9th Ave N Mobility Improvements
January 31, 2020
What's happening now?
SDOT crews installed the 9th Ave Mobility Improvements project in October 2019! This project included installing new protected bike lanes between 8th Ave and Harrison St on 9th Ave N and on one block of Bell St.
The redesigned 9th Ave N and Bell St includes one general travel lane in each direction, paint-and-post bike lanes, no center turn lane, minor parking removal, and a new 4-way stop at 9th Ave N and John St.
This project connected the new 8th Ave and existing 7th Ave protected bike lane couplet with the existing 9th Ave N protected bike lanes north of Harrison St that lead to the Westlake Cycle Track. A private developer will extend the protected bike lanes one block further, between 7th Ave and 8th Ave. In a few years, Bell St between 2nd Ave and Denny Way will be upgraded as part of the Bell St Mobility Improvements project.
These improvements are a component of the Center City Bike Network, which is a longstanding city priority to make center city streets safer and more predictable for everyone, to allow biking to be a reliable transportation choice in our densest jobs center, to improve public health and equity, and to maintain transit priority.
Community outreach work on this project is ongoing. If you want to get in touch with us, please call 206-684-8105 or email ccbike@seattle.gov. Thank you.
Project Map
Program Overview
The Center City Bike Network launched in 2015 and developed a network map of better bike streets that separate vulnerable users from traffic, provide safe all-ages and abilities facilities, and maintain transit priority downtown. This network was the product of extensive community engagement, which continued through the One Center City program to make sure any improvements to the bike network were well coordinated and complimentary to the greater transportation network for people walking, driving, taking transit, and delivering goods.
We've made a commitment to build this network of separated bike facilities to make biking a reliable travel choice and calm traffic as more people compete for limited street space. A complete bike network improves Seattle's health and quality of life for people of all ages and abilities.
These protected bike lanes, paving, channelization changes, and signal upgrades in the center city improve safety for everyone and connect the critical missing segments of the center city bike network.
We've already built critical projects that have given Seattle large segments of a basic downtown network, including 2nd Ave, the west end of Pike St and Pine St, and 7th Ave. These go on to connect to additional, built connections like the Westlake Cycle Track, Broadway, and Dearborn St.
We completed the following projects in 2019:
- 8th Ave Mobility Improvements
- Pike St Mobility Improvements
- South End Connection Mobility Improvements
- S King St Neighborhood Greenway
Each of these projects included targeted communications and outreach to affected and nearby stakeholders and communities. More detail on each individual project can be found on their respective websites at the links above. The Department of Neighborhoods is partnering with the Department of Transportation to provide greater outreach and community engagement.
Protected Bike Lanes
Protected bike lane projects typically include new bike lane markings, plastic posts, signs, and bike signals. Please note that the S King St project is a neighborhood greenway.
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Since protected bike lanes were installed on 2nd Ave, crashes are down and bike ridership is up.
In general, protected bike lanes separate people biking from moving car, bus, and truck traffic so they make the street safer, predictable, and comfortable for everyone. Cities around the world are increasingly embracing protected bike lanes that separate people on bikes from people in cars by using physical barriers such as posts, parked cars or simple landscaping.
Seattle's center city network of protected bike lanes aims to:
- Improve safety and predictability by separating all modes of travel
- Expand connectivity throughout downtown and the rest of Seattle as our city continues to grow
- Boost business by offering more travel options for getting to them
- Promote physical activity and increase ridership
- Provide affordable travel options
- Maintain transit priority on Seattle streets
In addition to these protected bike lanes, a new Neighborhood Greenway route along S King St and Maynard Ave S will begin construction in summer 2019.
Neighborhood greenways are safer, calm residential streets for you, your family and neighbors. On streets with low car volumes and speeds a greenway can:
- Improve safety
- Help people cross busy streets
- Discourage cars from using neighborhood streets to avoid main streets
- Protect the residential character of our neighborhoods
- Keep speeds low
- Get people to where they want to go like parks, schools, shops and restaurants
Parking and Loading
Some parking changes accompanied the street redesign and new lanes. Our goal was to work with all adjacent building and business owners to understand parking needs and maintain on-street loading zones are on most blocks. Access to alleys, off-street parking garages, and loading bays was maintained.
Funding
This project is funded by the 9-year Levy to Move Seattle, approved by voters in 2015. Learn more about the levy at www.seattle.gov/LevytoMoveSeattle.
