Construction on NE Northlake Way has wrapped up, creating a better walking and biking experience. The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) completed two blocks of street improvements recently. The project added in-street protected bike lanes, new sidewalks, and curb ramps. On-street parking was altered to conform to a narrower road width. SDOT also fully resurfaced the street, which is a great improvement over the cracked and bumpy conditions from before.
The project centered on the stretch of road between 7th Ave NE and University Bridge. In terms of sidewalks and protected bike lanes, the project delivered three new blockfaces: two on the north side of the street and one on the south. Eleven new curb ramps were also installed at intersection points to improve accessibility.
On-street parking was modified by taking back-in parking stalls and reorienting to parallel parking. This meant some loss in total parking, but ample street parking is available on nearby blocks.
Further improvements to NE Northlake Way remains a high priority given that there are many businesses and bike and pedestrian demand west of 7th Ave NE. However, SDOT does not have any active plans to further upgrade the street meaning that future improvements would come from redevelopment. For now, nearby will continue to have substandard street conditions. The total project cost came in at $642,200.
Check out the pictures below to see how the project turned out:
Stephen is a professional urban planner in Puget Sound with a passion for sustainable, livable, and diverse cities. He is especially interested in how policies, regulations, and programs can promote positive outcomes for communities. With stints in great cities like Bellingham and Cork, Stephen currently lives in Seattle. He primarily covers land use and transportation issues and has been with The Urbanist since 2014.