Penny Arcade Forums› Help / Advice Forum
The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.

Seattle Traffic advice

SkronkingDonkeySkronkingDonkey Registered User regular
edited September 2009 in Help / Advice Forum
Hey everyone,

We're going to be driving from Vancouver to SeaTac to catch a noon flight on a Thursday. I've driven there before, but never during a week day, and I'm curious what traffic will be like coming through Seattle around 9am? Is it total gridlock? Does it move? Should we leave 2 hours earlier?

Any advice would be great!

Thanks,
T

SkronkingDonkey on

Posts

  • PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    SkronkingDonkey wrote: »
    Hey everyone,

    We're going to be driving from Vancouver to SeaTac to catch a noon flight on a Thursday. I've driven there before, but never during a week day, and I'm curious what traffic will be like coming through Seattle around 9am? Is it total gridlock? Does it move? Should we leave 2 hours earlier?

    Any advice would be great!

    Thanks,
    T

    No matter the day plan for armageddon and leave well in advance.

    Preacher on
    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

    pleasepaypreacher.net
  • admanbadmanb unionize your workplace Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    edited September 2009
    9am through Seattle on a weekday = bend over. It's no LA, but it's bad.

    admanb on
    twitter, github
  • PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    admanb wrote: »
    9am through Seattle on a weekday = bend over. It's no LA, but it's bad.

    Especially to seatac, as there aren't a lot of non backed up to hell options.

    Preacher on
    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

    pleasepaypreacher.net
  • SwashbucklerXXSwashbucklerXX Swashbucklin' Canuck Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    Canadians taking cheap flights out of US airports represent! (I live in Toronto and take Buffalo-Seattle to visit my folks.)

    We've had good luck going to the Seattle airport earlier in the morning, like 7am. Probably worth it to not miss your flight.

    SwashbucklerXX on
    Want to find me on a gaming service? I'm SwashbucklerXX everywhere.
  • theDangertheDanger Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    I-5 south is a collection of shit storms separated by brief breaks in traffic. There is an express lane (many fewer exits and entrances for people going downtown and through seattle) which you can get on as you enter into Seattle which is southbound in the morning--that bypasses the worst of the traffic which happens around the university district and downtown exits. I have no idea what traffic is like from everett to Seattle, but I believe it can get somewhat packed. Here is a map of the express lanes.

    theDanger on
  • theDangertheDanger Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    Oh, and it may be worth it to keep abreast of traffic issues by listening to AM 1000 which has traffic updates every 10 minutes on the 4s. I don't know what you'll do with that information, but as someone who used to commute daily through the shit, it helped me decide when it was worth it to take a detour due to accidents.

    I think you can plan on about 40 minutes from Everett to Seattle, if that helps.

    theDanger on
  • PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    theDanger wrote: »
    Oh, and it may be worth it to keep abreast of traffic issues by listening to AM 1000 which has traffic updates every 10 minutes on the 4s. I don't know what you'll do with that information, but as someone who used to commute daily through the shit, it helped me decide when it was worth it to take a detour due to accidents.

    I think you can plan on about 40 minutes from Everett to Seattle, if that helps.

    40 minutes? Like at 2am or something. Everett to Seattle is a wasteland during rush, it takes 40 mins min with no traffic.

    Preacher on
    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

    pleasepaypreacher.net
  • LaOsLaOs SaskatoonRegistered User regular
    edited September 2009
    SwashbucklerXX wrote: »
    Canadians taking cheap flights out of US airports represent! (I live in Toronto and take Buffalo-Seattle to visit my folks.)

    We've had good luck going to the Seattle airport earlier in the morning, like 7am. Probably worth it to not miss your flight.

    There is a Vancouver, WA you know :P

    Anyway, I would imagine you're not going to get a lucky route at that time to that place, OP.

    [Edit]
    Just noticed the Location of the OP... my bad.

    I think I just ignore Location information because so many people use it for longer title space or jokes.

    LaOs on
  • theDangertheDanger Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    Preacher wrote: »
    theDanger wrote: »
    Oh, and it may be worth it to keep abreast of traffic issues by listening to AM 1000 which has traffic updates every 10 minutes on the 4s. I don't know what you'll do with that information, but as someone who used to commute daily through the shit, it helped me decide when it was worth it to take a detour due to accidents.

    I think you can plan on about 40 minutes from Everett to Seattle, if that helps.

    40 minutes? Like at 2am or something. Everett to Seattle is a wasteland during rush, it takes 40 mins min with no traffic.

    Hmmmm, I suppose you are right. Looking at todays travel times, I'd budget an hour between the two. It may be worse, but it shouldn't be TOO much worse.

    theDanger on
  • admanbadmanb unionize your workplace Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    edited September 2009
    LaOs wrote: »
    There is a Vancouver, WA you know :P

    Anyway, I would imagine you're not going to get a lucky route at that time to that place, OP.

    [Edit]
    Just noticed the Location of the OP... my bad.

    I think I just ignore Location information because so many people use it for longer title space or jokes.

    If he was coming from Vancouver, WA, he wouldn't be asking about Seattle traffic.

    admanb on
    twitter, github
  • PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    Meh Seatac is between seattle and tacoma, most people consider that whole area "Seattle", so even if you weren't driving through seattle you are still dealing with the traffic.

    Preacher on
    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

    pleasepaypreacher.net
  • Seattle ThreadSeattle Thread Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    Preacher wrote: »
    Meh Seatac is between seattle and tacoma, most people consider that whole area "Seattle", so even if you weren't driving through seattle you are still dealing with the traffic.
    These are probably the same people who live on the eastside and think they're in Seattle.

    Traffic itself usually starts to thicken up from around 145th/Northgate until you get past the I-90 interchange. At 9AM it's going to be a mess--hell, at 7AM it'll be a little messy, but that'll at least give you enough time to get through it and make your flight--so I'd suggest taking the earlier route. Once you clear the city limits, though, it's usually smooth sailing until you hit the airport, which takes about 30-40 minutes.

    Seattle Thread on
    kofz2amsvqm3.png
  • DocDoc Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited September 2009
    Leave early, and then if you get there early, grab some breakfast downtown.

    Doc on
  • SkronkingDonkeySkronkingDonkey Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    Yeah I think it's going to be well worth it to get up earlier and hit the border around 5:30 which should put us around the DT area just after 7ish.

    Once we hit downtown, are we pretty much through the worst? Little could delay us getting from DT to the airport? (ie. we're safe to stop for breakfast downtown?)

    Thanks for the responses!

    SkronkingDonkey on
  • Seattle ThreadSeattle Thread Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    I'd say so... traffic can be a little hefty just south of downtown, but the worst of it is in the 10-mile stretch north of Downtown

    Seattle Thread on
    kofz2amsvqm3.png
  • theDangertheDanger Registered User regular
    edited September 2009
    Makershot wrote: »
    I'd say so... traffic can be a little hefty just south of downtown, but the worst of it is in the 10-mile stretch north of Downtown

    This is why the express lanes are awesome--they wont remove all the pain, but certainly better than trying to get through the main line.

    theDanger on
Sign In or Register to comment.
Penny Arcade Forums› Help / Advice Forum