On Wednesday, a WSP District 2 motorcycle trooper spotted an Acura on the highway with a dummy in the passenger seat of his car to use the HOV lane, stopping the driver on Interstate 405 (I-405) heading south near Interstate 90 (I-90).

According to WSP Trooper Rick Johnson, the driver said he had been using the dummy for a long time “due to carpooling being so screwed up.”

More Chokepoints: Pierce County’s Spanaway Loop shortcut to close for four months

#AnotherDummy SB 405 near I-90 ! The human driver explained he had been using this for a long time due to carpooling being so screwed up. The @wastatepatrol district 2 motorcycle crew addressed this dummy. pic.twitter.com/kEwAounfRp

— Trooper Rick Johnson (@wspd2pio) June 19, 2024

The dummy can be seen adorned with glasses and a goatee while wearing a Columbia zip-up and appropriately wearing a seatbelt.

Drivers getting creative to use HOV lanes

Some Washington drivers have come up with unique ploys to avoid HOV citations. Last October, WSP pulled a driver over in an HOV lane when troopers discovered the driver’s passenger turned out to be a “creepy clown dummy.”

“Love the Halloween vibe, but still doesn’t count,” Johnson wrote on social media.

The stunt, while humorous to Johnson and other WSP troopers, added an extra fine to the infraction for improper use of the HOV lanes.

A month earlier, a driver was busted by WSP for dressing his passenger seat as a person. The seat was dressed up with a purple vest wrapped around the back, a red scarf and a white Halloween mask with blood splatter on it.

‘My dog identifies as a person:’ Excuses pile up as WSP increases HOV patrols

Dummy stunt results in higher fines

The fine for a first HOV lane violation is $186. But if a doll or dummy is in the car, according to KIRO 7, an extra $200 is added to the fine.

Contributing: KIRO 7

Frank Sumrall is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here and you can email him here.

That’s why a lot of drivers hit Spanaway Loop Road, which hugs the east side of Joint Base Lewis–McChord (JBLM) and avoids all the congestion on Pacific Avenue. It’s such a popular shortcut that it’s now the second-busiest corridor in the area, but it’s about to go away for four months as a major sewer line improvement will rip up the road.

Spanaway Loop Road is expected to close in late July or early August between 116th Street and Garfield Street, near Washington High School.

More on WA roads: King County officers report 36 DUIs in one weekend

Workers are replacing an old, corroded pipe, with a new 72-inch diameter pipe as the county upgrades its sewer system.

“You open up a deep line like this is and all you’re just going to get is a very very wide trench,” Steve Chanfrau, engineering manager for the Pierce County sewer utility, said. “There wouldn’t be any road left to be able to bring traffic on so this was the best way to do it and to get them in and out of there as quickly as possible.”

Chanfrau said they looked for other places to put the pipe, but this was the best spot.

“Believe me, we tried every possible way to try to put this somewhere else, but this was the only place that we could put this and meet both of our goals of up-sizing the line and replacing the corroded line that’s already there,” he said.

With Spanaway Loop Road ripped up, the county will also re-pave more than a mile of it — the stretch from the closure down to Military Road. Drivers should expect several months of closures and disruptions. The only real detour will be the already crowded Pacific Avenue.

“Most of that I believe is being shunted over to Pacific Avenue, just because of the amount of flow,” Chanfrau said. “Obviously people are going to find their way.”

This four-month closure is expected to cause huge delays in the area.

WSF Chief on feasibility of new diesel ferries: ‘There isn’t a ferry dealership down the road’

“Please be patient,” Chanfrau said. “Be kind to the traffic control people. We’re doing as much as we can to keep things open.”

This is just Phase 4 of a six-phase project to improve the 40-year-old sewer system. The old pipes in this area are expected to reach their capacity in 2028 so replacing them now is necessary. The closure of Spanaway Loop Road is expected to last into the school year, which will cause problems for Washington High School, Keithly Middle School and Pacific Lutheran University.

Check out more of Chris’ Chokepoints here. You can also follow Chris on X, formerly known as Twitter. Head here to follow KIRO Newsradio Traffic’s profile on X.

Follow @https://twitter.com/newsguysully

The quick building of a few new Olympic Class ferries is a campaign talking point in the gubernatorial race. The candidates have all said they would consider the idea if it would get boats on the water faster.

But is this feasible? Can the ferry service just grab the old plans for Olympic Class boats and start welding?

More on Washington State Ferries: Calmer waters ahead for Washington State Ferries?

I had the chance to speak with the head of Washington State Ferries, Steve Nevey, about this who said building diesel boats is not the solution.

“A lot of the manufacturers that are in the machinery space and the integrators are no longer in business,” Nevey said. “We couldn’t just pull an Olympic Class plan off the shelf and say ‘Here you go.’ We’d have to start designing the machinery from scratch, and that would put us back about a year from where we are now, maybe more.”

What about other options? Some people have suggested shopping for used ferries, just to get something on the water.

“There isn’t a ferry dealership down the road,” Nevey joked. “We did a worldwide search to see if there are any ferries that would be compatible. We found one, I think it was somewhere in Scandinavia. We looked at it. It was half built like two decades ago and then they stopped building it. It just wouldn’t have been feasible.”

Most ferry riders probably don’t realize just how unique our ferry boats are. Nevey said it’s hard to find anything compatible.

“Our boats are unique,” he said. “They’re double-ended. They have propellers on both ends. They have pilot houses on both ends so you don’t have to leave the dock and turn, which saves a lot of time. It’s not like all the other ferry operators in the world use the same system and the same docks.”

And fixing the existing Olympic Class boats is not an easy job either. Nevey said that’s why it takes a while to fix something when it goes wrong.

“They’re extremely technical machines, and the parts often are obsolete, some of them were built in the ’50s,” he said. “You can’t just go to a store and pick up a part you need. You need to kind of manufacture them at Eagle Harbor, and it’s a big challenge.”

More from Chris Sullivan: Drivers slow to understand zipper merge, would better signs help?

With the bidding for the five new electric-hybrid ferries now underway, Nevey said the agency is pulling out of the darkness.

“I think we’re on a good path to recovery,” he said. “It’s critical that we get new vessels as quickly as possible, which is my main priority.”

If the bidding goes according to plan, the state might have the two lowest bidders build the boats simultaneously. The target is for the first two to be in the water in 2028. Each boat is expected to cost more than $250 million.

The long-range plan is to have 16 new boats in the fleet by 2040.

Check out more of Chris’ Chokepoints here. You can also follow Chris on X, formerly known as Twitter. Head here to follow KIRO Newsradio Traffic’s profile on X.

Follow @https://twitter.com/newsguysully

He said for the third year in a row, the city is participating in 100 Safe Days of Summer which is coordinated with the King County Traffic Safety Coalition’s Target Zero.

“The Traffic Safety Coalition, also known as the King County Target Zero Task Force, works collaboratively with traffic safety and community partners to create equitable traffic safety programs and plans to reduce collisions, injuries, and fatalities in King County,” stated King County’s website.

Past coverage: Bellevue Police Department has had enough with traffic fatalities

Last weekend BPD alongside the Seattle Police Department and Washington State Patrol conducted a mobile impaired driving unit as a preventative measure to get drivers under the influence off the roads.

KIRO Newsradio acquired a video of a Bellevue officer pulling over a suspected impaired driver, you can watch it below:

However, the numbers are in from last weekend’s event, and BPD spokesperson Drew Anderson gave us an update.

“And over last weekend, the kickoff weekend, we had at least 36 DUIs across the county, and that’s holding people accountable for driving under the influence,” he said.

Anderson said that the overall message to drivers is to be responsible.

“Micki, as we said last week, if you are drinking, when you’re out, if you are impaired, be responsible,” he said. “That means taking a ride-sharing program, that means calling a family member or a friend, that easily could mean just simply as walking home, we don’t want you on the road, we don’t want you driving impaired and it’s because the state has seen its 33 year high and fatalities on the road.

We want to do what we can to bring that down. Doing that is a collaborative effort between law enforcement and the public to do what we can to be responsible and save lives,” he continued.

Anderson said that even though last weekend’s event is over, 100 Safe Days of Summer continues.

“Because as we all know, Washington State, especially in the summer is beautiful. So everyone’s out and about. So this is peak time for when people could be driving impaired. So it’s going to be happening all summer. But this is an ongoing effort that does not stop even after the summer ends,” he said.

You can read more of Micki Gamez’s stories here. Follow Micki on X, formerly known as Twitter, or email her here.

Follow @https://twitter.com/onairmichelle

The collision occurred near 70th Avenue East around 4:40 a.m.

WSP Trooper and Public Information Officer John Dattilo wrote in a post on X early Friday that troopers are investigating the collision that included a semitruck. He also stated one person died in the crash.

In a later X post, Dattilo provided additional details about the crash, writing a car moving south on I-5 struck a disabled vehicle on the right shoulder of the freeway. That car was then struck by a semitruck, and the driver of that car died in the crash. The driver of the semitruck was not injured in the crash. The driver of the disabled car was taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

How this I-5 south crash affected traffic

In a post on X about the incident just after 6:40 a.m., the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) reported I-5 south in Fife still is reduced to two left lanes after the early crash with backups extended to State Route 18 (SR 18). The lane closures “will continue until the investigation is complete,” the agency wrote.

A short time later, between 6:55 and 7:15 a.m., the WSDOT sent out two more posts on X. The first told drivers to “expect continued lane closures thru the morning commute.” The agency has suggested travelers delay or reschedule their trips in that area.

The second X post stated I-5 north is also congested due to “a lot of lookie loos” trying to catch a glimpse of what happened on I-5 south.

Dattilo confirmed in a separate X post at 9:25 a.m. the cleanup of the freeway after the crash had been completed. In its last X post at 9:40 a.m., the WSDOT indicated all I-5 south lanes reopened.

Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, or email him here.

“We’re on track to strengthen 16 bridges across Seattle to be safer during an earthquake,” Seattle Department of Transportation’s (SDOT) Kitt Loo said.

Five of the bridges, including the Lower Spokane Swing Bridge, are already retrofitted. Loo said the bridges can’t be torn down and rebuilt. Instead, the bridges have to be upgraded.

“Some of these older structures are deemed historical, or have some type of landmark preservation designation associated with them,” he said. “So with those, we use a lot of seismic retrofit techniques that try to maintain a lot of those architectural characteristics that may include either just enlarging specific elements of the bridge, using concrete, or we may wrap the bridge with carbon fiber to increase the strength. Those are key components that help maintain seismic resiliency for those bridges.”

These are bridges to be retrofitted and some have already been worked on, according to SDOT:

Loo said SDOT plans to complete all the projects by the end of 2025. It’s all part of the Levy to Move Seattle which was voted on back in 2015. According to SDOT, the $930 million levy will be used to maintain streets and bridges and keep the roadways safe for travelers.

Typical modifications for a concrete arch bridge include (shown on the graphic below):

1. Repairing existing concrete components that are in poor condition.
2. Installing concrete bolsters and enlarging the bridge’s columns and crossbeams.
3. Strengthening the existing arch with a concrete infill wall.
4. Installing carbon fiber wrapping to the bridge’s crossbeams, columns and arches.
5. Replacing the expansion joints at both ends of the bridge.

Examples of the types of modifications SDOT typically makes during a bridge seismic improvement. (Image courtesy of SDOT)

The McGraw Street Bridge seismic retrofit construction began in March and the Delridge Way Pedestrian Bridge seismic retrofit construction began in April.

In general, during work for bridge seismic retrofit projects, neighbors can expect work in the public right-of-way near your home or business. You can also expect occasional traffic or lane restrictions, including closures on side streets and detours for people walking and biking, including potential closures of crosswalks and sidewalks.

Residents should also prepare for typical construction activities such as noise, dust, vibrations and construction equipment staged on the bridge and within the work area. Also, temporary on-street parking restrictions, with signs placed 72 hours in advance to notify residents not to park in the areas.

Construction work will generally occur on weekdays between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., from Monday to Friday.

You can read more of Micki Gamez’s stories here. Follow Micki on X, formerly known as Twitter, or email her here.

Follow @https://twitter.com/onairmichelle

I have reported for years about the lack of general merging etiquette in the Pacific Northwest and how it contributes to our terrible congestion. I have also lamented the lack of merging skills taught to young drivers. There is less than a half page on merging in the Driver’s Guide.

Why am I on my high horse again today?

I have been traveling back and forth to the beach the last few weekends, and I have been experiencing the long backups on US 12 and SR 8 between Montesano and Thurston County because of the ongoing construction projects there.

More on beach driving: The do’s and don’ts of beach driving in Washington

Coming off the Montesano cut-off road from U.S. 101 to U.S. 12, you run into a lane reduction. The right lane is blocked. There was a mile-long backup in the left lane from all the drivers who merged way too early. That left the right lane completely open all the way to the merge point. I drove up the right lane until close to the end, and that’s when drivers started veering into my lane to prevent me from going further and then eventually trying to block me from merging in.

Let me be absolutely clear on this. The people veering into my lane and blocking me do not understand how to merge or how zipper merging works. They are doing it wrong.

Let’s revisit the Washington Department of Transportation’s friendly video on how it’s supposed to work.

“To reduce congestion, remember to zipper,” the video announcer said. “Merge late and cooperate. It’s OK to take turns.”

Merging early actually creates unnecessary congestion

“Driver cooperation helps increase the number of vehicles passing through and actually reduces congestion and delays,” the video said.

I have always wondered if better signs would work to help drivers understand the concept. I have seen signs in other states that actually show the traffic merging, like the teeth on a zipper, and have seen smaller cities use similar signs.

And then this week, I went up to Everett to look at the four-month closure of the northbound Snohomish River Bridge on 529.

And to my surprise, the City of Everett put up a series of orange signs spelling out exactly how to properly zipper merge. Check them out above. They read “Use Both Lanes to Merge Point.” “Zipper Merge Ahead.” And finally, “Merge Here Take Turns.” What do you think? Would this better explain the situation?

If they work for the City of Everett, I wonder why they aren’t used by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) for construction projects like the ones I hit on the way to the beach.

WSDOT doesn’t use these smaller, static orange signs in its construction zones because the speeds are usually higher in these construction zones, and there are times when there is no backup at all. Pushing drivers to a later merge when traffic is flowing at a higher speed can cause problems too.

“We don’t want drivers to wait until the last minute to merge when traffic is moving at speed. Orange static signs would not be appropriate in this condition. Static orange signs may be appropriate on low-speed roads,” WSDOT wrote me in an email.

More on Washington roads: Designs unveiled for new I-5 bridge between Washington, Oregon

Zipper merging is most appropriate when there is bumper-to-bumper traffic and the speeds are low. Merging at speed should be done when there is a safe gap to do so.

On U.S. 12 and State Route 8, WSDOT uses smart signs that put up variable messages to meet the real-time demand. They do instruct drivers to use both lanes and take turns at the merge point. I just must have missed them on my trips. There were two that were blank as I approached the backups.

The bottom line is this: Merging early causes congestion. Drivers using the open lane are not cutting the line or cheating.

It’s time to figure this out.

Check out more of Chris’ Chokepoints here. You can also follow Chris on X, formerly known as Twitter. Head here to follow KIRO Newsradio Traffic’s profile on X.

Follow @https://twitter.com/newsguysully

According to a statement sent from WSP Trooper and Public Information Officer Kelsey Harding to KIRO Newsradio Wednesday, the incident happened just north of the 41st Street off-ramp. Harding previously told KIRO Newsradio in an email Wednesday detectives were gathering information and a statement on what happened would be sent out once that information was made available.

WSP described the suspect vehicle is a red Chevrolet Camaro around the 2010 model year with a tinted rear license plate cover. The driver was described as a male with facial hair. In addition, there was a passenger in the Camaro at the time of the shooting.

Earlier Everett incident: I-5 north reopens after officer-involved shooting left suspect dead

The state law enforcement agency has described the victim vehicle is a tan 2004 Lexus SUV that was hit with multiple bullets to the rear passenger tire. There were no injuries sustained during this incident.

All lanes on I-5 south in Everett at Marine View Drive were closed after the shooting closed them down Wednesday, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) reported on X. As of 1 p.m., drivers saw delays on that freeway that backed traffic up several miles.

✅CLEAR: All lanes have now fully reopened on SB I-5 at Marine View Drive in Everett. Backups are still around 3 miles. https://t.co/IeTFlYxYJs

— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) June 12, 2024

The Incident Response team and WSP were on the scene.

The X account @SnoCoScannerRep, which describes itself as “the Snohomish County Scanner Report,” posted two images captured between 12:20 and 12:25 p.m. Wednesday from WSDOT cameras showing a group of people walking on I-5 during the time of the closure. It is not known who was walking on the freeway at that time.

Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, or email him here.

I learned to drive on the Long Beach Peninsula, first grabbing the wheel while sitting on my dad’s lap before I could even reach the pedals. I advanced to driving at very low speeds before even getting my permit. Sure, those are both illegal, but that’s how things were done in the 70s and 80s.

One thing that early experience gave me was a great respect for the ocean, the sand and how careful you have to be while driving on the sand.

More Chokepoints content: State Route 529 heading north to close for four months

Even at 54 years old, I still love the thrill of driving on the sand, but the things I see other drivers doing just boggles my mind. I’m not sure if the public at large understands the rules for driving on the beach. On Saturday, I met with Washington State Park (WSP) Ranger David Linthakhan on the sand just outside of Seaview to go over the basics.

“This is a state highway, so anything you wouldn’t do on any road in town, you really shouldn’t do out here,” Ranger Linthakhan said.

Let’s say that again. The beach is a state highway, and all of the same driving rules apply.

There is a 25-mile-an-hour speed limit, and the law spells out exactly where you can — and more importantly where you cannot — drive on the beach.

“What most people don’t know is the actual legal drivable area,” Ranger Linthakhan said. “Which is the uppermost hard pack sand, which is essentially as far east as you can go without being in the soft sand.”

When you drive onto the beach, there are specific areas. There are the dunes. Then the soft sand. Then the hard-packed sand, the wet sand and then the ocean. You need to drive as far away from the water as possible without getting up into the soft sand. Wet sand is dangerous to drive on and it’s bad for the clams. That’s where they live. Driving over them is bad.

More on Washington driving: May through September is the most deadly period for motorcyclists

“A good rule of thumb is just where the majority of the tracks are is probably where you should,” Ranger Linthakhan said. “What I like to tell people is if it’s wet and shiny don’t go there.”

Washington State Park Ranger David Linthakhan going over the rules of the road of driving on the beach. (Photo: Chris Sullivan, KIRO Newsradio)

If you’re the only car there, you probably shouldn’t be there.

And I know it’s tempting, but you should keep the hot-dogging to a minimum.

“Most people realize when they get out here that they shouldn’t do some of the things that they do, like spinning in circles and fishtailing,” Ranger Linthakhan said. “People say ‘Oh it’s the beach, I thought it was OK,’ but somewhere down inside, they probably knew that was not cool.”

But it’s not the donuts that get most drivers in trouble. Just like on pavement, Ranger Linthakhan said speed is the biggest problem.

“I mean, it’s flat most of the time and you can see for miles so it’s pretty easy to get going too fast,” he said. “The problem is as the tide comes and goes. It creates ruts and areas that you don’t really know are there until you’re on top of it. That’s when accidents happen.”

As for technique, keep up a steady speed. Don’t make sudden movements and approach any water cautiously. You never know for sure how deep it is.

What about braking?

“Don’t slam on your brakes,” Ranger Linthakhan said. “Don’t stop with your brakes unless you absolutely have to. Let yourself roll to a stop. What happens when you slam on your brakes, which pushes the sand in a mound in front of your tires, and then you’re fighting that. If you’re in a front wheel drive vehicle, you’re probably going to get stuck.”

And be hyper-vigilant in scanning the beach. Dogs and children like to dart around on the beach, and you never know when one might pop up from behind a car parked on the sand. A note on that too. Try not to park your car in the middle of the road. If there are a bunch of tracks in the sand, you should probably park a little closer to the soft sand.

More from Chris Sullivan: Calmer waters ahead for Washington State Ferries?

But even if you’re parked in the wrong place, it’s still up to the other drivers to safely get around you.

“There is no law that says you can’t place your stuff someplace in that space, but it’s up to the individual driver to recognize that there are people there and I should give them a wide berth,” Ranger Linthakhan said.

Beach driving is fun. Just be smart and courteous about it. And please stay off the clam beds.

Check out more of Chris’ Chokepoints here. You can also follow Chris on X, formerly known as Twitter. Head here to follow KIRO Newsradio Traffic’s profile on X.

Follow @https://twitter.com/newsguysully

The visualizations include examples of three different pedestrian viewpoints for the three configurations being studied. All images are from street level and do not represent the complete range of bridge types being considered.

“These are not the aesthetic design drawings that some folks are looking for. That will come a little bit later as we narrow down the scope of what we are proposing to build,” Interstate Bridge Replacement Program Administrator Greg Johnson said to a group of Washington and Oregon lawmakers tasked with overseeing the project.

Hayden Island, west side of bridge, looking north, double-deck bridge configuration. (Image courtesy of Interstate Bridge Replacement Program)

The three bridge types shown include a double-deck configuration called a Truss, a single-level span called an Extradose and a Steel Girder vertical lift bridge.

Welcome to construction season: Revive I-5 in Seattle is back

Johnson presented an update on the project using the images to explain the trade-offs of each configuration.

He said his team has heard concerns from the biking community about the steepness of the double-deck and single-level span proposals.

“This is one of the issues, to make sure that we are creating something that is going to be safe, usable, and accessible to most levels of riders,” Johnson said.

He stated that his team is proposing safety shoulders that will be anywhere from 12 to 14 feet wide to accommodate a bus should it have to use the shoulder. The final width standard has not been set, but Johnson said the bridge will be wide enough to comfortably accommodate passing traffic, pedestrian, and biking traffic on each side.

Hayden Island, east side of bridge form the shared-use path, looking north, single-level movable span configuration. (Image courtesy of Interstate Bridge Replacement Program)

Retiring Republican State Senator Lynda Wilson asked if engineers are putting too much emphasis on a design that can accommodate bike and pedestrian traffic rather than the bridge’s main purpose of supporting commuter and freight traffic.

I-5 replacement bridge proposed width. (Image courtesy of the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program)

“We’re not neglecting any mode. We’re making sure that we’re building something that, if you choose not to be in a car, you can safely have an enjoyable trip across this bridge,” Johnson responded.

The two versions that do not include a lift bridge are designed to be 116 feet above the Columbia River. Johnson said they should be high enough to accommodate 95% of the bridge traffic that currently goes under the bridge.

I-5 replacement bridge proposed height. (Image courtesy of the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program)

He said the design relies on a new requirement that large ships must be able to lower movable parts that aren’t needed for navigation to pass under bridges at 116 feet tall.

“Those are some of the discussions that we’re having with the river users,” Johnson said. “We’re working diligently to not build a repeat of a stoplight for the next 100 years on the I-5.”

The project is expected to cost between $5 to $7 billion. So far, Washington has committed $45 million, Oregon $55 million, and $601 million from the federal government, leaving the remaining $4.3 to $6.3 billion to come from tolling, bonds based on toll revenues and other uncommitted funds.

Johnson did not provide a breakdown of the costs of protected bike lanes and pedestrian walkways on the bridge but said tolling bikers and walkers are not being considered.

“I’m unaware of situations across the country, or even across the world, where bicycling or walking is tolled,” Johnson said. “We’re trying to create options to decongest the freeway system. And that would be at odds with that purpose.”

The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore has delivered an unexpected wrinkle in the design of the bridge.

Related news: Baltimore bridge collapse reminds Washingtonians of past disasters

Johnson said million-pound cargo and container ships do not currently travel underneath the bridge because of tight turns and navigational hazards downstream.

The proposed bridge will have wider spans and fewer supports for a ship to crash into.

The Key Bridge accident has prompted some calls to revisit the possibility of building a tunnel underneath the Columbia River.

Johnson said engineers have looked at two tunnel possibilities: a bore tunnel similar to what was built along the Seattle waterfront and an immersed tube tunnel where a cut is opened in the middle of the river, and precast segments are placed and buried.

He said the team underestimated the original costs of building either tunnel, but even after revising construction estimates and combining operational costs, it would prove to be too costly.

The community will have an opportunity to review and provide input during an upcoming 60-day public comment period.

Matt Markovich often covers the state legislature and public policy for KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of Matt’s stories here. Follow him on X, or email him here.

Follow @https://twitter.com/mattmarkovich

For those planning to travel on Interstate 5 (I-5) south near Boeing Access Road, expect delays of more than 20 minutes depending on the time of day. The traffic will be a result of Revive I-5 in South Seattle to replace concrete panels and joints, according to Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) spokesperson Tom Pearce.

“This weekend, on southbound I-5 near Boeing Field, we’re going to be replacing concrete near the Military Road overpass. So we’re going to have to reduce the freeway down to two lanes. And people will have to prepare for delays,” Pearce said.

He said the work is part of the Duwamish River to Lucille Street project, which the agency has been working on and replaced a lot of concrete.

“So now we’re getting down to the last few weekends,” Pearce said. “We’re going to replace the concrete approaching the Military Road overpass southbound and then we’re gonna be back for a couple more weekends to replace expansion joints on both the southbound and northbound Military Road overpasses.”

The work will also include overnight lane closures during the work week, which give crews time to complete other work like removing ruts in the road.

More from Micki Gamez: Vashon Islanders can’t wait another 4 years for new ferry

Looking more at the Revive I-5 project

“This Revive I-5 project is just one aspect of the critical preservation work occurring in the state,” Pearce explained. “Lane and ramp closures on northbound and southbound I-5 will continue between Seattle and Tukwila until fall 2024.”

Even though lane closures create big backups, the more than 200,000 daily commuters between Seattle’s SODO neighborhood and Tukwila, will have to grin and bear it until construction season is over.

The Revive I-5 project which is an umbrella of dozens of preservation projects for I-5 in King and Snohomish Counties, aims to smooth the surface by replacing concrete panels and expansion joints. The construction project will also grind down any ruts to preserve the lifespan for decades to come.

Renton drivers rejoice: Lind Avenue overpass over I-405 reopens after 2 years

This is not the first time the Revive I-5 project has led to road closures and possible traffic backups this year. Portions of downtown Everett were closed in the middle of May; work took place between Seattle and Tukwila at the end of March and construction occurred at Boeing Access Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Way in Tukwila in February.

For the latest construction closure information, visit the WSDOT real-time travel map, download the WSDOT traffic app or sign up for email updates.

You can read more of Micki Gamez’s stories here. Follow Micki on X, or email her here.

Follow @https://twitter.com/onairmichelle

This is the “big one” Chokepoints has been warning drivers about since the start of the year — a four-month closure of the 529 northbound span over the Snohomish River at the north end of Everett.

It will close Sunday night and will remain closed until October.

“The bridge is 97 years old, and we need to do some work on the mechanical parts that lift and lower the bridge,” the Washington Department of Transportation’s (WSDOT) Tom Pearce said.

More on WA roads: SR-410 crash in Sumner turns fatal after driver misses turn and hits vehicle head-on

Both directions of the Snohomish River Bridge will be closed Sunday night so the final detours can be put into place. All northbound drivers will be detoured onto the southbound span starting Monday morning, and it will stay that way for the duration of the work. There will be one lane in each direction.

“We need to do a full closure because we will be removing the pieces that lift the bridge,” Pearce said. “But to allow for maritime traffic, we need to keep the bridge open so we have to leave it in the raised position.”

That will also impact people who walk or bike across the bridge. The walkway on that northbound span will not be available. A 24-hour-a-day shuttle will be available to ferry those people onto the southbound span.

“You’ll be able to go either direction, pick up or drop off either way,” Pearce said. “The service will be in place 24 hours a day. There’ll be a number for you to call to request it. It could be up to a half hour before the shuttle arrives, but there will be a shuttle to take you across.”

There will be cross-overs on either side of the bridge to get drivers into the southbound lane. That will restrict some access for people who use Marine View Drive.

“If you’re headed north, you are going to be able to exit to Marine View Drive,” Pearce said. “However, you’re not going to be able to get on to northbound 529 directly from Marine View Drive.”

Let’s say you’re playing 18 holes at Legion Memorial Golf Course or you’re working at the Amazon Center at the north end of Everett and you want to take northbound 529. You’re going to have to head south on SR-529 from Marine View Drive and use the U-turn detour a few blocks away.

More from Chris Sullivan: Calmer waters ahead for Washington State Ferries?

This work will have a major impact on traffic throughout the area.

“People really ought to stay on northbound or southbound I-5,” Pearce said. “We’re going to see heavier traffic on the freeway. We’re gonna see delays no matter what, but the freeway has a lot more capacity for handling it.”

There is a chance this closure could be pushed for a few days if the weather doesn’t cooperate this weekend. The contractor needs dry weather to put in the final lane striping.

But the weather looks great for the weekend right now.

Check out more of Chris’ Chokepoints here. You can also follow Chris on X, formerly known as Twitter. Head here to follow KIRO Newsradio Traffic’s profile on X.

Follow @https://twitter.com/newsguysully

Previous coverage: Vashon Island struggling economically due to state ferry crisis

Islanders for Ferry Action, a community organization based on Vashon Island, said that small businesses are struggling to make ends meet because of the frequent delays and outages with the ferry system to the island.

According to Amy Drayer, Director of Islanders for Ferry Action, small business owners said they are struggling to thrive and are tired of sitting by and waiting for the state to fix the problems.

“We often had one boat service to Vashon Island. This occurred during our annual Strawberry Festival event. We went down to one boat service, we had multiple interruptions,” Drayer said. “And, of course, that’s a big example. When disruptions happen at pivotal times, it makes a big impact.”

Drayer shared updated results from the latest state agency survey which showed 70% dissatisfaction among Vashon Island correspondents.

“You know, we understand that our riders have struggled in this ferry crisis. And we continue on Vashon to identify this as a crisis. We have not seen really improvement in service,” she said.

Drayer said as the community heads into the summer season, there will be more shortfalls and delays, furthering the crisis.

“So for us, a crisis is over Mother’s Day weekend when we went down to one boat, right? And that’s a crisis moving people on and off the island,” she said. “But it’s not just an inconvenience when you’re waiting three or four hours. It’s not an inconvenience when a friend of mine, you know, her son came over on a 7 a.m. boat and left on a 9 a.m. boat so that he can see his mom having to wait hours in line.”

For Drayer, an Islander, it IS a crisis when small businesses have a two or three-hour gap in midday service and cannot receive goods and services and can’t go off the Island to purchase goods and services.

Travel alert: Washington ferry prices have gone up amid wave of riders

Drayer explained how some businesses aren’t delivering to the island anymore.

“We have a number of businesses whose delivery companies have started refusing to come to Vashon. And if we can’t move goods and services off our island, that’s a problem,” she said.

And when it comes to health care and living on the island, Drayer told KIRO Newsradio, don’t break a bone because you can’t set it on the island.

“So if it’s a Monday and you’ve broken a bone and you happen to fall in that two-hour gap when the boat the south end and the north end, you’re sitting in line. And if it’s Monday during commute time, you can’t get medical priority loading unless you’re in an ambulance,” she explained.

She said fire and rescue are doing basic transport for those who might otherwise go to urgent care.

“But if you’ve got a broken leg, you’re sitting hours in line waiting for the boat. That’s a terrible crisis, a healthcare crisis for our community,” she added.

KIRO Newsradio asked Drayer what the ferry system can do to help soften the blow of this crisis.

Related news: Calmer waters ahead for Washington State Ferries?

“Washington State Ferries has acknowledged that we’re asking for a timeline to fix the two-boat schedule. Bringing back reliability to our service is going to be a huge driver of satisfaction. And it’s going to be a huge driver of success for our community,” she said.

WSF’s released a statement via email:

WSF is aware of the FROG survey results and appreciates all the work the Washington State Transportation Commission does to gather input from our customers. We certainly understand the frustration of Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth customers who have been on reduced service since the pandemic. Per our Service Contingency Plan, that route is the next to be restored. If we have a vessel and the crew available to operate it, we intend to run unscheduled three-boat service on the route this summer.”

Starting July 1, King County Metro will implement more midday water taxi services from Vashon Island to Seattle. The route will go from six round trips daily to 10, during the weekdays only.

You can read more of Micki Gamez’s stories here. Follow Micki on X, formerly known as Twitter, or email her here.

Follow @https://twitter.com/onairmichelle

According to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), the collision happened on the southbound I-5 ramp from the West Seattle Bridge.

UPDATE 2: All lanes of southbound I-5 are now blocked. Travelers are being detoured from SB I-5 to South Forest Street to 6th Avenue South to Airport Way South. https://t.co/ldNfKuR6re

— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) June 2, 2024

Around 4 a.m., a vehicle became disabled and one of the occupants got out, according to the Washington State Patrol (WSP).

That person was then struck by a motorhome.

Troopers said an AMR ambulance then stopped to treat the victim. While they were stopped, the ambulance was also hit and was pushed into the original disabled vehicle.

More traffic: Lind Avenue overpass over I-405 reopens after 2 years

The crash resulted in the freeway being shut down in the southbound lanes for more than four hours, according to WSDOT.

Roads reopened around 9:30 a.m.

FINAL UPDATE: All lanes of southbound I-5 just south of the West Seattle Bridge have reopened from an earlier collision. The on-ramp to southbound I-5 from the West Seattle Bridge has also reopened. https://t.co/89akLY1e87 pic.twitter.com/bV7jNMjrWC

— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) June 2, 2024

KIRO Newsradio spoke with an AAA spokesperson last month who said Washington is one of the worst states for distracted driving. The number one distractor — friends.

Data from the Traffic Safety Commission’s website shows fatal crashes in Washington have dramatically increased. In 2014, there were 462 fatal crashes involving a motor vehicle reported and in 2023, there were 810 fatal crashes reported. Nearly half of the crashes involved an impaired driver and the majority of people killed were men.

To make the pledge to become a better driver, you can check out Safe Drive Club’s website.

Contributing: Micki Gamez, KIRO Newsradio

Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories here. Follow Julia on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email her here.

As Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) explained in a statement Thursday, the structure closed in June 2022 after a backhoe being towed on a trailer struck the bridge, seriously damaging five girders that support the overpass. Last year, a WSDOT Blog post noted the backhoe hit five of the eight girders supporting the overpass. The agency’s post went on to say that it “basically damaged every other girder, so it was more cost-effective to replace the overpass than remove some girders without damaging others.”

The rebuild involved tearing down the northern span of the bridge, replacing the girders and rebuilding the bridge deck. The WSDOT contractor, Johansen Construction, began work in October 2023 and continued through the winter and early spring months. The work also involved shutting down I-405 for days at a time so it could be completed.

More from Chris Sullivan: Tussling with the future of the US Route 2 trestle

“The loss of the Lind Ave Bridge over I-405 caused significant disruption for local businesses and residents in Renton and neighboring communities,” WSDOT Project Engineer Clint Monken said in the statement posted online. “The completion of this project reconnects our local communities.”

WSDOT said it is continuing to work with the insurance company of the driver to recover costs associated with the work.

NOW OPEN– Lind Ave SW over I-405 in #Renton!🎉
After seven months of demolition and reconstruction, the Lind Avenue Southwest bridge over I-405 has reopened to traffic, restoring a vital connection in @CityofRenton.
The bridge was closed since June 2022 after a bridge strike. pic.twitter.com/2HrEBURnoj

— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) May 30, 2024

The Renton Firefighters X account (@RentonFireL864) also expressed excitement about the reopening Thursday saying in a post, in part, “Having this bridge back open will greatly improve responses when seconds matter!”

Chokepoints content: Seattle’s traffic circles are not roundabouts

In a fortuitous development, KIRO Newsradio traffic reporter Chris Sullivan was able to report the reopening of the overpass in the final hour of “Seattle’s Morning News” Thursday.

He praised the texter and others like him who provide him with key information he is able to pass on to the KIRO Newsradio listeners.

“I can not do this job without the great help from listeners … who clue me in to things that are happening,” Sullivan said. “I’m so thankful for you guys.”

Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, or email him here.

This is a shared responsibility. Riders and drivers both need to watch out for each other and share the road. 138 motorcycle riders were killed on Washington roads last year. 131 did not come home from their rides in 2022.

We had a crash involving a motorcycle on northbound Interstate 405 (I-405) just yesterday in Bellevue.

More Chokepoints: Tussling with the future of the US Route 2 trestle

And there is one common denominator when a motorcyclist gets tangled up with a car or a truck: The rider almost always loses. Either wrong place, wrong time or doing something that they shouldn’t have been doing, they ultimately hit a car and due to there being no safety cage around and nothing to really protect you, they end up being seriously injured or passing away,”  Washington State Patrol (WSP) Trooper John Dattilo said.

Trooper Dattilo monitors Pierce and Thurston Counties, which have already had 42 motorcycle crashes this year — two of them fatal.

This time of year, WSP will be stepping up its emphasis patrols on riders.

“Going into the summer, that’s one of the things that we are going to be focusing on, trying to prevent (accidents),” Dattilo said. “Just trying to educate people.”

And motorcyclists need education, or at least a yearly reminder, about lane splitting.

More on motorcycle riding in Washington: Motorcycle lane-splitting is still illegal

It is not legal in Washington. It has never been legal in Washington. It has been discussed by the legislature, but nothing has ever made it out of committee.

“We do not currently have a lane-splitting law in Washington,” Dattilo confirmed. “There are other states, like California, that allow it. We do not here in the state of Washington, but it’s also something that it’s extremely difficult to enforce because the patrol cars are also stuck in traffic. They can’t lane split.”

Not to mention lane-splitting can lead to road rage.

“We’ve seen collisions where people intentionally try to cut off the motorcycles because they’re frustrated,” Dattilo said.

WSP reported 53 motorcycle crashes in King County so far this year, and we are officially in the middle of the most dangerous months for fatal motorcycle accidents.

Advice for drivers: Double-check those blind spots when making lane changes. Pay close attention in slow traffic for riders in front of you as even a little bump from behind can cause serious injuries. And for motorcyclists: Don’t lane split. Don’t hot dog. And most importantly, don’t assume that drivers can see you or even know you are there.

Check out more of Chris’ Chokepoints here. You can also follow Chris on X, formerly known as Twitter. Head here to follow KIRO Newsradio Traffic’s profile on X.

Follow @https://twitter.com/newsguysully

Ask anyone who lives in Lake Stevens what it’s like to get onto the trestle during peak hours, and you’ll likely hear a few swear words. It jams up every morning heading westbound and every afternoon eastbound.

It just doesn’t have the capacity to handle all the people that now live east of Interstate 5 (I-5) along Highway 9. The original bridge was built in the 1930s. It served both directions. A new westbound trestle was completed in 1969. The original bridge, which was eastbound, was replaced in 2001. Now it’s time to replace the westbound trestle.

More from Chokepoints: Sound Transit CEO says ‘it’s my job to restore confidence’ in public transit

Study No. 6 is now underway, with a focus on improving the westbound connection to I-5 which cannot handle today’s traffic.

“The number of westbound lanes has limited capacity at the southbound I-5,” Maraea Skeen, a public information officer for WSDOT, said. “What can we do for the potential for managed lanes,  such as HOV, active transportation,  access to downtown Everett and just generally moving people through the corridor.”

The agency wants your feedback on what potential improvements should be.

“We are at the point where we’re we’re evaluating the needs of what the community needs from the trestle,” Skeen added.

We’re so early in the process that there are no definitive replacement plans or drawings. Earlier projections put building a new three-lane westbound trestle at $1-2 billion, with a lot of that money coming from tolls on the corridor. This public input will help WSDOT direct its plans.

“The feedback from this open house will help us to streamline the process into that review, but it will still be several years before construction will take shape,” Skeen said.

More from Chris Sullivan: Seattle’s traffic circles are not roundabouts

I would put the over/under on when something might be built and completed at about 10 years. The environmental review will be lengthy. The trestle goes across Ebey Island, and that includes crossing the Snohomish River, Ebey Slough and Deadwater Slough.

The online open house will take feedback through June 7.

Check out more of Chris’ Chokepoints here. You can also follow Chris on X, formerly known as Twitter. Head here to follow KIRO Newsradio Traffic’s profile on X.

Follow @https://twitter.com/newsguysully

On Saturday, ferry officials put the Samish Ferry out of service, due to a lack of crew members. That affected riders in Anacortes, Lopez Island and Friday Harbor.

The ferry system also canceled four crossings between Port Townsend and Coupeville on Sunday morning due to low tides. Alternate routes are the: Edmonds/Kingston Ferries or the Mukilteo/Clinton Ferries.

🚨#PortTownsend/#Coupeville tidal cancellations this weekend🚨

Saturday, 5/25: No 930a from PT and no 1015a from Coupeville
Sunday, 5/26: No 930a or 11a from PT and no 1015a or 1145a from Coupeville

More: https://t.co/vK6ZiKRkf7 pic.twitter.com/3CloQAsb5K

— Washington State Ferries (@wsferries) May 24, 2024

To stay up to date with cancellations, travelers can sign up for ferry alerts via the Washington State Department of Transportation’s (WSDOT) website. For tidal cancellations specifically, travelers can check the tidal cancellations table on the department’s website.

Ferry schedules can also be found on WSDOT’s website.

Frustrations with Washington ferries

However, the cancellations are just another item on a list of ferry frustrations among travelers.

Inslee: ‘We’re going as fast as humanly possible’ getting ferry boats in the water

Washington State Governor Jay Inslee is pushing to keep electric ferries in the works but critics argue the plans should be abandoned to instead focus on diesel. However, Inslee said that would only slow the process of the new ferries even more.

Inslee argued that switching from the originally planned electric ferries back to diesel-powered ferries would restart the bidding process — delaying everything by a year or two. He also stated diesel technology is no faster to install than electric at this point.

Inslee explained one of the reasons for the delay came from the state’s desire to build the boats domestically. Inslee and his team found a company totally committed to the idea but the company was quickly sold to a hedge fund and the hedge fund pivoted from the particular program regarding constructing ferries in Washington.

Another addition to the ferry fiasco is that the price of a trip will increase. Earlier this month, prices for roundtrips went up nearly $10.

Travel alert: Washington ferry prices have gone up amid wave of riders

Washington State Ferries (WSF) attributed the price increase to keeping up with the influx of spring and summer travelers, according to The Everett Herald. Riders can also expect longer wait times, around an hour or two, as the warmer weather entices people to take trips.

And while prices will go back down after the summer, an overall 4.25% fare increase will start on Oct. 1, according to the Washington State Transportation Commission.

UPDATE: On Tuesday, a WSF spokesperson emailed MyNorthwest about Memorial Day weekend.

Their statement said:

“WSF staff worked hard to ensure as much service as possible over the busy Memorial Day weekend. We adjusted taking boats out of service until Tuesday morning, staged a service relief vessel at Bremerton in case one boat went out of service, and our dispatch team worked hard to cover multiple relief requests. One Anacortes/San Juan Islands roundtrip was canceled Saturday morning due to crewing; no other unplanned sailings were canceled this weekend. And the ‘cancellations’ on the Port Townsend/Coupeville route are planned and alerted events due to the extreme tides at Coupeville. There were no Mukilteo/Clinton cancellations due to tides or any other reason.

I hope you and the traveling public appreciated the hard work of WSF’s vessel crews and terminal staff over the busy weekend.”

Contributing: Tom Brock, KIRO Newsradio; Frank Sumrall, MyNorthwest

Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories here. Follow Julia on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email her here.

“We haven’t seen Memorial Day weekend travel numbers like these in almost 20 years,” Paula Twidale, Senior Vice President of AAA Travel, stated.

Going further, road trips are expected to set a record. AAA projects 38.4 million people will travel by car during the Memorial Day weekend, the highest number for that holiday since AAA began tracking in 2000. The number of drivers this year is up 4% compared to last year and 1.9% higher than in 2019.

Traveling by car is appealing for many people because of the convenience and flexibility it provides. But while it may be convenient, many other people throughout the Pacific Northwest will likely have the same idea and get in the car for their trip. That’s going to cause a lot of traffic.

“I say this every year on holiday weekends like Memorial Day and Labor Day. Leave early or leave late. It’s really just that simple,” KIRO Newsradio traffic reporter Chris Sullivan said this week. “If you don’t want to be stuck sucking on the fumes of the cars in front of you, you need to beat them to the road or wait until they’ve already gone through.”

Sullivan also advised listeners to expect issues on the afternoon and some of the major roadways.

“You really don’t want to be on the road late this afternoon, as some people head out early,” Sullivan said. “The worst time to be on the road Friday will be between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. The worst roads will be Interstate 90 (I-90) East from North Bend to Ellensburg and Interstate 5 (I-5) south from Tacoma to Olympia.”

Some notes on specific Washington roads

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) released their Memorial Day weekend travel charts and the agency noted that I-5 between Lacey to Tacoma will see some level of congestion all day Sunday before it lets up later in the day. This was after drivers saw congestion in some spots through 7 p.m. Friday and large parts of Saturday too.

The news from WSDOT on I-90 between North Bend and Cle Elum is a bit better. But the travel charts reveal that area will see some level of congestion going west Sunday afternoon before the traffic completely lightens up later in the evening. Going east should be better, but travelers will see some “moderate to heavy traffic” between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Sunday.

Drivers can also expect to see heavy traffic or congestion at various times all weekend on U.S. 2 between Stevens Pass and Skykomish and on I-5 between Bellingham and the U.S.-Canada border. Notably, travelers can expect to see congestion or “moderate to heavy traffic” going west from Stevens Pass to Skyhomish between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. and both directions between Bellingham and the Canadian border Sunday.

Friends don’t let friends travel on Memorial Day weekend without checking the travel charts for I-5, I-90 and US 2: https://t.co/RbRAD9UOUJ pic.twitter.com/lZ6PjKrnAf

— Washington State DOT (@wsdot) May 22, 2024

“The worst day of these three-day weekends is always the ‘get-back’ day on Monday. That’s going to be a grind from about 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.,” Sullivan said.

Looking at the Washington State Ferries (WSF), more than 350,000 people are expected to use the ferry system over the next four days, Sullivan said. The westbound trips will be jammed through Friday. Coming home eastbound on Monday, you had better be in line early, Sullivan added.

Also causing issues for ferry riders: Low tides. WSF had to cancel sailings Saturday and was forced to cancel several more Sunday. Head here for the latest information.

Expect the airport to be busy

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) expected to screen over 365,000 passengers leaving Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac Airport) from through Tuesday. That is a nearly 10% increase from last year, KIRO 7 reported.

Airport officials estimate 760,000 passengers will be departing and arriving at the airport over the holiday.

When fliers take off and which airline they have booked with likely will make a difference for travelers as well.

JW Surety Bonds analyzed data from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Air Travel Consumer Report to identify the best and worst airlines to rely on for fights.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac Airport) has the second most on-time departures during Memorial Day weekend, with 86.1% of all flights departing on time, according to the company’s analysis. Hawaiian Airlines, Alaskan Airlines, and Delta Air Lines are the best airlines to fly during Memorial Day weekend. Meanwhile Virgin Atlantic, Frontier Airlines, and JetBlue Airways are the worst airlines.

The company also reported flights scheduled between 6 and 7 a.m. across various airports tend to have the highest on-time departure performance, with percentages as high as 96.4%. On the other side, afternoon and early evening flights generally have the worst on-time departure performance, with flights between 2-3 p.m. tending to have lower on-time percentages. Some airports drop as low as 64.8% during that time.

Some advice to navigate the airport

In addition to this being a busy travel season, KIRO 7 notes travelers are also having to navigate through all the construction inside the airport which has shut down one of the TSA checkpoints, making lines longer and causing tons of confusion

Sea-Tac Airport spokesperson Peter McGraw told KIRO Newsradio earlier this week that he recommends users check Sea-Tac Airport’s website ahead of time to see what the recommendation is for arriving. A good rule of thumb is to get to the airport two to three hours before the flight is scheduled to depart.

To keep up to date on security waiting times, travelers can download the flySEA app. The app has information about ground transportation, parking, security screening, international travel and more. Head here for a few more tips on getting around Sea-Tac Airport.

More on PNW travel: Why was Sea-Tac Airport so busy last weekend? Will it get worse?

For those people who are heading to the airport, but not to travel, one tip Sullivan brought up during an appearance on KIRO Newsradio’s “The Gee and Ursula Show” Friday was to “think opposite.” The essence of the advice is for drivers who need to do a pickup during a busy period, consider getting people coming in at the departures area and if you need to do a drop off during a busy time, bring those people to the arrivals area.

“It works. It really works,” Sullivan said.

Contributing: Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest; Tom Brock, KIRO Newsradio.

Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, or email him here.

Goran Sparrman knows that no one will ride the trains if they don’t feel safe. Sound Transit’s interim CEO told me that has to change.

“I understand why when you read the newspapers or see on the media the kind of unfortunate incidents we’ve had the last three months with two stabbings, one shooting,” he told KIRO Newsradio. “I totally understand why people made that makes people uncomfortable.”

More from Chokepoints: Oversized scissors, shovels used to celebrate I-405 project progress

And it doesn’t matter to riders or concerned potential riders that, overall, the light rail line is safe.

“I will say that our system actually is, relatively speaking, very safe, but what we recognize is that public reception really does matter,” Sparrman said. “When people don’t feel safe, it’s a big concern to us.”

There have been 44 assaults on light rail this year, including the two homicides and an attempted murder. Sound Transit has more than doubled its security force since 2022, and it plans to add more people to that number.

“We have 500 people working on security alone on the Sound Transit system,” Sparrman said. “My job is to make sure we get the maximum bang for the buck on that and frankly restore the confidence that people feel comfortable and safe using our system.”

With the opening of the new starter line between Bellevue and Redmond, riders have noticed a change in security as well. The Bellevue Police Department is patrolling the trains and several stations with six dedicated officers, including a sergeant. In the first month of operations, Bellevue Police report no problems on the trains or stations. The only issue so far was an officer who noticed a rider with an opened container of cannabis. The officer asked the rider to put it away, which he did.

More on Bellevue public transit: Bellevue to have cops on Eastside light rail trains

That has caught Sparrman’s attention. I asked him if we might see other smaller cities follow suit, adding a few dedicated officers in their jurisdictions.

“We are having conversations with other smaller municipalities, and I envision that the conversation with Lynnwood should hopefully bear fruit,” he said.

Light rail will expand into Lynnwood in August so there is still time to hash that out.

Sparrman also said he’s hoping King County will be able to hire more deputies for his transit police, which is not at full staff.

“The budget has staffing of about 80 or so King County sheriff deputies to patrol our system,” Sparrman said. “Unfortunately, they’ve had some recruitment problems, so we only have 40 to 50 on the ground actually working. So I am looking to have a conversation very soon with the King County Sheriff’s office to make sure what can we do to make sure we’ve filled that up so we get our 90 deputies on the trains where we really want them.”

Since I had the chance to speak with Sparrman, I figured I’d ask him how the new 2-Line is doing. So far so good.

“People seem generally really excited about now having light rail transit as an option on the Eastside and, of course, everyone’s very anxious for us to connect line two across the lake to the 1-Line,” he said. “That’s what we’re planning to do by late 2025, so about a year and a half away, and what we’re hearing is a lot of interest in making sure that happens as quickly as possible.”

More from Chris Sullivan: Seattle’s traffic circles are not roundabouts

Sparrman took over for Julie Timm as the head of Sound Transit in January. His term runs through the end of the year.

Check out more of Chris’ Chokepoints here. You can also follow Chris on X, formerly known as Twitter. Head here to follow KIRO Newsradio Traffic’s profile on X.

Follow @https://twitter.com/newsguysully