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We’ve Completed the MLK Jr Way Safety Project, Providing Safer Travel in Mount Baker, Judkins Park, and Nearby Communities | LEVY DOLLARS AT WORK 

by on July 30, 2024
Two people riding bikes across MLK Jr Way S on a recent sunny day. Photo: SDOT

Blog stats: 850 words | 4-minute read 

At-a-glance: 

  • We’ve reached a big milestone – “substantial completion” – on the Martin Luther King Jr Way Safety Project. This means all major construction work is now complete and we’re putting the finishing touches to wrap up the project. 
  • This blog post highlights several of the new features now available to you. This project provides many benefits including new protected bike lanes, wider sidewalks, accessible curb ramps, calmer traffic, and better visibility and predictability for all travelers. 
  • The project was developed with community ideas to make South Seattle streets safer for everyone by calming traffic speeds and separating people walking, biking, and rolling from vehicles. Thank you to everyone who helped shape the project’s design including students at nearby schools, neighbors, and community-based organizations along the route.   
  • Thank you also for your patience since construction began last fall. We know construction can be challenging, and we appreciate you sticking with us as we delivered this important project. 
  • This project includes funding from the voter-approved Levy to Move Seattle. 

Here are some top examples of the enhancements we recently completed that will make trips safer, smoother, and more reliable, particularly for people walking, biking, and rolling in the project area.  

Rainier Ave S and MLK Jr Way S intersection – pedestrian safety & accessibility improvements 

  • Two new crosswalks (on the east side of MLK Jr Way S crossing Rainier Ave S and on the south side of Rainier Ave S crossing MLK Jr Way S). 
  • Curb bulbs and widened sidewalks along the intersection to make people biking, walking, rolling, and driving more visible and to make travel more predictable for everyone. 
  • One northbound vehicle travel lane was removed along MLK Jr Way S, south of Rainier Ave S, making navigating the area clearer for people driving northbound. Previously the two northbound lanes at this intersection were slightly offset which could be confusing to people driving. 

Before and After:

View of an intersection with a track and field and football field in the left corner. Fall colored brown, and green trees. Four lanes of cars on the bottom of the street all stopped at a red traffic light.

BEFORE: The intersection of MLK Jr Way S and Rainier Ave S before construction. Photo: SDOT
A gray car stopped at a stop light on the bottom area of an intersection. The intersection has painted green rectangles next to the black and white striped crosswalks. Bleachers and field of a track and field in the left right corner.
AFTER: The updated intersection of MLK Jr Way S and Rainier Ave S with new protected bike lanes, crosswalks, bike signals, and clearer street markings. Photo: SDOT

Additional safety and mobility enhancements 

  • New concrete-protected shared-use path on the east side of MLK Jr Way S (north of McClellan St) with a raised, textured strip separating cyclists from pedestrians. 
    • This will improve safety and accessibility for people visiting the Hillside P-Patch Community Garden. 
Protected bike lane on the left hand side next to a wall of vibrant green bushes and trees on the right hand side. Car lane and bike lane separated by light gray elevated concrete loags with three flexi posts on top. Vibrant green trees line the left side of the street.
Shared path with raised pavement markings separating cyclists from pedestrians on the east side of MLK Jr Way S between S McClellan St and S Bayview St. Photo: SDOT 
  • New protected bike lane connecting to schools (Thurgood Marshall Elementary and Franklin High School), I-90 Trail, parks, local institutions, and current and future Link light rail stations.
  • Travel lanes reduced to one lane in each direction with a center turn lane on MLK Jr Way S between S Judkins St and Rainier Ave S to calm traffic.  
A street separated by white parallel lines with diagonal white lines running between it and flexi posts on left and right side. Other lanes are divided by two parallel yellow lines. Vibrant green trees line the right side of the street. A woman in white helmet, light blue backpack, neon pink shirt and black bike shorts rides on the right side bike lane. A sedan drives on the in the middle of the street.
Travel lanes were reduced to one lane in each direction with a center turn lane on MLK Jr Way S between S Judkins St and Rainier Ave S to calm traffic. Photo: SDOT 
  • 30 new ADA-accessible curb ramps along the project area.
  • Pedestrian push buttons at all signalized intersections of MLK Jr Way S in this area, including S Judkins St, S Massachusetts St, S Walker St, S Bayview St, S McClellan St, and Rainier Ave S.   
Woman in white tank and black leggings crosses to the right side of the street using side walk. A gray sedan drives to the left side. The front part of a black car waits at the red traffic light.
Pedestrian push buttons were added at signalized intersections of MLK Jr Way S in this area. Photo: SDOT
  • Shared bus stops with raised bike lanes on both sides of MLK Jr Way S at the S Massachusetts St intersection. Please note that traffic control signage near this intersection, and on the southbound bus stop, are part of a private development and are not part of this project. 
Left hand has a sidewalk with a woman in light grey jacket, blue shirt and black leggings walking. A lane of grass and trees separates the sidewalk and street. The lane closest to the curb has a raised bike lane designed with a green square at the elevation and striped vertical white lines at the connection to the curb. A white van with "vita" written in blue and blue sedan in front drives next to the raised bike lane.
Shared bus stops with raised bike lanes on both sides of MLK Jr Way S at the S Massachusetts St intersection. Photo: SDOT 

We want to thank you and your neighbors for your patience and understanding as construction took place. We know construction can be challenging and we worked hard to balance the needs of the community and people traveling in the area while effectively delivering this safety project. 

Filed Under: Accessibility, Biking, Funding & Levies, Move Seattle, Pedestrians, Safety, SDOT, Signals, Vision Zero Tagged With: , , , , , ,