City of Seattle, WA
12/03/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 12/03/2024 19:33
Waterfront Seattle | Waterfront bike improvements making progress
Two people work on landscaping features near the bike lane on the central waterfront.
Blog stats: 600 words | 3-minute read
Read our blog post about several projects around Seattle's central waterfront.
Editor's Note: This is a blog post from the Waterfront Seattle Program. The Waterfront Seattle Program is a collaboration between the Office of the Waterfront and Civic Projects and other Seattle departments including the Mayor's Office, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), Planning and Community Development, and Parks and Recreation.
The Office of the Waterfront and Civic Projects continues to make progress on new bike lanes along Seattle's waterfront where none have existed before. Along with SDOT and private investment into the Elliott Bay Trail, the Center City Bike Network is reaching completion and offering people a great travel option to access destinations throughout Downtown. Waterfront-led bike lanes will be fully open in early 2025, with the entire 20-acre Waterfront Park following shortly after in spring 2025.
The path to opening bike lanes by early 2025
We are opening the new bike lanes along the central waterfront in phases. Those visiting the waterfront can already enjoy the portion between S King St and Yesler Way, which opened in 2021.
[Link]People visiting the waterfront can already enjoy the bike lane between S King St and Yesler Way, which opened in 2021.Further north on Elliott Way (located north of Pine St), the southbound bike lane opened in May 2023 with the completion of the new street. Construction on the northbound lane between Alaskan Way and Lenora Street is resuming with the Overlook Walk complete and is anticipated to open for use by the end of the year.
Between Yesler Way and Pine St, the bike lane remains under construction, though much progress has been made. Utilities have been installed, some paving is complete, and markings were painted across intersections and driveways. While this might make it appear that the bike lanes are ready for people to use, work remains to be completed before they can safely be opened.
On the blocks between Columbia and Madison streets, and between University and Pine streets, work was sequenced to follow construction of the bridges above them. Now that Overlook Walk and the Marion Street Pedestrian Bridge are open, and the temporary bridge on Columbia Street has been removed, work at these locations has resumed.
Planters next to the bike lanes will be completed when the custom-made planter walls are built and installed. The rounded planter walls help maximize available space and keep leaves and vegetation out of the bike lane. Adjacent work that must be completed before the bike lane opens includes remaining electrical, irrigation, drainage, soil, and landscaping inside the planters. Additionally, work continues at the nearby bike lane signal.
To the north, work continues along the Alaskan Way, west of the Elliott Way intersection, where the bike lane will be connected from the newly constructed Alaskan Way down to the existing Alaskan Way. Park Promenade paving in front of Overlook Walk and the Seattle Aquarium's Ocean Pavilion is complete but paving to reach Virginia St is still underway. At this location, SDOT's Alaskan Way Safety Project picks up. Construction launches in early December.
We'll continue to open new segments as they are ready, and when people can use them in an easy, accessible, and intuitive way.