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The countdown to the Seattle Squeeze is on, with around two weeks to go until the Alaskan Way Viaduct closes for good.

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That closure is expected to wreak havoc for commuters of all kinds across the region.

Seattle city leaders have plans to try to soften the blow, but City Councilmember Mike O鈥橞rien says everyone needs to be prepared.

鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be horrible for pretty much everyone unless we can figure out some small changes we can all make,鈥� O鈥橞rien warned.

“Currently, almost 90,000 vehicles a day use that viaduct, and after work on Jan. 11, that thing is going to be closed for good and the tunnel is not going to open for three weeks, so those 90,000 vehicles are going to go somewhere, and that鈥檚 going to have a ripple effect on our entire region,鈥� O鈥橞rien explained.

In other words, not just those who normally use Highway 99 are going to be impacted.

鈥淥bviously if you鈥檙e someone who uses 99 now you鈥檙e going to have to think directly what you do differently, but a lot of those vehicles will go to I-5. I-5 is already overcrowded, so some of those vehicles will move to I-405,鈥� O鈥橞rien said.

That means this will be felt across the Sound, everywhere from surface streets to freeways.

O鈥橞rien says that鈥檚 why the city is asking employers, workers, shoppers, and its own staff to seriously think about what changes they can make during those three weeks to ease the burden for all.

鈥淚f you鈥檙e driving a car, especially to downtown Seattle, if there is any way you can get downtown without driving alone, we really ask you to try trying some alternatives. So that might mean taking transit. It might mean carpooling or van-pooling with someone. It might mean working from home for some of the day, maybe you鈥檙e just telecommuting for a little bit and then driving downtown on an off hour,鈥� O鈥橞rien suggested.

And he says they鈥檙e not just asking drivers to change their routines.

鈥淥ur transit during rush hour is already really crowded, and so even if you鈥檙e someone who already takes transit downtown, but you鈥檙e commuting during peak rush hour, we鈥檙e asking if there is any way you can shift your commute a little earlier or a little later to create a little more space on those buses and trains,鈥� O鈥橞rien said.

He says the city is also doing its part to help by allowing as many city staff to telecommute as possible.

For its own part, city council will also be making its own changes during those three weeks.

鈥淲e鈥檙e adjusting our committee meetings so that our morning committee meetings are going to start at 10 a.m. instead of 9:30 a.m., to give city employees or any members of the public who are planning to go to those meetings a little more time to get downtown, and maybe come after 9, when buses are a little less crowded. Similarly, in the afternoon we are moving our meetings up a little bit so that they hopefully will end by 3:30,鈥� O鈥橞rien explained.

He says the impact and response to the viaduct closure will be a fluid situation, and they鈥檒l be watching to see how things are going and make changes accordingly.

So for instance, if buses are getting jammed up on certain streets with 5 to 10 minutes delays 鈥� the city will make a change.

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鈥淲e may look at adding cones to add an additional bus lane to get them through because, you know adding more capacity for a handful of people in cars or adding some more capacity for thousands of people on a bus,” he said.

As for biking as an alternative:

鈥淏iking and walking are both great options. Now, I鈥檓 a daily bike commuter I should probably be mostly fine in this. (But) If you鈥檝e never bike-commuted before, the first time in a cold, wet January evening is probably not the best time to start,” O鈥橞rien said.

鈥淏ut if you鈥檙e already a bike commuter and you鈥檙e kind of a fair-weathered bike commuter — you do it in the summer and spring — think about getting some gear and trying it one day a week. I mean look at that weather forecast, so if it鈥檚 going to be a nice day commit to saying 鈥業鈥檓 going to try a January bike ride on a good day, I already have some of the gear, I鈥檒l make that work,鈥� O鈥橞rien added.

He says the city realizes not everyone has the ability to shift their routine.

鈥淎nd so for those people that can鈥檛 change, we鈥檙e asking everyone else that has some flexibility to really stretch yourself and try to find something new,鈥� O鈥橞rien said.

He also stressed this is聽not about telling people not to come to Seattle.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to shut down the commerce in Seattle. You know people are working here and it鈥檚 still going to be vibrant, but we are saying ‘hey, if you鈥檙e taking a discretionary trip 鈥� if you鈥檙e running downtown to do some shopping 鈥� do it outside the rush hour window if you can,’鈥� O鈥橞rien said.