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fewer downtown exits Fewer downtown exits should mean better flow through SR99 because there will be less intra-city traffic clogging lanes. That's one of the

fewer downtown exits Fewer downtown exits should mean better flow through SR99 because there will be less intra-city traffic clogging lanes. That's one of the reasons the Big Dig improved traffic on I-93, they removed a bunch of downtown and South End exits. Of course the Big Dig supplemented that by increasing the capacity of surface streets on and around Atlantic Ave. If Seattle is doing something similar (I'm not familiar with the specifics of the SR99 project) that should be a bet positive for traffic flow. If not, then, well, sucks to be in Seattle.

CamperBob2 11y ago
Except the whole reason for building roads is to get people and goods where they need to go... and many of them need to go downtown.
- marshray 11y ago
  Yes, but that doesn't necessarily mean the optimum road system will have every road having every possible exit. Downtown streets are traditionally built that way because they are two dimensional. This tunnel exists in the 3rd dimension.
- chrismcb 11y ago
  The whole reason to build a bypass is to by pass an area. In this case 99 is supposed to bypass downtown. If you want to get downtown use other methods, if you want to quickly go around downtown user 5 or 99
  - CamperBob2 11y ago
    Whatever. The fact is, the viaduct has access to surface streets that the tunnel will not have. Existing functionality is being lost in a time when additional functionality is needed. If you live and/or work in the area -- and I have, although I don't currently -- this is not a good thing. Only on HN would someone mod down the assertion, "The whole reason for building roads is to get people and goods where they need to go." Next up for refutation: color of sky, followed by the wet-dry nature of water.
c22 11y ago
It seems reasonable, but at least one study[1] concluded that during peak hours in 2004/5 90% of northbound and 77% of southbound traffic on SR99 entered the viaduct from one of the downtown exits. WSDOT's own analysis from 2011 found almost 50% of the viaducts traffic entering or exiting downtown [2]. To my knowledge there is no plan to improve surface streets to accommodate this traffic. [1]: http://cnu.civicactions.net/resources/publications/alaskan-way-viaduct-analysis-no-replacement-option-2006 http://cnu.civicactions.net/resources/publications/alaskan-w... [2]: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/Viaduct/Faqs http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/Viaduct/Faqs

CamperBob2 11y ago

Except the whole reason for building roads is to get people and goods where they need to go... and many of them need to go downtown.

marshray 11y ago
Yes, but that doesn't necessarily mean the optimum road system will have every road having every possible exit. Downtown streets are traditionally built that way because they are two dimensional. This tunnel exists in the 3rd dimension.
chrismcb 11y ago
The whole reason to build a bypass is to by pass an area. In this case 99 is supposed to bypass downtown. If you want to get downtown use other methods, if you want to quickly go around downtown user 5 or 99
- CamperBob2 11y ago
  Whatever. The fact is, the viaduct has access to surface streets that the tunnel will not have. Existing functionality is being lost in a time when additional functionality is needed. If you live and/or work in the area -- and I have, although I don't currently -- this is not a good thing. Only on HN would someone mod down the assertion, "The whole reason for building roads is to get people and goods where they need to go." Next up for refutation: color of sky, followed by the wet-dry nature of water.

c22 11y ago

It seems reasonable, but at least one study[1] concluded that during peak hours in 2004/5 90% of northbound and 77% of southbound traffic on SR99 entered the viaduct from one of the downtown exits. WSDOT's own analysis from 2011 found almost 50% of the viaducts traffic entering or exiting downtown [2]. To my knowledge there is no plan to improve surface streets to accommodate this traffic. [1]: http://cnu.civicactions.net/resources/publications/alaskan-way-viaduct-analysis-no-replacement-option-2006 http://cnu.civicactions.net/resources/publications/alaskan-w... [2]: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/Viaduct/Faqs http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/Viaduct/Faqs