BEST OF FALL 2022 | New community chess park, Green Lake Outer Loop, safer streets, and more!

Detective Denise “Cookie” Bouldin cuts the ribbon to officially open the new chess park to the community. Photo credit: Mariam Ali

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NEW: We’re crafting seasonal summaries of Team SDOT’s work across town. Read on to learn how we’ve made getting around the city safer, easier, and – hopefully – more fun, in the fall of 2022. Enjoy!

MAKING BIKE ROUTES FOR ALL AGES AND ABILITIES: Opened Green Lake Outer Loop project!

In September, we started construction on the Green Lake Outer Loop project. We built the outer bike path around Green Lake to complement the historic inner path along the lake shore. Major construction is now complete, and the new route opened to the public on November 4, including about a mile of new path! Read more on our blog.

A bicyclist along the new outer loop path near Green Lake Park. Large trees and blue skies are in the background, as well as several homes and a grassy area near the sidewalk. — A bicyclist along the new outer loop path near Green Lake Park. Photo credit: SDOT.

CREATING VIBRANT PUBLIC SPACES: Supported Detective Cookie Chess Park grand opening!

On September 24, we joined more than 150 southeast Seattle community members to celebrate the completion of the new Detective Cookie Chess Park. Now, people can use this park to come together, play chess, and build relationships. We supported the project and its construction. Read more on our blog.

Detective Cookie takes in the moment while speaking at a podium at the newly opened chess park. She has her hands raised in the air in celebration. — Detective Cookie takes in the moment while speaking at a podium at the newly opened chess park. Photo credit: Mariam Ali

LEVY DOLLARS AT WORK: We shared the Q3 2022 Levy to Move Seattle Report

The report highlights work funded by the voter-approved Levy to Move Seattle (thank you, Seattle!) from July through September 2022.

We are putting the Levy to work! We installed new crosswalks, added another mile to our bike network, built one new and repaired three existing stairways, completed nearly 10 miles of repaved streets, and more, thanks to your Levy dollars. You can learn more in the full Q3 report or Levy to Move Seattle online dashboard.

Thanks to you, Seattle, we invested $67 million in Levy projects during the third quarter of 2022, and $146 million year to date. Read our blog post to learn about just some of the many projects we completed in the third quarter of this year!

More Q3 highlights at-a-glance:

Completed one Neighborhood Street Fund project on Beacon Ave S
Continued construction on three major transit corridor projects: Route 44, Route 7, and the Madison RapidRide G Line
Added over three miles to our Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) network as part of the University of Washington Multimodal Integrated Corridor – Mobility for All (MICMA) project
Repaved nearly ten lane-miles and made 58 paving spot improvements
Repaired six blocks of sidewalks and upgraded over 330 ADA-accessible curb ramps throughout the city

Repaving underway as part of the Madison RapidRide G Line project. Construction workers actively work to pave the street on a sunny day. — Repaving underway as part of the Madison RapidRide G Line project. Photo credit: SDOT

LEVY DOLLARS AT WORK: Began seeking contractors to build first phase of East Marginal Way upgrades

We’ve reached a final design for the north segment of the East Marginal Way Corridor Improvement Project. The project is now advertised for construction contractors to bid on! The community has long awaited this project and we share in the excitement of reaching this major milestone. We appreciate community members’ patience, support, and commitment as the design was developed and informed by public input.

The project will serve people biking, walking, rolling, and driving, and improve safety and mobility along this busy freight corridor. We’ll reconstruct pavement, rebuild and improve signals, build a protected bike lane, and more. Construction of the north segment, which runs between S Spokane St and S Atlantic St, will begin in 2023.

An aerial view of East Marginal Way S in Seattle, with the Port of Seattle to the left and downtown Seattle in the background, on a sunny day. — Aerial view of East Marginal Way, looking north, with the Port of Seattle and downtown Seattle visible in the background. Photo credit: SDOT.

VISION ZERO PROJECT: Completed Sand Point Way safety improvements

One part of our Vision Zero effort is transforming major arterial streets like Sand Point Way by slowing speeds, making them safer and more accessible for people walking and rolling, and partnering with other City departments and neighbors to connect people to community hubs.

Sand Point Way marks the 22nd major stretch of Seattle streets made safer with Levy to Move Seattle dollars. You’ll now see new sidewalks, signals, crossings with new push buttons for people walking and rolling, curb ramps for accessibility, reduced speed limits, and more on Sand Point Way from NE 77th to NE 65th streets. Read more on our blog.

New intersection configuration at NE 74th St and Sand Point Way NE, near the entrance to Magnuson Park. The painted crosswalks extend from the sidewalk, with a traffic signal at the intersection. — New intersection configuration at NE 74th St and Sand Point Way NE, near the entrance to Magnuson Park. Photo credit: SDOT

BUILDING ON WHAT’S WORKING WELL: Extended Healthy Streets program, making some Healthy Streets permanent

We introduced Healthy Streets during the pandemic in 2020 as a way for you and your neighbors to get outside safely and stay active in your neighborhood. Healthy Streets are open for people walking, rolling, biking, and playing, and closed to pass-through traffic.

We’ve updated our Healthy Streets across Seattle based on the trends we’ve seen regarding community use and robust public feedback. Read more on our blog.

A kid wearing a Lucha Libre mask draws with markers at a recent community event on a Healthy Street in Lake City. Many people sit at the event on a mostly sunny day, with large trees and power lines in the background. — A kid wearing a Lucha Libre mask draws with markers at a recent community event on a Healthy Street in Lake City. Photo credit: SDOT.

PRESERVING OUR BRIDGES: Fremont Bridge deck maintenance work

We invest in ongoing maintenance of all the 1,500 roadway structures we own, including bridges, underground support walls, stairways, retaining walls, and other structures. Taking care of our aging bridges is important and we’re committed to continuing our comprehensive and proactive bridge asset preservation program.

The Fremont Bridge is over a century old and is believed to be the most frequently raised drawbridge in America and one of the busiest drawbridges in the world. Over time, the fasteners which hold the metal bridge deck in place have worn down and loosened, causing the metal grating to shift when a vehicle drives over it.

In October, our crew members were lifted as high as 100 feet above the water to complete welding work, using a truck with a movable arm to reach the sections that need to be repaired. The process involved super-heating the metal bridge deck with a welding torch to burn off layers of accumulated dirt, and then repairing attachments that hold the metal grating in place.

The work was performed successfully, helping preserve and maintain the beloved Fremont Bridge for years to come! Read more on our blog.

Two people wearing jeans and bright orange shirts weld sections of the Fremont Bridge deck, which is in an elevated position. Power cables are below them to support the work. — Our crew members recently worked hard overnight to conduct welding on the Fremont Bridge’s deck. Photo: SDOT.

SAFETY AND MOBILITY PROJECTS IN WEST SEATTLE: Work continued to make people safer and support mobility in West Seattle and the Duwamish Valley

After reopening the West Seattle Bridge on September 17, we continued to make safety improvements in neighborhoods around the bridge. Read more on our blog.

In the fall, we were hard at work:

Building an improved pedestrian crossing at 16th Ave SW and SW Cambridge St
Designing a new ADA-accessible walkway along Dallas Ave S, while also preserving beloved mature trees
Planning intersection improvements at Dallas Ave S and 14th Ave S to be constructed in 2023, including better bike navigation and traffic signals

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