Highland Park Way SW Connection Project

Updated March 24, 2026 

What's Happening Now?

As we move toward the final design phase, we are looking for feedback on the design options described below. These options were developed to balance safety, freight mobility, and transit efficiency. 

Following our online public meeting on March 4, 2026, we heard there is support for improved safety and better walking and biking connections, and concerns about how these changes will affect vehicle traffic. In direct response to feedback about wanting Highland Park Way SW to be both safer for everyone and not add to average wait time getting through West Marginal Way SW, our team has developed a third design, Option 2B, in addition to the original Option 1 and Option 2. 

We invite you to review all the designs and trade-offs below and share your feedback with our project team via: 

Three options for Highland Park Way SW at the West Marginal Way SW intersection: 

Option 1 the single traffic lane opens into three vehicular lanes: two eastbound through-lanes, one left-turn lane. This option keeps five general purpose lanes including the two westbound through-lanes. In this option, the protected bike lane would end about 400 feet from the intersection, requiring downhill bicyclists to merge with vehicles uphill from the intersection with W Marginal Way SW. 


Option 1

Option 2 extends the protected bike lane to the intersection. To accommodate this, the single traffic lane opens into two vehicular lanes, one eastbound through lane and one left-turn lane, in addition to two westbound through lanes. 

Option 2

Option 2B (new design option) extends the protected bike lane to the intersection, while the single traffic lane opens into three vehicular lanes, one left-turn lane and two westbound through-lanes. This option requires reconfiguring the intersection, removing the center median to accommodate the extra through-lane. Additionally, we are removing one of the westbound left-turn lanes on W Marginal Way SW intersection to make space for the three eastbound vehicle lanes and the protected bike lane. 

Option 2B

Feature Option 1 Option 2 Option 2B
General Purpose Lanes 5 lanes 4 lanes Shifts lanes to maintain 5 lanes at intersection
Biking Infrastructure Protected bike lane ends before the intersection; includes mixing with vehicles (sharrows)   Enhanced safety with concrete bike barriers along the curb lane until intersection  Continues bike lane barriers along the curb lane until intersection 
Key Trade-off Maintains existing traffic and creates mixing zone for bikes  Reduces traffic capacity at intersection to increase bike separation  Removes existing median island and maintains existing lane capacities 

All the early design options include removal of a traffic lane for a portion of the hill, a downhill protected bike lane, and improvements to the existing multi-use path.  

The proposed design mid-hill includes:   

  • Widening the path and repairing the surface to make it easier and safer to use
  • Adding new lighting to improve visibility and safety
  • Reducing northbound general traffic lanes from two lanes to one to help slow vehicle speeds and make room for path improvements  
  • Adding a concrete barrier to give people walking and biking more space and separation from traffic
  • Adding centerline treatments between the two directions of vehicular traffic 

The mid-hill segment of Highland Park Way SW featuring the new jersey barriers, bike lane, expanded path, and lighting.

Based on the most recent feedback shared during the public meeting (March 4, 2026) and through our project inbox, we have identified several key themes: 

  • Driver wait times: Residents are concerned that removing one downhill lanes will increase average wait times, especially during peak hours or if there are future issues with the West Seattle Bridge.
  • Safety Priorities: We heard questions regarding the placement of Jersey barriers. Some neighbors suggested that barriers should be used to separate uphill and downhill vehicle traffic in the centerline rather than (or in addition to) protecting people walking and biking on the path and bike lane.
  • Local Access: Residents on side streets, particularly SW Othello St, shared concerns about the difficulty of turning onto Highland Park Way as traffic is consolidated into fewer lanes.
  • Emergency Response: Questions were raised about how emergency vehicles will navigate the hill during periods of heavy congestion.
  • Project Rationale: Community members asked for more data regarding current bike and pedestrian counts and questioned the prioritization of this project over other high-incident areas in West Seattle. 

What’s changed in early design from prior designs shared with the community:  

  • We are no longer shifting the curb along the full downhill section
  • The updated design uses semi-permanent concrete bike barriers instead of curb
  • New lane layout options to maintain traffic flow while slowing speeds and calming traffic, improve bike and pedestrian connection, and address wait times at W Marginal Way SW  

Highland Park Way Downhill Protected Bike Lane –Early design 

What hasn’t changed from prior designs shared with the community  

  • One downhill driving lane removed beginning at SW Holden St
  • Pathway improvements like widening, new paving, and enhanced lighting 

Highland Park Way and Pioneer Industries Driveway –Early design  

Highland Park Way SW uphill - SW Othello St to SW Holden St  –Early design ​

Project Overview

The Highland Park Way SW Connection project is intended to provide an improved path for people to walk, roll, and bike between Highland Park and the Duwamish River Trail, while improving safety and calming traffic along Highland Park Way SW. 

Our 2024 Seattle Transportation Plan (pages B-43 and B-45) recognizes the need for better walking, biking, and rolling facilities along this corridor connecting a high equity priority neighborhood to the regional Duwamish River Trail network. This project is also important from a safety perspective as it is part of our High Injury Network identified in our latest Vision Zero Action Plan (page 55), and we have a history of motorists driving 40+ MPH relative to a posted speed limit of 25 MPH.

Project Goals

  • Make the street safer and calm traffic to reduce speeding and crashes  
  • Modernize the street design to create separate spaces for people driving, walking, biking, and taking transit   
  • Better connect neighborhoods to the Duwamish River Trail 

Current Conditions

There is an existing path on the east side of Highland Park Way SW. It runs from SW Holden St to West Marginal Way SW, with a section of grass serving as a landscape buffer between the path and the street. The path varies in width from 3.5 to 7 feet, and the landscape buffer varies in width from 2.5 to 9.5 feet.   

The path needs repairs and is very close to the street in some places, making it less comfortable for people walking, rolling, and biking – particularly when people drive over the speed limit, which happens quite often in this area. Seattle Police collision reports and recent traffic data also indicate that people have driven off the street, crossed the centerline into oncoming traffic near and at the curve, sideswiped other vehicles, and even crashed into a person biking. 

A person walking on the existing path along Highland Park Way SW. To the left of the path are two with two northbound driving lanes and two southbound driving lanes. There are cars driving in both directions.

Highland Park community member walking on the existing path along Highland Park Way SW. This section of the path, just north of SW Holden St, where the path is about 6 feet wide, and the landscape buffer is about 2.5 feet wide.  

Illustration and Map of Current Conditions 

Street level diagram showing Highland Park Way Southwest. From left to right there is a route 131 bus stop, two southbound driving lanes, two northbound driving lanes, another route number 131 bus stop, and finally a landscape buffer with the existing pathway.

A map of Highland Park Way Southwest from Southwest Holden Street to West Marginal Way Southwest with an additional graphic below showing the zoomed in part of the project area at the intersection of Highland Park Way Southwest and West Marginal Way Southwest. In the map and the graphic, the existing path with a landscape buffer is shown, along with the location of the Duwamish River Trail and the location of the West Duwamish Greenbelt trailhead. The existing landscape buffer and path extend along Highland Park Way Southwest from Southwest Holden Street to West Marginal Way Southwest.

Community Engagement

In 2023, we met with community groups in the area, including the Highland Park Action Coalition and West Seattle Bike Connections. We also received input through the Seattle Transportation Plan (pages B-43 and B-45), which recognizes the need for better walking, biking, and rolling facilities along this corridor.

In the spring of 2024, we gathered input on some early project concepts through different outreach activities, including a survey and attending community events. We heard from more than 2,000 people during the outreach period. The concepts that were shared and the feedback we received is summarized in our Outreach Report.

Woman standing behind a table with project materials on it. She is smiling and talking to a person who is writing a comment about the project. They are standing under a tent decorated with rainbow flags. There are poster boards on easels illustrating the different project design options.
Team member Colleen Woods talking to community members at the White Center Pride Street Festival. Thank you to the Highland Park Action Coalition and the Highland Park Improvement Club members who shared their booth with us! Photo: SDOT 

Based on this input, the project team refined the design to balance safety improvements with traffic operations:

  • What we heard: Many community members supported traffic calming and safer biking infrastructure but expressed concern about congestion, particularly near the bottom of the hill approaching W Marginal Way SW.
  • What we changed: Earlier concepts proposed shifting the curb line along the entire downhill section. Based on public feedback and traffic analysis, the design was revised to use semi-permanent concrete bike barriers instead of moving the full curb line.
  • What remains: The updated concept continues to remove one downhill driving lane beginning at SW Holden St to support traffic calming, reduce speeds, and improve safety on this High Injury Network corridor, consistent with the Vision Zero Action Plan (page 55). Analysis indicates this change is not increase average wait time south of the Pioneer Industries driveway.

We are now evaluating three options for the intersection approach at W Marginal Way SW. You can view the trade-offs between Option 1, Option 2, and the new Option 2B on our project website. Please share your thoughts and feedback with our project team via: 

  • Email: HighlandHolden@seattle.gov.
  • Hotline: (206) 900-8741
  • Online Form: Submit your comments through our Project Feedback Form.  

To stay informed about the project, please sign up for our email updates.

Timeline

The project is funded by the Seattle Transportation Levy and is in the early design phase. Design is scheduled for 2025-26, and construction is scheduled to start in winter 2026-27.  

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Transportation

Angela Brady, Acting Director
Address: 700 5th Ave, Suite 3800, Seattle, WA, 98104
Mailing Address: PO Box 34996, Seattle, WA, 98124-4996
Phone: (206) 684-7623
684-Road@seattle.gov

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