The state archives currently include still frames - taken every 1/10th of a mile - from 1972-1981, and videos recorded by WSDOT between 19, according to information provided by the office. According to the post, the purpose of the videos was to document everything from the number of lanes to the pavement types used and the posted speed limits. The videos, it should be noted, aren’t newly released, even if YouTubers and befuddled, old social media users (like me) continue to find them for the first time.Īsked about the footage, a spokesperson for the Washington State Archives pointed me to a 2022 Facebook post from the agency - including a video taken while crossing the Tacoma-Narrows Bridge in 1982 - explaining that WSDOT captured video of “thousands of miles” of state highways over the years, much of which is now part of the state’s collection. Every long-gone regional bank branch sign, familiar fast food joint and sputtering Datsun was like discovering a photo of an old family friend. Also, by doing it this way we get the work done faster than by spacing it. Even after speeding up the playback speed (which I highly recommend), I found myself entranced, watching the miles go by. There will be detours in place as well as local police to help traffic flow as needed. If you grew up in the Pacific Northwest - and you harbor vague memories of what it was like - the videos offer a hypnotic trip back in time. Get a list of the year’s 200-highest traffic hours and associated vehicle volumes from our network of traffic recorders permanently installed in Washington State highways. Hodgson told me he discovered the YouTube channel - which is run by the anonymous user and now has almost 2,000 subscribers - about a month ago, searching for “vintage travel Tacoma.” Attempts to reach were unsuccessful, but the channel attributes the videos to WSDOT, and the Washington State Archives, which is exactly where they’re now held.Īs strange as that might seem, Hodgson is exactly right. WSDOT image refreshes about once every 4 minutes. More important to this story, he’s also something of a Pacific Northwest history buff, and during what he described as his typical Internet activities, he hit on a YouTube channel where, over the last year or so, dozens of the videos have been uploaded. WSDOT Freeway Conditions & Cameras King County Cameras Tacoma Freeway Cameras. Hodgson DJed around town for years, once ran a cool local coffee shop and all-ages club with his wife, Char, and has forgotten more about Tacoma music than most will ever know. ![]() There I was, scrolling, when I encountered a post by John Hodgson, a 53-year-old old-school local music guy who I know - mainly in the social media sense of the word - from my days working for long-defunct alt-weeklies. Since I’ve already admitted I’m middle-aged, I suppose there’s no additional shame in acknowledging all of this happened thanks to Facebook.
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