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Throughout 2020, crews delivered on Levy commitments – and the results of their hard work can be seen citywide.

by on March 30, 2021
Blue opaque map of Seattle. Image of Northgate Ped/Bike bridge under construction, with line pointing to its location on map. Image of Fairview Ave N bridge under construction, with line pointing to its location on the map. Image of completed Lander St Bridge, with line pointing to its location on the map.
Among more, we made tremendous progress on three major new bridges across the city, over water, railroad tracks, and highways – thanks to your Levy to Move Seattle tax dollars at work.  

Summary 

  • Thank you, Seattle voters. You have entrusted us to honor our Levy commitments and despite the challenges 2020 brought, we are proud of our crews who continued to meet the moment and deliver Levy-funded projects. Read more in our Levy to Move Seattle 2020 Annual Report.
  • Together, we’ve met or exceeded a number of goals we set for 2020. We’ve also advanced large projects that are making it easier and safer for you to travel throughout the city. 
  • COVID-19 affected our ability to meet all targets we set for 2020. This is to be expected, as we developed these targets prior to the onset of COVID-19 and the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge closure.
  • Still, our commitment to voters and Seattle residents remains strong and we have forged a path for 2021. 
  • Our commitment to transparency and accountability includes working closely with the Levy Oversight Committee. We deeply appreciate the time, care, and service the Committee’s volunteers dedicate to Levy oversight. 
  • Read our Q1, Q2, and Q3 2020 Reports for more detail on the work completed throughout the year.  

Thank you, Seattle voters. You have entrusted us to honor our Levy commitments and despite the challenges 2020 brought, we are proud of our crews who continued to meet the moment and deliver Levy-funded projects. Read more in our Levy to Move Seattle 2020 Annual Report.

Concrete work funded by Levy to Move Seattle on Green Lake Way N & N 48th St
Concrete work funded by Levy to Move Seattle on Green Lake Way N & N 48th St. 

It’s hard to talk about our Levy successes in 2020 without acknowledging the additional challenges and new bodies of work the brave people who make up our front-line crews have had to overcome and take on. This is in addition to their and everyone at SDOT’s commitment to build a more connected, livable Seattle by advancing and completing Levy-funded projects.   

Our crews have played an invaluable role in the City’s COVID-19 response and have been on the front lines responding to the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge closure – including through bridge inspections, traffic mitigation, paving, detour signage, installing safer walkways and bike lanes.  

Together, we’ve met or exceeded a number of goals we set for 2020. We’ve also advanced large projects that are making it easier and safer for you to travel throughout the city.  

We planted 387 trees (per our Levy commitment, we plant two trees for every one we had to remove due to safety or tree health!). We pruned 4,194 trees to increase visibility, and maintained 1,190 elements of our urban landscape including trees, hedges, and other foliage.  

Before and after tree-trimming on Stewart St between Denny Way and Yale Ave N. Before and after landscape maintenance at 15th Ave W and Nickerson St. It’s hard to talk about our Levy successes in 2020 without acknowledging the challenges our front-line crews faced in 2020. Our Urban Forestry team continued to deliver and meet our Levy commitments, and as part of our efforts to maintain and improve the urban forest canopy, they plant two trees for every one lost in the city. Crews effectively managed and maintained the public right of way, safely pruning trees and foliage where they impeded safe travel and caring for the urban forest canopy and landscape.

We made a record number – 47 – of transit spot improvements! In the midst of a very tough year for transit ridership, being able to complete transit projects was a bright spot and will improve rider experience when ridership returns. 

Across the city, SDOT installed rear door pads at bus stops, which allow passengers to more safely and easily deboard from the back of the bus. During the COVID-19 pandemic, passengers have also been asked to board from the back door of the bus. The installation of the rear door pads improved passenger safety as they boarded and de-boarded the bus. Further, expanded bus zones gave passengers more room to wait, and improved access for people with disabilities.

Additionally, we completed several major paving projects in North and West Seattle including SW Avalon Way. 

Among other improvements on SW Avalon Way including repaving, transit islands, improved curb ramps, and more to support efficient and safe travel across all modes, we added protected bike lanes to create a bike route for people of all ages and abilities. This helps connect West Seattle to the West Seattle Bridge Trail and beyond – including the SODO Trail and Downtown Seattle. We’ve heard from our neighbors that the new bike lanes on SW Avalon Way have been getting use, especially on warm, sunny days. One of our neighbors shared a video of his young son who now feels safe and comfortable riding his bicycle along SW Avalon Way.

We also: 

  • Implemented 16 Safe Routes to School projects near 15 schools around Seattle. This includes new sidewalks, raised crosswalks, and more to make it easier and safer for students to walk, roll, and bike to school. 
  • Installed the 4th Ave protected bike lane. This protected bike lane is one piece of the puzzle connecting to the bike lanes on Pike, Pine, and Bell streets and results in a network of bike lanes to support sustainable and safe travel for people of all ages and abilities. This project was prioritized as part of the Center City Bike Network. 
  • Placed 3,046 regulatory street signs and replaced 265 speed limit signs, which support our work to lower speed limits citywide and save lives.  
  • Repaired the equivalent of over 18 blocks of sidewalks coupled with almost 6,000 individual sidewalk improvements to help people walking and rolling navigate safely through their neighborhoods. 

We made tremendous progress on three major new bridges!  

Blue opaque map of Seattle. Image of Northgate Ped/Bike bridge under construction, with line pointing to its location on map. Image of Fairview Ave N bridge under construction, with line pointing to its location on the map. Image of completed Lander St Bridge, with line pointing to its location on the map.

Lander St Bridge 

The completion of the Lander Street Bridge symbolizes the big things we can accomplish when we all come together across the region, interests, industries, and modes. This is not only a massive safety improvement for everyone walking, rolling, biking, and driving – who previously had to cross some very busy train tracks – but it’s also an incredible boost to our local economy. The Lander St Bridge significantly improves travel efficiency along a key freight and maritime corridor. Read more here. 

Fairview Ave N Bridge  

The new Fairview bridge supports travel across all modes. The bridge includes three traffic lanes (one southbound, two northbound), sidewalks on both sides, a 12-foot two-way protected bike lane on the water side, and three new lookout points so you can take in sweeping views of Lake Union. The bridge is designed and built to modern seismic standards.  In February, we reached the major milestone of completing the construction of the Fairview Ave N Bridge (Fairview bridge) deck and removing construction cranes from project site. We’re excited for the new bridge and hope you are too! Read more here. 

Northgate Pedestrian/Bike Bridge 

The Northgate Ped/Bike Bridge is one part of a comprehensive plan to build a community hub that meets the diverse needs of our growing communities. Through the bridge, we are helping make it easier to access the thriving hub of educational opportunities at North Seattle College, new housing, medical and social service providers, and more by walking, rolling, biking, and taking transit. See our most recent update here. 

Read more in our Levy to Move Seattle 2020 Annual Report.

COVID-19 affected our ability to meet all targets we set for 2020. This is to be expected, as we developed these targets prior to the onset of COVID-19 and the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge closure. We have explained these challenges in our Q3 Levy Report, as well as our COVID-19 Impact Assessment of the Levy. Still, our commitment to voters and Seattle residents remains strong and we have forged a path for 2021.  

Like many of you, we at SDOT faced challenges in 2020. The year’s projects were planned prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and West Seattle High-Rise Bridge closure. We worked quickly and throughout the year to address the many emerging needs of travelers and essential workers, and to support neighborhoods and small businesses through these trying times. However, as we responded to these new realities, we continued to deliver on Levy commitments.  

The successes can be seen across town, and we’re also working behind the scenes to prepare for big projects down the line. 

In our 2021 spending plan, we’ve outlined a few key goals.  

See more in the 2021 spending plan. 

We’re looking forward to keeping you updated, and making your neighborhood easier and safer to move around, no matter how you’re traveling.  

Thank you, Levy Oversight Committee! 

Our commitment to transparency and accountability includes working closely with the Levy Oversight Committee. We deeply appreciate the time, care, and service the Committee’s volunteers dedicate to Levy oversight. 

Filed Under: Funding & Levies, Move Seattle, SDOT