DepartmentofTransportation

The Seattle Squeeze

DemocratizedDataAccessWebinarHeatherMarx,DirectorofDowntownMobility08/20/2019

DepartmentofTransportation

Presentation overview

• Background• ProblemandGoal• Objectives• SDOTresponse• Whatdidwelearn?• Whatcomesnext?

DepartmentofTransportation

Background: a time of unprecedented growth

DepartmentofTransportation

Background: Closing the Viaduct

• AlaskanWayViaduct(SR99throughdowntownSeattle)•  65-year-oldstructure;weakenedbythe2001NisquallyEarthquake• ClosedpermanentlyonJanuary11

• SR99closedforthreeweeksinJanuary2019•  LongesthighwayclosureinthePugetSoundRegion’shistory

• SR99tunnelopenedtotrafficonFebruary4,afteraweekendofcommunityfestivities

ThisPhotobyUnknownAuthorislicensedunderCCBY-SA

DepartmentofTransportation

A regional effort

DepartmentofTransportation

Problem and goal

Problem ClosingSR99displaced90,000tripsperdayintothedowntowncoreandotherregionalnetworks,whichthenetworkmaynotbeabletoabsorb

SDOT Goal Maintainbroadmobilityandequalaccesstodowntownemployment,commerce,tourismandhousing

DepartmentofTransportation

SDOT Objectives

• Ensuretheefficientmovementofpeopleandgoodsbyavoidingpersistentgridlock

• Expandtheuseandreachoftransitandotheralternativestodrivingalone

• Reducethenumberofdrive-alonevehicletripsdowntown

• Maximizethepublicrightofwayavailableforthetravelingpublic

• MakeSDOTtheindispensablesourceofpublicinformationrelatedtotravelaroundtheregion

• Prioritizesafetyforallusers,particularlyforthosewhoaremostvulnerable

• Workconsistentlyandeffectivelywithpartnerorganizations

DepartmentofTransportation

What SDOT Did

• DevelopedastrategicplanforSR99Closure• StaffedtheTransportationOperationsCenter24/7• Made1,800signaltimingplansandthousandsofreal-timeadjustmentstosignaltiming• Deployedmorethan100people,working12-hourshiftsforthreeweeks• Createdaswingshifttoenhanceresponse

• Implementedtemporaryandpermanenttactics–buslanes,increasedparkingrestrictions• Revokedmorethan50permitstomaximizespaceforthetravelingpublic• CreatedaSqueeze-focusedwebsite–www.seattle.gov/traffic• Briefedhundredsofcommunitygroupsandelectedofficials

DepartmentofTransportation

What we learned

• Frequent,formalcommunicationamongtransportationagencieswascritical•  Twice-dailymulti-agencyphonecallsandco-location• Dailyelectedofficialbriefings

• Shared,consistentmessagestothepublic• Dailypressconferences•  Socialmediaeffort

• On-going,multifacetedpubliccommunicationsmayhavebeenthesinglebiggestcontributortosuccess

• Lackofrapid,formaldatasharingwasourbiggestdetriment

DepartmentofTransportation

What we learned

• OverallCommute• Peakperiodsskewedaboutanhourearly• Overallvolumedownabout10percent• Nopersistentgridlock• Weatherandincidentsaffectedtraveltimesandcongestion

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DepartmentofTransportation

What we learned • Transit,bicyclesandtelecommuting•  TransitcongestionwasvariableinthePM•  14percentincreaseinLinkridership• BicyclecountsatkeylocationsweresubstantiallyhigherthanJanuary2018•  Telecommutingplayedabigrole

00.51

1.52

2.53

3.54

SR99ClosurePMPeakCongestionIndex

PM-PeakCar PM-PeakBus

PM-PeakCarBaseline PM-PeakBusBaseline

-15.0% -10.0% -5.0% 0.0% 5.0% 10.0% 15.0%

DrovealoneTransit

Carpool/vanpoolWatertaxiorferry

BikeorwalkEmployershuttle

Telework

ModeSplitChangeDuringtheSR99Closure

DepartmentofTransportation

What we learned

• PermitRevocationandModification:•  50jobsiteswereimpacted•  6citationsand85warningsissued

• Communications:•  Excellentinterdepartmentalandinteragencycommunication• Dailymediaavailability;weeklypressconferences

• Safety:• CollisionsdowncomparedtoJanuary2018

189

21

336

SR99ClosureMediaSentiment

Positive

Negative

Neutral

0

200

400

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800

1000

1200

1400

Jan-16 Jan-17 Jan-18 Jan-19

SR99ClosureTotalCollisions

DepartmentofTransportation

What Comes Next?

DepartmentofTransportation

Questions?

heather.marx@seattle.gov|(206)615-0801

www.seattle.gov/trafficwww.seattle.gov/transportation