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Safer connections to Rainier Beach schools now open along S Henderson St

by on October 26, 2026
A person crosses the street at 50th Ave S and S Henderson St. A flashing beacon alerts drivers nearby that they are crossing. Photo: SDOT

Blog stats: 650 words | 3-minute read

At-a-glance:

  • S Henderson St in Rainier Beach is a major street which provides access to several Seattle schools attended by more than 1,700 students. It also connects to the nearby Rainier Beach Link light rail station.
  • We’ve completed the S Henderson St School Safety Project, a key part of our work to improve travel safety for everyone. We’re putting the finishing touches on a few final elements, including art along some of the bike barriers.
  • Key features include new crosswalks and walk signals, a new two-way protected bike lane, two new concrete median islands, four sets of speed cushions to calm traffic, and more.
  • We celebrated at the Rainier Beach Harvest Fest last weekend and gave out 100 free helmets to kids!
  • In this blog post, you’ll learn more about what we’ve built and how it will help hundreds of students more comfortably make their way to school each day.
  • These improvements will also benefit people going to the Rainier Beach Pool and Community Center, nearby apartments and homes, local restaurants, businesses, Rainier Valley Food Bank, Rainier Beach Library, and accessing the Chief Sealth Trail. We hope you check it out for yourself.

Overview

S Henderson St is a major gateway to schools and community destinations in the heart of Rainier Beach. Students, parents, teachers, and staff rely on it to get to schools in the area every day. This includes Rainier Beach High School, South Shore PK-8, Alan T. Sugiyama High School, and Dunlap Elementary. It’s served by the Rainier Beach Link light rail station, bus routes 7, 9, 107, and the future RapidRide R Line, and is highly used by people biking/scooting as well as freight trucks.

This street also has a history of crashes and speeding, meaning it was in extra need of investment in safer travel. Between 2018 and 2022, there were 71 crashes reported to police on this street. This includes 5 serious injuries, 8 crashes involving people walking or rolling, and 2 crashes involving people biking.

The project included funding from our Vision Zero program, our Safe Routes to School program, and the voter-approved Seattle Transportation Levy. Thank you, Seattle!

A map of the project area shows where improvements have been built along S Henderson St, from the Rainier Beach Link light rail station on the west to Seward Park Ave S on the east. Several schools are listed on the map. Examples of improvements include a two-way protected bike lane, a bus/bike platform, and nearby trails and greenways.
Map of recently completed improvements on S Henderson St in Rainier Beach. Graphic: SDOT

What the project built

Here are the key travel safety features we completed with this project:

  • A new two-way protected bike lane on the north side of S Henderson St with concrete curbs separating people biking and scooting from cars
  • Two new bus and bike platforms at Renton Ave S and at Rainier Ave S
  • New audible pedestrian push buttons and protected turn signals with longer pedestrian head starts at Renton Ave S and at Rainier Ave S
  • Repaved section of the Chief Sealth Trail and trimmed trees and vegetation for better visibility and clearance
  • Two new concrete median islands east of Rainier Ave S to calm traffic and make it easier to turn in and out of the shopping center
  • Reinstalled all four sets of speed cushions on S Henderson St
  • New marked crosswalks next to South Shore K-8 at 48th Ave S
A picture of a street and sidewalk on a sunny, clear day. Trees are in the background.
Before
Several people walk on the sidewalk and others walk across the street at a marked crosswalk. A car waits for them to cross. Trees and a large building are in the background.
After
Before (left) and after (right) photos of the intersection of S Henderson St and 52nd Ave S, near Rainier Beach High School. Photos: SDOT

Photo gallery

We were honored to sponsor the annual Harvest Fest last weekend at the Rainier Beach Community Center hosted by CHAMPS. We gave out 100 helmets to kids along with reflectors, pencils, and of course candy.

A group of people stand at a table at an indoor event while smiling. Informational materials and helmets are on the table.
SDOT staff and partners provide free helmets to kids at the Rainier Beach Harvest Fest event on October 25, 2026. Photo: SDOT
Two kids smile while wearing helmets next to a large creature in a costume to the right.
A kid wearing a pink princess costume and a green helmet smiles at the camera.
A kid wearing a pilot suit and helmet and sunglasses smiles at the camera.
Two kids wearing police and firefighter costumes and a black and green helmet smile at the camera.
Kids in costumes show off their new helmets we provided at the Harvest Fest event last weekend. Photos: SDOT

Thank you again, and to everyone in Rainier Beach, we wish you safe, smooth travels this fall and beyond.

Filed Under: 2024 Seattle Transportation Levy, Accessibility, Biking, Community Involvement, Funding & Levies, Pedestrians, Safety, SDOT, Signals, Traffic and Construction, Vision Zero Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,