People biking along Lake Washington Boulevard on a bicycle weekend in 2020. Photo credit: Jeanné Clark. Quick link: Take our survey to share your thoughts and input about Lake Washington Boulevard.
In May, we announced the start of a community visioning process for Lake Washington Boulevard. This process, in partnership with Seattle Parks and Recreation and the community, will co-create design concept(s) that promote pedestrian and bicycle uses and increase safety for everyone that travels along Lake Washington Boulevard.
Over the past few months, we’ve worked with a Task Force that includes long-time Seattle community members and representatives from local organizations including Friends of Seward Park, Seward Park Audubon Center, Disability Rights Washington, Rainier Valley Greenways, Mount Baker Community Club, Lakewood Seward Park Community Club, long-time Seattle residents, and neighbors near Lake Washington Boulevard. You can watch videos of the Task Force meetings on YouTube (links: meeting #1, meeting #2, meeting #3, meeting #4, and meeting #5). We’ve also been out talking with community members at summer events like UmojaFest and the Othello Festival.
We want to hear directly from you – please take our brief survey. Your input will help us better understand what’s working well for you along Lake Washington Boulevard, what could be improved, and how we can enhance safety and the overall traveler experience. We’ll share the survey results with the community this winter.
We’ll also be in the community this fall encouraging and helping people to take this survey. Be on the lookout for our staff and Task Force members at places like Boo Bash in Rainier Beach and local grocery stores and community centers. We encourage you to stay tuned to our website for the latest details and sign up for email updates.
We are gathering information on how this important community asset can be made safer and more accessible for all travelers. Results of this engagement campaign, public input, recommendations from the Task Force, and previous outreach and engagement over the past 2 ½ years will inform potential future operational changes.
We recognize some community members are concerned the City will permanently close Lake Washington Boulevard to people driving. A full, permanent closure of Lake Washington Boulevard to cars is not under consideration as part of this process.
Councilmember Tammy Morales has proposed additional funding to help advance the design of the resulting street concept(s) over the next two years (2023-2024).
This last summer, Seattle Parks and Recreation hosted “Bicycle Weekends”. During select weekends and over holiday weekends last summer, Lake Washington Boulevard was closed to cars and open to people riding bikes, walking, and rolling. If you would like more information about last summer’s “Bicycle Weekends” please visit the Seattle Parks and Recreation blog.
Thank you for your time and interest.
