Central District Healthy Streets
Updated March 29, 2024
What's Happening Now?
We will be installing permanent Healthy Street features on selected segments of the Central District Healthy Street over 2024 and 2025! Permanent features for the segment on 22nd Ave from E Union St to E Columbia St will be installed as soon as summer 2024. We plan to install permanent features on E Columbia St from 12th Ave to 22nd Ave in 2025.
To further improve safety for people walking and biking along the north end of the Central District Healthy Street and discourage cut-through traffic, we’re excited to announce that we will construct additional safety enhancements at the intersection of 22nd Ave and E Union St. These enhancements will include installing a new median on the south side with a cut-through for people biking, restricting vehicle turns from E Union St onto 22nd Ave, and restricting vehicle access southbound onto 22nd Ave from the intersection (see diagram below). We designed these enhancements to discourage pass-through vehicle traffic between the Neighborhood Greenway and arterial onto the Healthy Street and provide safer space for people walking and biking.
We will communicate directly with neighbors along the segment on 22nd Ave from E Union St to E Columbia St soon to offer them the opportunity to sign up for planter sign bases instead of the standard concrete sign base. To learn more about planters, please visit our Healthy Street Planters webpage!
The evaluation process for the remaining segments of the Central District Healthy Street will continue through 2024. We expect to conclude this evaluation process and decide whether the remaining segments will become permanent or be returned to Neighborhood Greenways by the end of the year. Your feedback is essential to the evaluation process! Please fill out our feedback form, send us an email, or leave us a voicemail to share your experience of the Healthy Street. Thank you in advance for your input.
Project Map & Overview
**Click here to view map as a .pdf
We’ve been updating our Healthy Streets across Seattle based on trends we’ve seen, and data collected for community use and public feedback. Now we are making some locations permanent Healthy Streets, returning some locations back to neighborhood greenways, or continuing to evaluate and gather additional input from neighbors on the Healthy Street location.
In 2022, we conducted evaluations of Central District Healthy Streets at three locations:
22nd Ave East
25th Ave South
East Columbia Street
Based on these mixed evaluation results and public feedback, we continued our review of the Central District Healthy Street locations and conducted more outreach to determine next steps. In Winter 2024, we announced permanent features for the segment on 22nd Ave from E Union St to E Columbia St will be installed as soon as summer 2024; and we plan to install permanent features on E Columbia St from 12th Ave to 22nd Ave in 2025. Evaluation is continuing on the remaining segments and those locations will remain Healthy Streets until further notice. If you have questions or comments please email us at Healthystreets@seattle.gov.
Design Elements
22nd Ave and E Union St
- New median with bike cut through on south side of intersection
- Southbound motor vehicle access onto 22nd Ave will be restricted
- Left turns will be restricted in both directions from 22nd Ave onto E Union St
- Left turns will be restricted in both directions from E Union St onto 22nd Ave
- Existing markings for bike lanes, crosswalks, and parking remain as currently marked
**Click here to view above graphic as a .pdf
Permanent Treatment Options
Example of permanent Healthy Street sign base and planter from the Ballard Healthy Street.
Schedule
- Spring 2023: Additional outreach to determine permanent Healthy Street status or reversion back to a neighborhood greenway.
- Fall 2023: Permanent announcement for two segments of the Healthy Street: 22nd Ave from E Union St to E Columbia St and E Columbia St from 12th Ave to 22nd Ave, and continued evaluation for the remaining segments.
- Fall 2024: Install permanent Healthy Street features on 22nd Ave from E Union St to E Columbia St and continue evaluation for the remaining temporary segments.
- 2025: Install permanent Healthy Street features on E Columbia St from 12th Ave to 22nd Ave.