New signalized crossing at E Lynn St for people walking, rolling, and biking Summary
All photos are credit to SDOT unless otherwise indicated.
- Since 2017, we have been building improvements to make people safer along 23rd Ave E/24th Ave E, between E Madison St and E Roanoke St. This important street provides access to the Montlake neighborhood, SR 520, the Montlake Bridge into north Seattle, and many destinations to the south, and serves as a key transit route.
- We’ve completed the third and final phase of work from E John St to E Roanoke St. We improved the intersections at E John St and E Lynn St, repaired sections of sidewalk, installed new accessible curb ramps, upgraded bus stops, and installed painted curb bulbs and posts to improve visibility and safety for people walking and rolling.
- We know these improvements make people safer by reducing opportunities for collisions, making people walking and rolling more visible to people driving, and using materials that make cars less likely to skid when conditions are wet and slippery.
- You can also read more details about the project on our website.
- This project is an important part of SDOT’s Vision Zero program to end traffic deaths and serious injuries on city streets by 2030. Still, we have significant work ahead to continue designing a safer transportation system – one that takes into account our shared imperfection as human beings, so that if a bad crash does occur, it doesn’t result in death or serious injury.
As part of the third phase of work on 23rd Ave E, you’ll now see:
New protected left turns
We installed these left turn lanes at E John St for vehicles turning from 23rd Ave E and from eastbound E John St. Vehicles now have a separated turn lane and dedicated turn signal that reduce opportunities for collisions with oncoming traffic and people crossing the street. People walking, rolling, biking, and driving now have a safer, more predictable experience traveling through the E John St intersection.
Painted curb bulbs and posts
We installed these safety features at E Louisa St and Turner Way E to help increase visibility of people walking, biking, and rolling, and decrease the distance they need to travel to get across the street. By adding these curb bulbs, we have also straightened vehicle lanes which helps reduce speeds of people driving through the intersection.
New signalized crossing at E Lynn St for people walking, rolling, and biking
Signalized crosswalks stop vehicle traffic to allow people who walk and bike to safely cross the intersection.
High Friction Surface Treatment (HFST) added to areas with high rates of collisions during inclement weather.
This includes the southbound (uphill) section of 24th Ave E near Turner Way E. This treatment creates a safer environment by improving traction on wet and/or slippery streets.
Improvements to bus stops, including adding new areas for people to enter the bus at both the front and back and relocating some bus stops to more convenient locations.
In 2018, we also changed the street between E John St and Boyer Ave E to be one lane going northbound. This change helps calm traffic and improves safety by adding a new center turn lane in this area.
Our neighbors value the safety improvements.
“We just wanted to say thank you for getting this done. It makes for a huge safety improvement in our community and also it gives the small commercial district a nice, calm feel. With the new bakery opening and school back in session, people are thrilled with the easy and safe crossing.” – Barbara Wright
“The thing that has been so significant for our community is the realization of the pedestrian light at Lynn and 23rd. It’s an intersection cars like to zoom through, and it’s very hard to get people to stop long enough to cross safely. I personally am grateful for the safety I feel being able to use the ped light. I see kids using it to get to Montlake Elementary School. The safety it provides us contributes to the feeling of community along 23rd Avenue E.” – Rachel Ben-Shmuel
Thank you to the community, neighborhood and Seattle Department of Transportation. This was a collective effort to help make our corner safe for drivers, pedestrians, and our neighborhood. We love Seattle!” – Joy Hollingsworth and Iesha Valencia
“I wanted to let you know that the new pedestrian light at 24th and Lynn is great. Better than I expected. The site lines are very good. You feel save crossing 24th at this location. The design is well done. The new light eliminates the need to cross 24th at McGraw.” – Montlake Neighborhood Resident