A person bikes around outer Green Lake Park on a cloudy spring day. Photo: SDOT. We are excited that this month we expect to begin construction of a new bike lane on Aurora Ave N, along the western edge of Green Lake!
The Green Lake Outer Loop project will complete the outer biking path around Green Lake to complement the historic inner path along the lake shore. The outer loop connects to the new bike lanes we built in 2021 around the northern, eastern, and southern edges of the park, along with many other improvements for people walking and biking throughout the nearby neighborhoods as part of the Green Lake and Wallingford paving project.
Soon, the community will have an entire second loop along the outer edge of Green Lake, providing more travel options for people and creating better connections to surrounding neighborhoods. We expect to open the new bike lane by December.
We encourage you to sign up for project email updates here to stay up to date on the project, and continue to visit our website regularly.
“Green Lake is a regional gem enjoyed by thousands of people daily including myself. The new outer loop design was co-created with the community. The project will improve the park experience by repurposing a lane of Aurora Ave N into an active space for people to enjoy. While we have more work to do to improve safety along the rest of Aurora Ave N, we expect this project to lead to safer speeds near Green Lake.” – Greg Spotts, SDOT Interim Director
Check out what we’re building
The project is based on a community suggestion and helps support SDOT’s Vision Zero and sustainability goals by creating a safer, low-carbon travel option.
We worked in coordination with the Washington State Department of Transportation and Seattle Parks and Recreation, and heard from thousands of community members to develop an updated design to share based on their feedback, as detailed below. We appreciate the community input that has helped shape this project so it can best serve the traveling public and local community members.
You can view the updated plans on our web page. These refinements include:
- N 63rd St and Aurora Ave N: Moved the stop sign north to maximize sight lines looking southward on Aurora Ave N and providing more turning space. We are working with WSDOT on a speed limit reduction to 30 MPH on Aurora Ave N from Whitman to Winona Ave N. Lower speeds help reduce conflicts between travelers.
- Increased pedestrian access and traffic calming in the Winona Triangle neighborhood: Restricting parking to keep crossings and ramps open for pedestrians, bike markings to connect people across Winona Ave N to upgraded ramps, and a double flashing beacon.
- Other updates throughout the project area include:
- Adjust curb bulb posts to keep driveways accessible.
- Adjust and increase sign placement to help people driving get to the park using arterial streets.
- Adjusting parking lane widths to maximize space where feasible.
- Reconfiguration of intersection at Winona Ave N/N 77th St/West Green Lake Drive N to better delineate bicycle, pedestrian, and vehicle movements.
- Clearer connections to existing bike lanes at either end of the project area.
Additional pedestrian crossing on Winona Ave N: We are also currently working on incorporating an additional crossing as part of the construction. However, depending on material availability, it is likely to be phased and completed in 2023.
To be consistent with ADA accessibility standards, the Green Lake Outer Loop is designed as a bike facility and will be marked with our standard bike facility signs and markings. The Green Lake Outer Loop will be considered a pathway that bikes, scooters, roller blades, and other modes of active transportation will be allowed to use.
Travelers can expect typical construction activities in the area such as:
- Temporary lane and street closures for people driving
- Temporary sidewalk and crossing closures and detours for people walking and rolling
- Temporary bus stop relocations
- Disruptions to on-street parking
- Noise, dust, and vibrations during work hours
- Construction staging and parking impacts near the work sites
- Changes in construction schedule due to unforeseen circumstances (i.e., weather, soil conditions, etc.)
- Temporary detour routes for people driving, walking, running, and biking
The new bike lanes will connect to other biking facilities, including the Interurban to Green Lake Neighborhood Greenway Connection, which is also in currently under construction.
Please be aware of Seattle Parks & Recreation updates and work in the area:
- In 2020, Seattle Parks & Recreation updated their signage around Green Lake Park announcing “Pedestrian Use Only – No Wheels” on the inner loop (strollers and mobility devices are still allowed). You can read this Parks blog post to learn more.
- The Green Lake Small Crafts center will start construction on a new boat house this fall. Please keep an eye out for detour routes in the inner loop and increased pedestrian usage on the outer loop. You can read more in this Parks blog post.
Funding for the Green Lake Outer Loop project comes from the Levy to Move Seattle and our Vision Zero Program, which prioritized this project due to its safety benefits and potential to address recent collisions that have occurred in this area. As we continue to re-envision Aurora Ave N, the Green Lake Outer Loop project is an exciting example of transforming street area into a people-focused space that connects neighborhoods and provides more transportation options for the community.
