May 7, 2020

23rd Ave Corridor Improvements Project is now complete! This spring, the contractor for the 23rd Ave project completed their one-year lawn establishment agreement from S Jackson St to Rainier Ave S. Going forward, maintenance of the landscaping, including grass and any vegetation, in the planting strips will be the responsibility of the adjacent property owner. For more information and tips on how to maintain the planting strip, you may visit Seattle Public Utilities' resources webpage.



Street trees installed as part of this project are SDOT properties and will continue to be maintained by SDOT's Urban Forestry. For more information about this, please email Seattle.Trees@seattle.gov. As you know, last May, we finished construction for the 23rd Ave project from S Jackson St to Rainier Ave S. Any concerns or questions you may have about landscaping or the roadway condition should be sent to 684-ROAD@Seattle.gov. You can also call 206-684-ROAD (7623). Upcoming work In the coming months, you will begin to see SDOT crews on 23rd Ave S between S Jackson St and Rainier Ave S making updates to the curb ramps. We will be working on the curb ramps to ensure they are ADA compliant. When they do this work, there will be temporary pedestrian detours around the work. Thank you for your understanding and patience.

Phase 2

Phase 2 of the project stretches from S Jackson St to Rainier Ave S. Construction began on May 14, 2018 and is expected to last approximately one year. The project in this area will help enhance safety and mobility for people who walk, drive, and take transit. Phase 2 improvements vary throughout the length of the project and include:

Sidewalk improvements, such as sidewalks, crosswalks, and upgraded pedestrian crossing signals

Repaving the street

Redesigning the street from four lanes to three (one wider lane in each direction with a center turn lane) from S Jackson St to S Holgate St

Installing new storm drains

Landscaping and street trees

Replacing the water main under the street from S Jackson St to S Norman St

Replacing water service pipes and fire hydrants from S Norman St to Rainier Ave S

Transit improvements, such as real-time arrival information and bus pullouts (space for buses to stop outside of the flow of traffic)

Adjacent Central Area Neighborhood Greenway route

Phase 1

23rd Ave reopened to two-way traffic in February 2017.

From June 2015 through early 2017, crews rebuilt 23rd Ave between S Jackson St and E John St. The new street includes:

Over 285,000 square feet of new concrete paving 105 new ADA-compliant curb ramps

Over 91,000 square feet of new sidewalks and driveways

Over 8,000 feet of a new water main to replace the previous, 100-year-old water main

Over 3,800 feet of new stormwater system (storm drainage) and 12 new storm drain filter systems 77 upgraded pedestrian lights, 87 upgraded street lights, and upgrades to 14 existing streetlights

41 new street trees

New bus pullouts and real-time information signs at transit stops

New public art at the 23rd Ave and E Union St intersection

Schedule

The 23rd Avenue Corridor Improvement project includes three phases:

Phase 1

S Jackson St to E John St: June 2015 – spring 2017; major construction activities completed, minor close-out activities in progress

Phase 2

S Jackson St to Rainier Ave S – Construction began on May 14, 2018, and is expected to last approximately one year

Phase 3

North of E John St: Now the 23rd Ave E Vision Zero project.

Funding

SDOT has a total of $43 million in funding through a combination of local, state and federal sources. Phase 1 is estimated to cost approximately $31 million and is fully funded. Phase 2 is funded in part by the 9-year Levy to Move Seattle, approved by voters in 2015.

Background

For a good introduction to the project, be sure to check out our overview video.

The Corridor

23rd Ave is an essential arterial that connects a variety of users to businesses, educational institutions and residences in the Central District and beyond. Approximately 13,400-20,000 vehicles use 23rd Ave each day. This area also serves high volumes of pedestrians, bike riders, and transit users (approximately 6,000 daily transit riders).

Why construct improvements on the 23rd Ave corridor?

Before the start of construction, the 23rd Ave corridor was in poor condition, including:

Many collisions (more than 900 reported in five years)

Poor road conditions (e.g. potholes, cracked pavement)

Narrow lanes

Back-ups created by left-turning vehicles

Narrow and uneven sidewalks

Inadequate buffers between vehicles and pedestrians

Improving safety and mobility in your neighborhood

In June 2015, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) began construction on 23rd Avenue between S Jackson St and E John St. This is the first phase of a project to improve safety and mobility for people who drive, walk, bike and take transit in the area.

Project improvements vary by phase and include:

Modifying 23rd Ave from a four-lane street to a three-lane street - one lane in each direction with a center left-turn lane (key intersections will stay four lanes)

New pavement

Widening sidewalks to at least five feet and repairing broken and buckling sidewalks

Installing new streetlights

Upgrading traffic signals to give transit priority at key locations

Consolidating bus stops to improve transit speed

Replacing a 100-year-old water main that runs underneath 23rd Ave

Installing public art near 23rd Ave and E Union St

Implementing a greenway adjacent to 23rd Ave, to create a quieter, safer route for people to bike and walk

The new roadway – opportunity for a safer 23rd Ave

The new corridor will have wider lanes – one in each direction – plus a 10-foot-wide center turn lane. The turn lane will allow left-turning vehicles to make a safe left turn, while still allowing thru-traffic to continue through an intersection and down the street.

On streets with 25,000 vehicles per day or fewer, such as 23rd Ave, changing the street design from four lanes to three can increase safety by reducing collisions, reducing speeding, allowing vehicles to turn without blocking traffic, managing drivers cutting in and out of lanes, creating space for wider sidewalks, making streets easier to cross and making it easier for freight and transit to travel. At most bus stops, the road will flare to approximately 18 feet, where buses can pull to the side and vehicles can pass the stopped bus in the travel lane. The City is also working with King County Metro to determine the benefits of electrifying the Route 48 line. The results from the study can be found in the Project Materials section below.

Get Involved

We are committed to engaging with the community and responding to community needs in the project area. Please stay tuned for more information about future public engagement opportunities, and contact us if you would like to request a community briefing.

Materials

Current Materials

Reference

Previous Materials

Previous translated materials