55th Ave S Sidewalk
Updated: December 12, 2024
What's happening now?
We’re happy to share updates on the new sidewalk along 55th Ave S and Renton Ave. Here’s what's been done so far:
- Our partners at Puget Sound Energy have relocated a gas main, as shown in the work area map below.
Early in 2025, we plan to:
- Build new sidewalks.
- Install curbs, gutters, and stormwater system.
We’ll provide more details about the remaining construction schedule as they become available.
We’ve been working closely with Seattle Parks and Recreation, Seattle Public Utilities, and the Kubota Garden Foundation to ensure the new sidewalk and stormwater design aligns with future park improvements.
Project Overview
55th Ave S south of Renton Ave S is a residential street in the Rainier Beach neighborhood. The street provides access to Kubota Garden and is a walking route for Rainier View Elementary students. The street has no sidewalks or formal drainage, which results in poor pedestrian access, flooding issues, and debris entering the Kubota Garden’s koi ponds and Mapes Creek. The project will include the following improvements:
- New raised concrete sidewalk and planting strip on the west side of 55th Ave S adjacent to Kubota Garden
- Hardened asphalt roadway edge on the west side of 55th Ave S to help manage stormwater flowing down the hill south of Kubota Garden
- New curb bulb and curb ramps at 55th Ave S and Renton Ave S
- Parking will be restricted on the west side of 55th Ave S to provide space for the new sidewalk and planting strip.
The photo above shows the current conditions of 55th Ave S, looking north between Renton Ave S and S Ryan St.
This project has been coordinated with a planned stormwater and parking lot project at Kubota Garden. The Kubota Garden Foundation has received a Waterworks Grant from King County to study and develop a plan for improvements to address the flooding and accommodate visitor growth.
Design
Schedule
The NSF program runs on 3-year cycles to select, design, and build projects. Project selection for Cycle 3 was in 2022, design occurred in 2023, and construction began in 2024.
| Phase | Timeline |
|---|---|
| Project Selection | 2022 |
| Design | 2023 |
| Construction | 2024-2025 |
Project Background
This is one of nine projects requested by community and selected by the Levy to Move Seattle Oversight Committee for the 2022-2024 cycle of the Neighborhood Street Fund.
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).
For the 2022-2024 cycle, we made changes to the typical NSF process. Instead of calling for new ideas, we revisited the large pool of unselected 2019 applications for projects located in geographic equity areas. Construction began in late 2024 and will continue into early 2025.
Questions?
- If you have questions or need translated materials, please contact us at NSF@seattle.gov or 206-727-3581. Thank you.
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