51st Ave S and Renton Ave S Traffic Safety Enhancements

Project Overview

In 2019, the 51st Ave S and Renton Ave S Traffic Safety Enhancements was one of 15 selected by the Levy to Move Seattle Oversight Committee to be funded through SDOT's Neighborhood Street Fund (NSF) Program.

The project, located at the intersection of 51st Ave S, Renton Ave S & S Roxbury St, is a skewed four-way, stop-controlled intersection with an additional intersection with S Roxbury St just south of the main intersection. There have been over 240 collisions at this intersection and adjacent areas since 2004 and community members have identified notable congestion during peak hours.

The 2008 Southeast Transportation Study proposed replacing the intersection with a new double roundabout with construction anticipated for 2010. The project failed to advance soon after as the rising cost of real estate made it infeasible to acquire land for the proposed roundabouts. The original NSF project in 2019 included a new traffic signal at the intersection of 51st Ave S and Renton Ave S. After further review of this location, traffic patterns, and collision history, we developed a revised concept that maintains the existing all-way stop at 51st Ave S and Renton Ave S and adds a new all-way stop at Renton Ave S and S Roxbury St. The project will make additional safety improvements for people walking, biking, taking transit, and driving. The revised concept also maintains access and turns for all drivers and deliveries.

Elements

• Maintain all-way stop at 51st Ave S and Renton Ave S
• New all-way stop at Renton Ave S and S Roxbury St
• New expanded center island to improve access for people walking
• Curb bulbs and bus stop improvements on 51st Ave
• New curb ramps and marked crosswalks

Benefits

• Enhanced safety for all people traveling through intersections
• Encourages slower speeds drivers
• Increases visibility for people walking and biking through the better organized intersections
• Improves access for people walking, biking, and taking transit
• Maintains existing access for drivers and deliveries

Design

Intersections included in this project

Project Background

This is one of 15 Neighborhood Street Fund projects requested by neighbors and selected by the Levy to Move Seattle Oversight Committee. Neighborhood Street Fund is a city program, running on 3-year cycles, that enables neighbors to propose and help prioritize transportation-related projects that are then built by the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT).