess chivalry is dead.

At that point, onlookers got involved and the scene turned into a "free for all, a huge melee," Witt said. Responding officers estimated 50 people were involved.

A man stabbed one of the women in the abdomen, who was treated on the scene and taken to Harborview with non-life-threatening injuries. The suspected stabber was arrested and booked into King County Jail for investigation of assault.

Talk about road rage.

Apparently the part of 5th avenue between Marion Street and Denny Way is scheduled to be repaved. The plan is to replace asphault pavement, repair concrete or brick beneath it and add new or upgraded curb ramps.

You can expect to see the work begin early next month.

Last Friday afternoon, a driver who police believe to have been intoxicated at the time, was driving on 5th ave. when he hit an unsuspecting pedestrian in the crosswalk.

The victim is a 56 year old woman who was taken to Harborview Medical Center for life threatening injuries.

Drunk driving is never a good idea, guys. Let's hope the woman is alright.

With more than 3,000 people expected to march, the march's route will run from from Judkins Park on the north side of I-90 and makes its way down Fourth Avenue through Belltown ending at The Seattle Center at about 6:30pm.

Belltowners should expect some major traffic delays.

Oh boy, and we thought downtown parking was bad now. It's only a matter of time until the ever sinking Viaduct is closed down for replacement. To deal with the extra traffic, transportation experts recommend the city eliminate street parking through the heart of the downtown core, from Belltown's busy First Avenue all the way to Sixth Avenue.

If the plan is approved, parking spaces could be closed just during peak hours. The hope is that commuters would rely more on garages and mass transit.

Well at least its good news for the ridiculously overly priced public parking lots. They're going to be making some serious bank.

The Dalai Lama continues his Seeds of Compassion conference this morning by meeting with about 15,500 students and educators from local Washington schools at The Key Arena. He is focusing on encouraging children and youth to practice compassion. Mayor Nickels will also be presenting the Dalai Lama with a key of the city.

It's sure to be a zoo of schoolbuses and cars in the Belltown neighborhood this morning following the conference. Have no fear however, should you find yourself in the midst of frustrating traffic, take it as an opportunity to practice your compassion.

For a live video stream of the Dalai Lama speaking at The Key Arena today go here.

Traffic should prove to be a nightmare in the neighborhood over the next few days due to several big events occuring surrounding Belltown. The Dalai Lama will be giving workshops over the next five days at various locations including The Key Arena and Qwest Field. There is also The Seattle Green Festival happening at the convention center.

The Seattle Department of Transportation has issued a general traffic advisory approaching downtown Seattle on I-5 or Highway 99 today through Tuesday, said spokesman Rick Sheridan. The SDOT does not plan to limit traffic in any areas of the city.

My advice? Take the bus or walk if you're going to any of these events. Save yourself the road rage.

Big thick snowflakes are 'a falling in the streets. They're not sticking, but they sure are pretty on the way down. It looks like its going to snow for a while before it turns to rain, so you may want to head home early to avoid traffic if you commute. You know how Seattleites are. It rains or snows and suddenly everyone flips out and forgets how to drive. By the way, isn't it spring? Whats going on here?

Do you people not have anything better to do in the late evening hours than to see how fast your car -- or even more annoying, your motorcyle -- can zip down 1st Avenue here in Belltown? Am I the only one who is bothered by this ridiculous practice? And, it's not just on the weekends, I am talking during the week, too. Don't you people have day jobs?

An irritated Belltowner is claiming that the noise leaking into her Belltown apartment is ceaseless. She is wondering if this is something that is common amongst Belltowners and if anyone recommends an apartment building that is less offensive to the ears.

I find the buzzes and beeps of downtown living soothing personally...

The Seattle PI is reporting that pedestrians wonder whether it might be time to re-examine the timing of lights on Boren Avenue.

There are times, such as rush hour, when Boren is busy, and the lights should be timed to keep traffic flowing on the street they believe.

Wayne Wentz, Seattle's traffic management director, says traffic should improve. The city is planning to improve the coordination of traffic signals in downtown Seattle in March. He says the engineers will take comments into account, as they try to retime the signals to follow the situation on the roads at different times of the day.

More good news for pedestrians is coming, Wentz says. The city will be doing a study to evaluate whether more pedestrian push buttons should be removed. Based on the study, the city will look at giving pedestrians a "walk" signal automatically.