They just installed a new light at the crosswalk at Yesler Way under the Viaduct. It seems to be a temporary thing until the Viaduct comes down.* So for now it’s a pain in the ass to cross. Previously, there was a crosswalk under the Viaduct, and then another one between the Viaduct and the waterfront.
The crosswalk under the Viaduct never had a light until now. This wouldn’t mean much if the lights were coordinated. But they are not. I’m sure it doesn’t actually add much time to the commute but it feels like forever.
This may be a bit of a problem as the days get nicer and more people who live and work in Pioneer Square want to walk to the waterfront. So hopefully it isn’t too long until they either get the Viaduct down or at least synch up the crosswalk lights.
And for the record, this isn’t an anti-viaduct post. I realize my preferred option (Surface/Transit/I-5) would have plenty of construction right now if it had been implemented.
* I emailed SDOT a few questions on Thursday. They never got back.
Just be glad you don’t live in West Seattle, where they took out a lot of the bus shelters to replace them with the new Rapid Ride shelters (which give much less shelter from the rain & wind than the old ones!). It’s been 3 months since the one near where I live was removed, and we still don’t have the new one yet, and the sidewalk is blocked off making it harder to get to the temporary stop.
They are closing Alaskan Way south of Yesler. Through traffic on Alaskan Way will run under the Viaduct from Madison south and the old section of Alaskan Way from Madison to Yesler will be a holding area for the ferry terminal and a bus drop off lane.