I enjoy the bus lanes

[Tom Murphy]

Sure, I am not happy about the times I am sitting in traffic. But when I take the bus it is great. Once the south bound side it is done, it will be great. Wanna bitch about something, how about the cars parked on lower 15th before 9am?

To all my neighbors who are up in arms about sitting in traffic - welcome to life in a city. Perhaps we should have a special bridge/lane/tunnel just for us... get a grip. Lighten up, ride the bus.

The lanes are open after 6pm to drive on. So for all these people complaining about working 60 hours and getting stuck in traffic - really? If you are working those hours you are not driving in rush hour and should be able to zip down 15th.

[Mag98199]

The lanes are certainly not "open after 6pm to drive on"! They are for buses only from 4 to 6 and the rest of the time they are for parking, and any traffic in them is supposed to turn right at the next corner. I'd love to ride the bus, but I can't, so now I go over the top of Queen Anne Hill to get to and from work.

[Wendell]

About the 'right turn at the next corner' rule:

Yesterday, while driving north on 15th, I was stopped a red light at the intersection just before the Dravus, I noticed several cars in the bus/turn lanes but thought they would all turn so I could move over to make my exit. But...they ALL continued straight (including a police car!) making it harder to change lanes. So, it looks like there's a lot of confusion about that part (and I guess I will be moving right a block sooner in the future).

[B&JinMagnolia]

I agree. Sorry people, I don't like it anymore than the next person; but a law is a law. Please don't disregard at the expense of your neighbors. Yes, it's a change and change is hard, but seriously - this action of simply ignoring or defying the law is very rude and self-centered.

[Andrew]

"The lanes are open after 6pm to drive on."

No they are not. Notice the Right Turn Only signs and the Right Turn Only arrows boldly painted on the street? Those do not end at 6pm. The restrictions on the bus lane are for curb side parking ONLY. Hmmmmm, a main arterial that is reduced by one complete lane helping traffic? No. It is just another B.S. measure by our idiotic mayor and city counsel. If I took the but to work every day, on top of my 10 hours I work each day I would have 3 hour commute with 6 transfers each way.

I am glad that you can take the bus but knock off your condescending attitude. You do not even know the laws of the road. Maybe it is a good thing that you are not driving. You are NOT the holy one. Wait, let me guess, you probably are one of the ones that thinks Nichols is good for our city. That explains a lot.

[yeti-nw]

This is a great thread, I am very curious to hear the community response to the bus lanes from those who are directly effected. Every decision has pros and cons. The question we need to ask, as always: do the pros outweigh the cons? Is this better overall for the community?

In my experience driving almost every day down 15th, riding my bike 2-3 times per week, and an occasional rider of the bus, I believe the following are positive ramifications:
1) Faster commute for bus riders
2) Somewhat safer riding for bikers (much more should be done)

I would love to see hard numbers on rider increase / decrease trends for those bus lines as well as biker counts. My guess is these improvements increases bus and bike ridership, but I have no idea if that is factual and if so to what extent.

Here are the negatives:
1) More traffic & congestion -> pollution, smog, longer commute times, etc
2) Increased congestion in other areas because some drivers now take alternate routes

I also suspect we have more accidents. It certainly seems this way based on my observations.

My conclusion? The bus lane is good for bikers and bus riders, bad for drivers. Any guesses on the ratio of drivers to bus riders & bikers? I'd guess its 20:1. Until we have an integrated, dialed mass transit system where a large percentage of commuters are not driving, this bus lane simply makes matters better for a few and worse for the majority. That doesn't feel like positive change.

I appreciate your post Tom. One line of reasoning I take issue with is the idea that just because we live in a city, we should get used to congestion and heavy traffic. I agree that life in the city inherently has disadvantages (as well as advantages), but I don't think its sound logic to justify decisions that have an overall negative impact in the community by assuming something can't improve or is inherently bad. As a community, I think we should work continuously to improve things rather than accept a sub optimal standard... am I off here?

Thanks for all your comments.

[Nancy Spragins]

From the Magnolia Community Club:

BAT LANES ALONG ELLIOTT/15TH Corridor - The Magnolia Community Club General Meeting on November 13, 2008 will focus on the community's concerns about the City imposed BAT lanes. Discussion will focus on traffic congestion, right turn only lanes, hours of operation, traffic tickets and other items. Please attend this important meeting and voice your concerns to the City.

Meeting is from 7-9pm in the Blaine cafeteria

[T]

Seattle DOT Meeting re Bus Lanes

* Added by Joan and Dan
* Add as Friend View Events

If you are concerned about this issue - come to this meeting.


Event Details

Time: November 13, 2008 at 7pm
Location: Blaine Auditorium 2550 34th Ave West
Street: 34th Ave West
City/Town: Seattle
Website or Map: http://http//www.magnoliaco...
Event Type: Community
Organized By: Magnolia Community Club

[Gina]

Do you have children that you have to drive to school, soccer practice, dental or doctor appts? I doubt it. Try taking the bus and transporting your children all over at the same time...impossible in this city.

[Concerned Resident]

Tom,

You are lacking intellectual rigor and your flip comments about traffic suggest that you lack basic logic.

Here are some facts;

10,000 bus users on a daily basis will have an improved commute (http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/denny_15th_pave.htm)
20,173 estimated number or residents (http://www.city-data.com/zips/98199.html)
12,700 estimated households (http://www.city-data.com/zips/98199.html)
$18,816 average amount in total taxes paid by resident (http://www.city-data.com/zips/98199.html)
$71.27 average amount in total taxes paid each "work" day by resident of 98199 (http://www.city-data.com/zips/98199.html)
$90,931 Average Adjusted Gross Income for residents in 98199 (http://www.city-data.com/zips/98199.html)

If we can agree that the prime rush hour traffic increases total commute time per day by 30 minutes, then there is a decrease in wages/earnings per year of $72 million for Magnolia households. Aside from the estimated $238 million in total taxes paid by households in Magnolia pay, burdening them with additional lost earnings due to increased wait times in traffic, decreases total taxes paid on lost earning by an estimated $15 million per year.

This is just for the Magnolia residents and does not include the potential impact to Queen Anne, Ballard, Greenwood or Phiney Ridge residents.

And we are lead to believe that improving the commute for 10,000 people per day is a "price" worth paying........it is just this type of lazy thinking which enables poor choices to be made on behalf of us by our representatives.

I do like your idea about a dedicated bridge/lane/tunnel, it seems that $238 million in taxes does not buy what it used to.

[Tom Murphy]

Sorry for my lack of intellectual rigor and basic logic. My lazy thinking and tongue in cheek comments once again gets me in trouble.

I personally apologize for the decrease of $72 million in wages/earnings to my neighbors. See I work on salary and am not compensated for a 30 minute added commute time.

Thanks for the information.

[Tom Murphy]

I think you misunderstand - I am the one who started that I like the bus lane. Please read the initial post author.

Look, this is how I feel.
I drive in occasionally. I ride my bike occasionally. I ride the bus the other days. I like the bus.

On the days that I drive, do I wish I could drive on the open lane of the bus? Sure. But it is a bus lane, and it is not open to me. Do I sit and stew while others zip along disregarding the law and NEVER get pulled over? Yes.

My view of commuting is skewed - I am from NY and lived in Boston. More people, more traffic, but more transportation options. Personally I would have loved it if we were not talking about a silly bus lane but that they tore up the road and put in a light rail lane that came from up north.

Now I am done and canceling my account.

[July]

Magnolia Merino is a Peruvian television miniseries, produced in 2008 by Frecuencia Latina and the neighborhood market. Caused great expectation for being a direct parody of life exposed to the controversial journalist Magaly Medina. Ebelin Ortiz is starring in the role of Magnolia Merino. It premiered on November 17, 2008, and ending January 16 2009

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