Seattle is bracing for major traffic bottlenecks this weekend, including lane closures on the Interstate 90 bridge and a shutdown of the Alaskan Way Viaduct, in addition to a closure of Sound Transit’s light rail service to downtown Seattle.
But no worries, said the Washington State Department of Transportation, there are “no major events this weekend,” so it’s all good.
No major events, that is, except for the sold-out Emerald City Comicon, which is expected to draw more than 80,000 people to the Washington State Convention Center from Friday through Sunday for panels, celebrities and, yes, lots of cosplay.
As reported by MyNorthwest.com, Comicon attendees are feeling slighted by the closures, and especially the suggestion that theirs is not a “major event.”
@wsdot why would you freaking close the I90 bridge during COMICON?!?!?! WTF.
— Air Bubbles Cosplay (@AirBubbles) March 24, 2015
WSDOT clarified that it major sporting events bring tens of thousands of people at once, whereas conventions that take place over multiple days spread the traffic out.
@AirBubbles Sorry for the frustration. During games, people arrive/leave at once. During con, folks trickle in and out throughout the day.
— Washington State DOT (@wsdot) March 24, 2015
Even so, as reported by MyNorthwest, the transportation department has removed the offending “no major events” quote from its news release about the closures.
For what it’s worth, the size of the Comicon crowd shouldn’t have been a surprise to WSDOT. Check out this tweet from two years ago.
Funny how events like Comicon and PAX – which many think draw mainly socially awkward people – draw the biggest crowds! Love it!
— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) August 30, 2013
So who’s “socially awkward” now?
