Washington

[jakeroot]

Downtown Renton during my visit in October 2021.
[clipped]
Any updates of this? I don't live in the Pacific Northwest and I'm sort of curious of the downtown redesign.

It is now finished, although there are plans for more extensive street reconstruction. Wells Ave and Williams Ave are both now two-way; that may have been the case when you took your photos, although I can't recall with complete certainty.

I'll take some photos next time I'm downtown.

Is this near Auburn?

New sign on northbound 167, along the section with the new HOV lane....... https://wsdot.wa.gov/travel/roads-bridges/hov-lanes/hero-program


New HOV HERO sign by Jacob Root, on Flickr

Near Auburn, yes. It's actually Sumner, northbound between WA-410 and the 24th Ave interchange near Sumner's northern border with Pacific.

The hero program ended last September.  Why are they putting new signs out?

Well, that's exactly why I posted the picture .

[kkt]

The hero program ended last September.  Why are they putting new signs out?

Yeah, that's the joke

[jakeroot]

As long as I'm posting Simpsons gifs elsewhere on AARoads...

[jakeroot]

Took this on Sunday from a dock near Madison Park:


Evergreen Point Floating Bridge by Jacob Root, on Flickr

[pderocco]

The hero program ended last September.  Why are they putting new signs out?

Well, that's exactly why I posted the picture .

I was always offended by that "hero" bit. We're all supposed to think it's noble to rat out people who drive illegally in the HOV lane, but there's no equivalent phone line and signage for reporting excessive speeding, spewing smoke, driving with lights off at night, texting, or even DUI. They're trying to relabel a social infraction as a moral outrage. Good riddance.

[Bruce]

The hero program ended last September.  Why are they putting new signs out?

Well, that's exactly why I posted the picture .

I was always offended by that "hero" bit. We're all supposed to think it's noble to rat out people who drive illegally in the HOV lane, but there's no equivalent phone line and signage for reporting excessive speeding, spewing smoke, driving with lights off at night, texting, or even DUI. They're trying to relabel a social infraction as a moral outrage. Good riddance.

911 is the equivalent.

Illegal use of the HOV lane is also heinous in rush hour, since that one selfish person is holding up hundreds of people in carpools and buses. Enforcement should've been automated long ago.

[kkt]

For excessive speed or DUI in the present moment, there's 911.

And I have used it for both brake lights not working on a 2-lane road.  Unless you've followed someone like that you may not appreciate how much you depend on the lights.  I did say the driver might not have been aware of it and I hope they get a warning or a fix-it ticket rather than a whopping fine.

[jakeroot]

Illegal use of the HOV lane is also heinous in rush hour, since that one selfish person is holding up hundreds of people in carpools and buses. Enforcement should've been automated long ago.

I'm curious how you think it could best be automated. Even with the toll lanes on 405 and 167, it's entirely honor-system when it comes to drivers following HOV rules, and the 405 has cameras. Toll cameras, of course, but even that system is far from fool-proof, with the only real advantage being able to toll everyone without a toll tag.

Some examples of low HOV compliance I can think of:

* Northbound 1st Ave So. Bridge; I would guess that 75-85 percent of the cars are single occupancy.
* On-ramp to southbound 405 from Maple Valley Hwy; the left lane is HOV 24/7 (unlike the 405's HOV lane) but the ramp meter that it bypasses is almost never active, even during rush hour. Drivers seem to routinely use both lanes when the meter isn't active (including myself once or twice, to be honest).
* Non of the "3+" lanes (520, 405 ETL) seem to be observed. Traffic seems to be largely carpool, but 2 passengers seems like a lot of the traffic.

[jakeroot]

https://twitter.com/theneedling/status/1554305937724153864

[kkt]

8 months early.

[Bruce]

Emmett Watson would be rolling in his grave.

[kkt]

Emmett Watson would be rolling in his grave.

 

[Bickendan]

https://twitter.com/theneedling/status/1554305937724153864

I'd okay with this if it came with state-name shields and cut-out US shields...

[ClassicHasClass]

I like it! Paging Caltrans ...

[jakeroot]

The new HOV lane on northbound 167 has mostly opened. Only the stretch over 410 remains closed.

https://wsdot.wa.gov/about/news/2022/northbound-sr-167-hov-lane-opening-sumner-auburn

This afternoon and evening, Graham Contracting, LTD crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation are opening a 7-mile section of the new northbound SR 167 HOV lane, from Sumner to Auburn. The new HOV lane is expected to be open by 8 p.m. Friday night.

"This is a long-awaited improvement for people commuting on SR 167 in Pierce County,"  said WSDOT Project Engineer Justin Janke. "Opening the new northbound HOV lane will reduce travel times and increase capacity during peak commute hours."

While a large section of the HOV lane is now open, one small area at the south end of the project will remain closed through September. Crews are finishing drainage on the northbound SR 167 bridge that spans the SR 410 interchange near Sumner. Once that work is finished, the remaining section of HOV lane will open to travelers.

I've also noticed that the ramp meters have been made into two lanes at a couple spots in Pacific (Ellingson and Stewart Rd).

[myosh_tino]

I like it! Paging Caltrans ...

That should be "Paging So-Cal".

Northern Californians or more specifically S.F. Bay Area residents, despise the "The <insert route number>" terminology when referring to freeways.

[kkt]

I like it! Paging Caltrans ...

That should be "Paging So-Cal".

Northern Californians or more specifically S.F. Bay Area residents, despise the "The <insert route number>" terminology when referring to freeways.

[Bruce]

WSDOT again confirms:

https://twitter.com/wsdot/status/1560293275117924352

[jakeroot]

Emmett Watson has rolled back over to his normal position.

I hear "the 405" all the time. In my defense, I live within a mile of it.

[kkt]

Emmett Watson has rolled back over to his normal position.

I hear "the 405" all the time. In my defense, I live within a mile of it.

I hear "405" a fair amount, but "the 405" pretty much never.  Of course I'm about 4 miles from it.

[jakeroot]

Emmett Watson has rolled back over to his normal position.

I hear "the 405" all the time. In my defense, I live within a mile of it.

I hear "405" a fair amount, but "the 405" pretty much never.  Of course I'm about 4 miles from it.

You won't hear it in Seattle. Usage of the definite article within city limits is grounds for expulsion. Unless it relates to a bus line. Because those are "things" but freeways are not...apparently.

Lots of first and second gen immigrants in Renton and Tukwila. They say everything from "405" to "the 405" to "the I-405"; nothing is equally more common, frankly.

[kkt]

Emmett Watson has rolled back over to his normal position.

I hear "the 405" all the time. In my defense, I live within a mile of it.

I hear "405" a fair amount, but "the 405" pretty much never.  Of course I'm about 4 miles from it.

You won't hear it in Seattle. Usage of the definite article within city limits is grounds for expulsion. Unless it relates to a bus line. Because those are "things" but freeways are not...apparently.

Lots of first and second gen immigrants in Renton and Tukwila. They say everything from "405" to "the 405" to "the I-405"; nothing is equally more common, frankly.

[Bruce]

Saw this sign a few weeks ago near Pothills State Park on SR 262. Are the scenic byways given a separate number?

[jakeroot]

Cool!

What would that be, SRH-10?

[KEK Inc.]

Probably not the case, but did the sunset highway go through there?  I'd assume US-10 went through Moses Lake to the north.