Puget Sound Transportation Blog

After flying into Frankfurt we drove on the Autobahn to Saarbrucken where we are staying. Some thoughts so far:

Acceleration and deceleration tapers are very short on the Autobahn. In most places, no more than a couple hundred feet.  Keep in mind too that this is on a highway that has no limit for great distances.

The ramp radiuses are very tight.  In fact, most cloverleafs have long straightaways followed up by very tight turns. Again, this is amazing considering the short tapers AND the high speeds involved.

ALL of the Autobahn is seperated by a double metal beam rail. No open medians here. Or cable barriers. Or concrete barriers.

Signage is very good. The signs for upcoming exits are 2-3 times the size of equivelant US signs. They also show clearly what side of the road the upcoming exits are on and where they go. Exit ramps actually show the upcoming exit with 3 signs: 3, 2 and 1 white stripes going down to the exit.

There is still more…the toll gantries, the noise walls…the windmills. More later.

Ben

http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/273552.html

It looks like the state is going to pass a bill suspending collection of the state sales tax on mega projects, or projects that collect tolls. This would affect the following:

• Narrows Bridge
• 520 bridge replacement
• Columbia River bridge replacement
• North Spokane Corridor

The idea seems very good. While we have to pay sales tax on most things here it always seemed weird to pay tax for state projects. And since local taxes are still collected it shouldn’t break things.

It will be interesting to see if this is implemented.

Ben

Hello. I am in Germany this week for training. In the 2 days I have been in Europe I have already seen some amazing things, from elevated roundabouts in Paris to short exit tapers on the Autobahn. I will eventually post photos of the trip as I get them.

First, the elevated roundabout in Paris. On final approach into DeGaulle I saw this: Elevated roundabout

It appears the freeway runs underneath and the on/off ramps lead up to this roundabout. Interesting concept. Theoretically having no lights or signage at the top should improve flow yet the fact you wouldn’t see oncoming traffic until the end creates a problem.

Ben

 http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/breaking/story/271252.html

Still more heavy snow and avalanches. Checking again at 4 pm.

Ben

Update: Now open. Check http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/passes/snoqualmie/ for updates.

http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/270966.html

Basically, a more limited plan for Sound Transit 2 would extend light rail to Overlake on the Eastside, up to Northgate and down to Kent/Des Moines. However, Pierce County would gain more Sounder and bus service.

In exchange, Tacoma Link would be extended from downtown to  Tacoma General and TCC, and out to Fife.

Thoughts: This plan is actually more realistic. Light rail should be used to serve a city or smaller area. Heavy rail (Sounder) should be used intercity.  Extending Central Link to Northgate and down to Kent/Des Moines allows bus riders and drivers to catch the train into Seattle from points well outside the city. Extending Link out to Overlake supports the growing employment centers of Bellevue and Redmond (and Overlake is actually right next to the Microsoft campus). On the other side, extending Tacoma Link to TCC allows riders to get into downtown from the North End and further points (TCC is the first stop in Tacoma from the Gig Harbor area). Extending it to Fife also allows for connections outside the city.

The question now is, will the voters go for it?

Ben

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/News/2008/01/SnoqualmietravelalertJan08.htm

Potentially until Saturday. Heavy avalanche danger in the Cascades currently.

Photos from WSDOT

Ben

Between North Bend and Ellensburg. There is so much snow that they are having multiple avalanches and snow slides. It is now closed until further notice.

Ben

Major snow in Western Washington. Most snow is North of Seattle/Bellevue around Lynnwood and Bothell but everywhere got hit.

Definite transportation impacts. Most freeways are OK but spinouts reported on SR16 and SR520. SR410 is, or was, closed. Many side streets are bad.

More snow expected this evening.

Check the sites below for updates.

• WSDOT
• KING 5
• KIRO TV
• KOMO TV

Update: Snow cleared by the afternoon, expected snow Monday night never materialized.
Ben

From http://www.soundtransit.org/x72.xml

Running now until 10 PM.

This is great news. Link used to run until 8 on weekdays INCLUDING Friday. This now allows people to enjoy the shops, restaurants and events downtown eve later at night.

However, this does involve a service cut on Sundays, from 8 pm to 6 pm. Which may be OK as there is often not alot going on.

Ben

So, after leaving a bit late on Tuesday (about 7:40) due to feeling ill, I find out as I step into my car and view the Trafficgauge that both I-5 North and I-405 North are way backed up. At the same time my favorite radio station comes on and announces that it is now almost a hour and a half from Federal Way to Seattle (normally 30-45 minutes; should be about 25) and a hour from Southcenter to Bellevue (normally about 50 minutes; should be about 25).

Why? Minor accidents and stalls on both routes. No major crash, inclement weather, major events, etc.

Proving my case again. The transportation systems here will work…IF there is nothing out of the ordinary. Yes we’re at 100%+ capacity but things will move, if slowly. However, if a lane is closed by an accident, a bridge is icy and requires you to slow down, heck the state patrol or WSDOT Incident Response are on the shoulder, forget about it.

Ben