The Clusterfuck That Wasn't

The dreaded I-5 construction slowdown (aka "the end of western civilization as we know it") had more of an effect on the water than it did on roads this morning. My rush hour bus ride in from South Delridge resembled a lazy Saturday afternoon commute more closely than a typical Monday morning. And this was not supposed to be a typical Monday morning on the viaduct, what with motorists supposedly hot to flare out in search of "Anything But Five!" alternative routes.

Maybe people decided to take three-week vacations after all, maybe this mess isn't all it's cracked up to be, or maybe we just got a lucky break. It's way too early to render a verdict here, at any rate. But one thing about this morning's commute does stick out as super compelling: the fact that the typically uncrowded Elliott Bay Water Taxi experienced such a surge in ridership (SRO on some runs) that some departures were delayed by up to 20 minutes. (I was all set to taxi in until I heard a KIRO-710 report that caused me to roll the dice with Metro. Man, did that move pay off.)

But fear not, West Seattleites: According to King County Council staffer and former SW political columnist James Bush, Argosy, which operates the taxi under contract with the county, has long been prepared to put another boat into circulation should things pan out as they did this morning. "The Argosy folks will watch how many people are boarding," says Bush, an aide to Councilmember and West Seattle resident Dow Constantine, "and may be able to put another boat into service."