West Seattle is on a peninsula, separated from downtown Seattle by the Duwamish Waterway. In March 2020 the West Seattle High Bridge (WSHB), the main bridge connecting West Seattle with the rest of the city, was closed to traffic because of structural deterioration, and it will remain closed indefinitely. A second, smaller bridge was also restricted, prioritized for heavy freight, public transit, and emergency vehicles. The unexpected closure of the WSHB disrupted passenger and freight mobility to/from West Seattle, increasing travel times and generating bottlenecks on the remaining bridges. This has negatively affected the livability of the peninsula, as well as its economy and the environment. The situation could further deteriorate as traffic demand to/from West Seattle increases again during recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is monitoring changes in travel behavior to/from West Seattle, and it has engaged the UW Supply Chain Transportation and Logistics Center to conduct exploratory research. This study will support SDOT in understanding current freight movements and freight demand in West Seattle; develop a data-driven strategy to mitigate travel delay and minimize the disruption of the delivery of goods and services to West Seattle; and theoretically assess the effectiveness of an implemented strategy.
Principal Investigator: Anne V. Goodchild, Civil and Environmental Engineering, UW
Sponsor: Seattle Department of Transportation
Scheduled completion: March 2022