Congestion relief is promised as the Washington Department of Transportation begins to rework the existing I-5 roadway in Downtown Seattle to mitigate a stretch of freeway with a reputation as the state's worst bottleneck.
A freeway reconfiguration project a decade in the making, resulting in more lanes on Interstate 5, is ready to break ground in Seattle.
"After a decade on the drawing board, construction begins this month to add a third northbound lane to Interstate 5 at Seneca Street, known as the worst bottleneck in Washington state," reports Mike Lindblom.
"The $27 million project, built on the existing elevated road decks, is expected to reduce the traffic jams that occur from Sodo to downtown Seattle when it’s finished in fall 2022," explains Lindblom.
The project will add a third northbound lane by replacing side barriers and restriping existing exits and onramps.
Mark Hallenbeck, director of the Washington State Transportation Center at the University of Washington, is quoted in the article promising that the project will reduce congestion on Interstate 5. There's plenty of evidence to suggest that whatever congestion relief the project affords will only be temporary. Time will tell.
FULL STORY: Work gets underway to ease an I-5 bottleneck in downtown Seattle
Seattle Quietly Unveils New Interstate Lane
The Washington Department of Transportation expanded part of I-5 in hopes of reducing a common traffic bottleneck.
101 Freeway in California Slower Than Ever After Widening, Locals Say
Induced demand strikes again.
Planning for Congestion Relief
The third and final installment of Planetizen's examination of the role of the planning profession in both perpetuating and solving traffic congestion.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Waymo Gets Permission to Map SF’s Market Street
If allowed to operate on the traffic-restricted street, Waymo’s autonomous taxis would have a leg up over ride-hailing competitors — and counter the city’s efforts to grow bike and pedestrian on the thoroughfare.
Parklet Symposium Highlights the Success of Shared Spaces
Parklets got a boost during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the concept was translated to outdoor dining programs that offered restaurants a lifeline during the shutdown.
Federal Homelessness Agency Places Entire Staff on Leave
The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is the only federal agency dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service