The new Fairview Ave N Bridge, which opened in July. Photo Credit: Tim Durkan. We are pleased to share the Levy to Move Seattle Q3 2021 Report with you.
Data that outlines our progress towards Levy goals is captured in our centralized, interactive online dashboard. We invite you to explore the new dashboard, referring to the “How to Use” infographic on page 18 of the report.
We have made significant progress on major Levy projects in Q3.
We invested $157.7 million in Levy projects through the first three quarters of 2021 – the highest spending from January through September of any year in Levy history. Further, in May, City Council passed Ordinance 126327 appropriating new $20 Vehicle License Fees (VLF) to various transportation projects. The Levy to Move Seattle received $2.25 million in new $20 VLF funding and we began work funded by the new $20 VLF in Q3.
We continue our work to be more efficient and effective across the department as we continue to gather input from our neighbors and seek guidance of community advisory boards.
Here are some of the major highlights of the past three months.
We officially opened the Fairview Ave N Bridge in Q3.
We were happy to welcome neighbors to enjoy the new bridge at the opening event on July 24. The new bridge is one of the most significant investments of Levy to Move Seattle tax dollars.
In addition to seismic and structural safety improvements, the Fairview Ave N Bridge offers improvements for all travelers. There are now sidewalks on both sides of the street and a protected 12-foot two-way bike lane on the west side of the bridge overlooking the water. The floating walkway along the water below the west side of the bridge has also been restored, and there are three new lookout platforms overlooking Lake Union.
The bridge is a key part of the future route of the RapidRide J Line, which will connect people to thousands of jobs in several of Seattle’s growing neighborhoods including Belltown, South Lake Union, Eastlake, and the University District.
We recently welcomed local leaders from across the city, along with more than 1,000 community members to take a first walk, roll, or bike across the new John Lewis Memorial Bridge, which was previously known as the Northgate Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge.
We thank the family of John Lewis for supporting us in honoring him and bringing his vision for a better world to all who cross this new bridge carrying his name. We have funding to design and install a John Lewis Memorial Bridge plaque. With this naming and permanent plaque, the Seattle region will always have a bridge to John Lewis, his legacy, his values, and his family’s cause of justice for all.
We broke ground on the Madison Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) – RapidRide G project, which will provide more frequent and safer public transportation between 1st Ave and Martin Luther King Jr Way.
The route will serve dense neighborhoods in downtown Seattle, First Hill, Capitol Hill, the Central District, and Madison Valley. It will connect people to hospitals, schools and universities, and businesses as well as to dozens of bus routes, the First Hill Streetcar, the West Seattle and Vashon Water Taxi at Pier 50, and ferry service at the Colman Dock Ferry Terminal.
We added 2.4 miles of new protected bike lanes (PBLs) throughout the city and 2.5 miles of neighborhood greenways.
Our bicycle network continues to expand, with new protected bike lanes and neighborhood greenways opening up opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to ride on 4th and 7th Avenues downtown, from the Seattle Center to the Waterfront, on NE 43rd St in the U District, and from Wedgewood to Roosevelt and the new Northgate Link light rail.
We substantially completed three Neighborhood Street Fund projects in Q3.
This includes the North Seattle School Crossing Safety Enhancements, Delridge Neighborhood Greenway Safe Connections (West Seattle Bridge Trail), and improvements on 15th Ave S & S Columbian Way. Read more about the incredible community members who have made these improvements possible.
SDOT crews have excelled this quarter, completing essential, basic maintenance that keeps us moving safely.
New bike signal and crossing improvement on Broadway Ave E and E Denny Way. 
Crosswalk remarking on 1st Ave W and W Roy St.
We repaved more than 5.6 lane miles in Q3 for a total of over 7.6 lane miles to-date in 2021. We also completed two stairway rehabilitation projects, rebuilding the stairways at SW Charlestown St & Delridge Way SW and at 19th Ave SW & SW Orchard St to current standard. Additionally, crews built over six blocks of new sidewalks in Q3, which consisted of new walkways on 32nd Ave S and 15th Ave NW.
Other work includes sidewalk repair across hundreds of city blocks, spot improvements on important routes for freight, transit, and bicyclists, and remarking major arterials while also reaching a milestone of 2,500 crosswalks refreshed.