Safe Routes to School: Wedgwood Elementary School

Making it safer and easier for kids to walk and bike to school

Overview

Parents and neighbors of Wedgwood Elementary School started this project to improve the walking and biking route to school. The project area includes residential streets in the Wedgwood Elementary School walkshed and these upgrades will connect the school to the existing sidewalk network at NE 82nd St and to the south.
We divided the project into 2 phases:

Phase 1:

• new sidewalk on the north side of NE 85th St, between 30th Ave NE and 28th Ave NE
• new sidewalk on the west side of 28th Ave NE, between NE 85th and NE 83rd streets
• curb ramps, drainage improvements, and new crosswalk striping

Phase 2:

• new sidewalk on the north side of NE 83rd St, between 28th Ave NE and Ravenna Ave NE
• new sidewalk on the west side of 28th Ave NE, between Ne 83rd and NE 82nd streets
• new sidewalk on the west side of Ravenna Ave NE, at NE 83rd St
• curb ramps, drainage improvements, and landscaping throughout

Phase 2 before/after photos:

Before: NE 85th St and 28th Ave NE, near Wedgwood Elementary School	After: NE 85th St and 28th Ave NE, near Wedgwood Elementary School
Before: NE 85th St and 30th Ave NE	After: NE 85th St and 30th Ave NE

Schedule

Funding

This project is funded by the 9-year Levy to Move Seattle, approved by voters in 2015. Additional funding comes from a Washington State Department of Transportation grant and our local Safe Routes to School program.

Outreach

In December 2012, we hosted a project open house and invited neighbors to view 30% plans for the new sidewalk. At that open house, we received requests to extend the sidewalk project to connect to the existing sidewalk network to the south and include sidewalk on Ravenna Ave NE. We reviewed the request and secured funding to design and construct these additional improvements.
During project outreach, we received additional feedback about safety in relation to traffic circulation. In response, we’re also working with Wedgwood Elementary School to develop a traffic circulation plan that will keep people walking, biking, driving, and riding school buses safe and moving during and after construction.
During design and construction, we’re committed to engaging with the community and working with neighbors to limit construction impacts to the extent feasible.

Materials

Phase 2 project materials

• Factsheet
• Pre-construction postcard

Phase 1 project materials

• Factsheet
• Phase 1 construction notice (July 2015)

Open house materials (February 3, 2015)

• Meeting Summary
• Display Boards
• Presentation

More Information

For general comments and questions, please contact SDOT at 206-684-ROAD (7623).