Planters and striping added to Ballard Ave NW as part of the interim street improvements made in 2022. Photo Credit: SDOT Blog stats: 1,450 words | 8-minute read
Editor’s Note: this blog post was originally published on July 5, 2023 and has been updated since with the latest project information.
At-a-glance
- We are preparing to install the next phase of interim refinements on Ballard Ave NW. The Ballard Ave Café Street will include more space for people and gathering, slower vehicle speeds, improved access for freight, deliveries, and businesses, improved visibility of pedestrians, ADA parking spaces, and more space dedicated to people walking and rolling.
- Crews will begin installing these refinements in October. Work may be phased due to wet weather and will last up to a couple of weeks. Work will be scheduled to minimize impacts to businesses. Businesses will remain open during installation.
- Read below to learn what proposed refinements we’ve planned for Phase 2 of the Ballard Ave Mobility and Access Improvements project, including slowing vehicle speeds and more space for people walking and rolling.
Earlier this summer, we outlined the next phase of interim refinements to the Ballard Ave Café Street. Read more below to learn what to expect as these changes are installed in October.
Over the past few months, we’ve been working with local businesses and our partners to refine the design. This input helped us develop the design for Phase 2 refinements of the street design, which includes:
- Establishing the Ballard Ave Café Street to enhance the experience of walking, rolling, shopping, and dining on Ballard Ave
- Further support for freight/delivery and business access with curbside adjustments that increase load/unload zones, ADA parking, and food pick-up priority areas.
- Increasing and defining space for people walking and rolling to accommodate pedestrian volumes and support Ballard Avenue’s draw as a major Seattle destination.
- Improving pedestrian visibility and safety at the intersection of Ballard Ave NW and 20th Ave NW.
- Exploring community partnerships to add movable benches and tables in newly created public space.
- Adding bike parking racks, and bike share and scooter share parking spaces to serve Ballard Ave NW.
- Exploring paid parking on several blocks around the neighborhood to further support business access.
- Maintaining the one northbound travel lane on the Leary side of the street.
Installation of these Phase 2 refinements will occur in early-mid October!
“Ballard Avenue has higher foot traffic today than in 2019 and in no small part because of the Café Street. We have made iterative changes along the way, and I am excited for the ‘people lane’ along with changing the parking to directly serve the businesses on the street. We want to make it easier to pop in and out of your favorite shops on the street while creating more space for people to enjoy the Historic District. After this round of improvements, we will hold a design charrette to make sure everything is working well and fix any outstanding issues. A big thank you to all the entrepreneurs and shop owners on Ballard Avenue as well as SDOT for making this a reality.”
– Seattle City Councilmember Dan Strauss
What you can expect during installation
Work will take place on weekdays, with the potential for early mornings and weeknights, and is expected to last up to two weeks. There will be construction noise during installation and some of the activities may be loud. The noisiest activities will be scheduled during the day.
This work is weather-dependent and subject to change. We’ve scheduled the work to avoid any disruptions to the Ballard Farmers Market and minimize effects to the community. Thank you for your patience as we install these refinements along Ballard Ave NW!
Next steps after installation
These interim refinements are the next step in our iterative process for improving mobility and access on Ballard Ave. We will continue observing conditions and working with the community and businesses this fall, after these changes are installed, to refine and improve upon the people-oriented use of the street.
This project is the result of our partnership with Councilmember Dan Strauss, the Ballard Alliance, and local businesses to further improve mobility and access for people walking and support businesses on Ballard Ave NW between 20th Ave NW and 22nd Ave NW, also known as the Ballard Ave Café Street.
To learn more, please visit our project website or contact us via email at BallardAve@seattle.gov. Thank you for your interest!
Livability, mobility, and safety are three of our core values and goals. Graphics: SDOT
Original Post (July 5, 2023)
In August 2022, we completed installation of Phase 1 interim street improvements on Ballard Ave NW between 20th Ave NW and 22nd Ave NW, also known as the Ballard Ave Café Street. These changes included:
- All-way stops
- Interim “curb bulbs” at intersections
- Improved street tree pits
- Updated striping to reflect the new one-way traffic flow for vehicles and load zones
We are now designing our next phase of proposed interim refinements to the street. These improvements include more space for people and gathering, slower vehicle speeds, improved freight/delivery and accessibility, improved visibility of pedestrians, and more space dedicated to people walking and rolling.
Phase 2 Interim Improvements
Last year, we surveyed folks and asked what was working and what needed to be refined along Ballard Ave. We also held a design charrette with local businesses and stakeholders. There was overwhelming support for the curbside cafés and providing more space for pedestrians and outdoor retail.
This input helped us develop proposals for Phase 2 refinements of the street design, which include:
- Establishing the Ballard Ave Café Street to enhance the experience of walking, rolling, shopping, and dining on Ballard Ave
- Further support for freight/delivery and business access with curbside adjustments that increase load/unload zones, ADA parking, and food pick-up priority areas.
- Increasing and defining space for people walking and rolling to accommodate pedestrian volumes and support Ballard Avenue’s draw as a major Seattle destination.
- Improving pedestrian visibility and safety at the intersection of Ballard Ave NW and 20th Ave NW.
- Exploring community partnerships to add movable benches and tables in newly created public space.
- Adding bike parking racks, and bike share and scooter share parking spaces to serve Ballard Ave NW.
- Exploring paid parking on several blocks around the neighborhood to further support business access.
- Maintaining the one northbound travel lane on the Leary side of the street.
Later this summer, after we conclude outreach, we’ll make refinements to the corridor, continue to evaluate the changes, and engage folks to understand how the street is working for them.
Transforming Ballard Avenue into a Café Street has allured people to come here, improved the economy of our neighborhood, and has become recognized by people across the world. When Jonsi, lead singer of the band Sigur Rós, visited Ballard this spring he exclaimed, unprompted, that ‘Ballard Avenue is poppin!’ These changes formalize how pedestrians and drivers use the space on Ballard Ave with the focus on safety — making this street a safer place to shop, dine, drive, park, walk, bike, and deliver the freight we depend on.
— Seattle City Councilmember Dan Strauss
Ballard Avenue is quickly becoming one of the most vibrant retail, restaurant, and farmers market spaces in our city. The Phase 2 improvements further optimize the street as place to congregate, have fun and enjoy community.
— SDOT Director Greg Spotts
“Ballard Ave has become a thriving destination for commerce, tourism and entertainment. The street cafes and the changes made to the avenue itself have not only helped business push through the pandemic, but maintain a steady balance of growth and service to its community during a difficult time. It is a success story, and we are so grateful for everything being done to preserve its longevity.”
– Tommy Patrick, business owner on Ballard Ave
Project Background
In response to restaurants and other businesses building curbside cafes on Ballard Ave NW in 2020 under the Safe Starts Permit Program, we began the process of reimagining Ballard Ave as a more community-centered space.
We partnered with Seattle Councilmember Dan Strauss, the Ballard Alliance, and local businesses to design and install people-focused and business-friendly interim street improvements. The primary goal of these improvements was to enhance safety and accessibility for people and goods on Ballard Ave NW between 20th Ave NW and 22nd Ave NW, also known as the Ballard Ave Café Street.
Check out the project web page for more information and updates on our work!
Questions or concerns?
Contact our project team by emailing BallardAve@seattle.gov.