Seattleites: anyone else enjoying commuting this week?

[jsanford]

I don't know what up, if people are already avoiding downtown prior to the I-5 mess or what, but traffic on my commute has been almost light this week and I've been discovering speed.    Coupled with a fresh change of oil, the ride in each morning has made it almost painful to stop, park and go into the office.  

[bizarro]

I always enjoy commuting to work. I hop onto the express lane heading south into downtown from 40th and being on a bike I take it all the way to my exit. Same coming home. It's a total breeze and I don't expect it to change much with the lane closures south of downtown. Location location location.

[Mrs. DantesDame]

I'm in Salt Lake City this week. No commute  , no bike  

[Stray Cat]

No difference that I could tell. It might just be normal ebb in traffic. I've had weeks where it's been really light, and then other weeks it's total bike walking even in the HOV lane. No rhyme or reason for it I can see.
Next couple of weeks might be a total cluster however.

[spineless]

Traffic was extra light coming in on I-90 into downtown Seattle this morning. I wonder if people are so freaked out by the media about the closure that this won't be that big of a deal.

[mcoyote]

Mmm...seems a little lighter. I've been in an extra hurry all week and have been going through city center to 520, and that indeed has been quicker than normal. Though today I had to wade through a small collection of RV's right where the (then closed) express lane peels off.

[Mookie]

520 has been a piece of cake all week.  relatively speaking.  

[highside]

Just be carefull on the side streets. It looks like Seattle is using that chip-and-oil slurry crap on the roads now. My friend just got every road within a mile of his house covered with gravel and tar. They are doing my street next week.  

[katego]

Nortbound to downtown on the viaduct has been pretty quick this week too.

-k

[Mookie]

Nortbound to downtown on the viaduct has been pretty quick this week too.

-k

Strange, I would have expected that to be the 5th level of hell (but with a good view)

[katego]

No, 5th level of hell is for next week... if you are stuck in traffic you can't beat the view though.

-k

[Tritium]

I agree with mookie, traffic on 520 has been great this week. If only next week were going to be like this one...

[highside]

I think people are implimenting their alternative plans early so they can get used to the change before crunch time, something I think everyone who goes through that area should be doing.

[Uncle Bob]

I'm only a tiny bit affected, since the only "major" road I touch is 509, but I did notice friday it was much lighter than normal.

I expect it to be heavy this week, but thankfully my commute can just as easily take side roads to work with hardly any added time

[RexRider]

It was just a tad heavier on 99 this morning, between the W Seattle bridge and downtown, but nothing to even bother about.  Did everyone go on vacation?  

[Tritium]

Man, we should have horrible construction all the time, traffic was great!  

[mcoyote]

Went up 99 on the surface to Royal Brogham (only held up for a moment by a train). Man, I could've landed a plane on I90, I don't think I've ever taken that so fast. I could see I5 from the overpass and it was moving pretty nicely, also, with two lanes when it's normally parked at four...

...which leads me to believe that, yeah, probably lots of folks are suddenly on vacation, or at least for a day or so until things smooth out. I'm guessing things will uglify by the end of the week.

[Vladimir]

My theory is that it will be smooth today, maybe tomorrow... then everyone will read in the paper and see on the news that it's not so bad and the next day the big grid lock will hit...  

[katego]

Traffic on my ride was normal to light normal... (northbound 509 to 99 to downtown). There was the usual Mariners snarl on the way home.

-k