District 1 City Councilmember Lisa Herbold offered an update on the West Seattle Bridge in her newsletter to constituents on Jan. 15.

Funding update

The City of Seattle is pursuing $15 million in funding from the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) for the West Seattle Bridge project. This week the PSRC Transportation Policy Board advanced the request to the Executive Board. A big thank you to PSRC Transportation Policy Board members Council President Lorena González and Councilmember Debora Juarez for their work on this board to move the proposal forward!

The PSRC Executive Board will consider this for final action on January 28.

On Wednesday, the West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force met and heard a number of updates from SDOT.

West Seattle Bridge repair update

Many of you wrote last week asking for a status report on the bridge repair.  Stabilization work on the West Seattle Bridge was completed in December, and the work platforms were removed. SDOT continues to monitor the health of the bridge:

SDOT plans to reach 30% design on the West Seattle Bridge next month. This will set the stage for issuing a Request for Qualifications to select a contractor for repair work for both the high and low bridge. I asked SDOT about this, and they indicated the work involved is similar, and specialized. Consequently, it’s possible this could result in time or money savings.   The goal is to select the contractor by May.

Here’s the schedule shown at the West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force meeting on Wednesday:

Here’s additional information, including a note that a number of approvals are needed from external parties, and that the contractor will be involved in the design, which can assist with schedule. Estimated costs and schedule will be updated at 30% design, in February. 30% design is what SDOT uses as a “baseline” for costs and schedule.

Lower Bridge Update

Rehabilitation work is also planned for the lower bridge, including control system upgrades and maintenance of the hydraulic drive system, and structural rehabilitation.

Lower Bridge Access Committee Update

SDOT has been working with a variety of representatives from the West Seattle business community, maritime users, labor, and healthcare providers on access to the lower bridge. They have met 11 times, to work on an access policy as camera enforcement began on January 11, and permitted users transitioned from placards to license plates.

SDOT will be monitoring usage with camera enforcement. Camera enforcement of restrictions may allow for loosening of restrictions on use in the future; SDOT will consider adjusting permitted uses monthly. Here are current permitted users:

Although Employer shuttles are authorized; SDOT indicates there aren’t any employer shuttle choosing to operate currently.  Below are the criteria for business, maritime, labor and government. SDOT notes that if you believe you meet the criteria, please contact SDOT at westseattlebridge@seattle.gov.

Here are some of the conditions affecting capacity during 2021, including Terminal 5:

Based on usage, SDOT has determined the low bridge can accommodate 450 additional daily trips, beyond current permitted users:

The subcommittee is examining healthcare use, and potential criteria. Healthcare workers have long expressed interest in accessing the lower bridge during the COVID pandemic, and I have requested SDOT consider this. SDOT is working with subcommittee members to develop criteria for potential use; factors under consideration include:

1. Is capacity available?
2. What types of health care workers need access. How many trips, and when?

Use of the bridge by time of day has changed, as demonstrated in the August and December traffic volumes shown below:

Here’s SDOT’s evaluation of capacity, and usage by time of day. It in informed by, for example, the frequency of bridge openings, which take place less frequently earlier in the morning, so there are fewer times when traffic needs to “reset” after a bridge opening:

King County Metro has a promotion for its vanpool program; vanpools with 2 or more users can use the lower bridge.

Traffic data, 2021 projects

SDOT has made traffic data available online re: West Seattle Bridge closure impacts on, for example the Spokane Street (lower) bridge, the South Park Bridge, 1st Avenue South Bridge and other metrics. The vertical lines note when SPD enforcement began; status of COVID restrictions;  holidays, and when the low bridge was opened to general traffic overnight:

During 2021, SDOT plans to implement 33 Reconnect West Seattle projects, including Home Zone projects in Highland Park and South Park. Here’s a map showing the projects. SDOT is continuing to collect community input for project ideas for construction in 2022.

SDOT is planning outreach on West Marginal Way over the next month, including a Virtual Open House in mid-February. At Wednesday’s Community Task Force meeting, I asked SDOT if they had decided whether to propose the elimination of a traffic lane for a protected bike lane. SDOT indicated they were engaged in the outreach process described below, and didn’t indicate they had reached a conclusion about what decision they will make under the SDOT director’s authority over use of city streets.