4th Ave Mobility Improvements

May 11, 2023

Project Overview

Protected bike lanes and signal upgrades in downtown Seattle help improve safety for everyone and connect pieces of the Center City Bike Network.

We recently built a two-way protected bike lane from Vine St in Belltown south to the 2nd Ave protected bike lane (via Dilling and Yesler Way) in Pioneer Square. 

We still envision a bike network with a direct connection down 4th to S Main St, but the impact to bus travel times at this point is too significant. As an interim solution, we're routing the south end of the protected bike lane through Dilling Way to Yesler for a connection to 2nd Ave. When buses are routed off 4th Ave in the future, we intend to make this direct connection as funding allows.   

Project Design

The 4th Ave Mobility Improvements project added new protected bike lanes on the west side of 4th, made signal upgrades, and maintained bus accommodations on 4th Ave. 

The protected bike lane separates people biking from moving vehicles with markings, plastic posts, and signal upgrades. 

Parking and loading: The parking and loading lane is generally shifted outside of the bike lane (similar to other downtown bike lanes). We're working to maintain as much parking and loading as possible but need to remove some to allow space for left and right turn pockets and to improve visibility as drivers pull out of driveways. 

Signal upgrades: Drivers now longer need to yield across the crosswalk and bike lane to turn left. Now when people driving have the green left turn arrow, people biking and walking have a red to reduce yielding conflicts. These protected turns separate the signal phases for people walking/biking and people driving to improve traffic flow and make for a safer, more comfortable travel experience.

This project was completed in phases:

Madison to Pine St Map (installation complete)

Pine to Bell Map (installation complete) 

Pine to Vine Map (installation complete)

Seneca to Yesler Way Map (installation complete)

Click for more images of the connection at Dilling Way and Yesler Ave: 

• Dilling Way
• 3rd and Yesler intersection
• Yesler Ave

Note: The bike lane connection on Dilling Way by City Hall Park won't preclude improvements as part of the Seattle Department of Transportation and Seattle Parks and Recreation Yesler Crescent Study.

Program Overview

We've made a commitment to build this network of separated bike facilities to make biking a reliable travel choice and calm traffic as more people compete for limited street space. A complete bike network improves Seattle's health and quality of life for people of all ages and abilities.

Improving safety for all

This project contributes to the City's Vision Zero plan to end traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2030. The protected bike lane not only separates people biking from moving vehicles, it separates the signal phases for all users, meaning drivers won't need to yield across people walking and biking to make left turns. This change will help reduce collisions and make the walking, biking, and driving experience more comfortable and predictable.  

Transportation options for the center city

We are faced with the fundamental challenge of moving more people and more goods in the same amount of space. By making biking a more attractive and more viable transportation option, we can lower the share of people driving alone to and through Center City. 

Protected bike lanes on 2nd Ave quadrupled the number of people biking there. Employers located near paths and protected lanes have higher bike to work numbers. Making biking a real choice means building out a network in our region's densest jobs center.  

Connectivity 

This protected bike lane is just one piece of the puzzle connecting to the bike lanes on Pike, Pine, and Bell streets and was prioritized as part of the Center City Bike Network. The Center City Bike Network, launched in 2015, developed a network map of better bike streets that separate people walking and biking from moving vehicles, provide safer all-ages and abilities transportation options, and maintain transit priority downtown.

This network was the result of community engagement, which continued through the One Center City program to make sure any improvements to the bike network are well coordinated and complimentary to the greater transportation system for people walking, driving, taking transit, and delivering goods. 

We've made a commitment to build this network of separated bike lanes to make biking a reliable travel choice and calm traffic as more people compete for limited street space. A complete bike network improves Seattle's health and quality of life for people of all ages and abilities.

Economic benefits

Protected bike lanes boost economic growth by fueling redevelopment, boosting real estate value, helping companies attract and retain skilled workers, improving worker health and productivity, and increasing retail visibility and sales volume, according to a recent report. Other cities have demonstrated the economic benefits of protected bike lanes. Intercept surveys in Portland, OR show that people arriving to retails stores on foot or by bicycle visit more frequently than those who drive, and they spend more money over the course of a month. Findings from a New York City protected bicycle lane implementation showed an increase in retail sales of up to 49% from locally based businesses on 9th Ave in Manhattan, compared to 3% borough-wide.

Equity

Sixteen percent of Seattle households do not have a vehicle for their use and nationwide the lowest income households bike for transportation most. Better bike lanes make biking a more viable transportation option to help people get to and from downtown. At the same time, not everyone is able to bike, which is why a high priority of the Center City Bike Network and this project is to maintain transit accommodations.  

Center City Bike Network Map 

click for full map pdf

Schedule

The next phase of the 4th Ave Mobility Improvements project has reached its 90% design milestone. Construction will begin as soon as October 2023 and continue through 2024. The first phase of the 4th Ave project, from Madison St to Pine St was installed in September 2020. The next phase extended the protected bike lane northbound from Pine to Bell St in November 2020. The last phase extended the 2-way protected bike lane north to Vine St and south to Yesler Way in September/October 2021.  

We still envision a bike network with a direct connection down 4th to S Main St, but the impact to bus travel times at this point is too significant. When buses are routed off 4th Ave in the future, we intend to make this direct connection as funding allows.   

Funding

This project is funded by the 9-year Levy to Move Seattle, approved by voters in 2015. Learn more about the levy at www.seattle.gov/LevytoMoveSeattle. 

Get Involved

Have a question? Let us know! We’re committed to keeping you informed in a variety of ways, including:

• (Virtual) briefings and meetings along 4th Ave
• Project mailings
• Updating this web page
• Posting signs
• Responding promptly to emails and phone calls: 684-Road@seattle.gov or (206) 684-7623

Project Materials

• Seneca to Yesler Mailer (July 2021)
• Bell to Vine Mailer (March 2021)
• Yesler to Seneca Design Mailer (January 2021) 
• Pine to Bell Installation Mailer (November 2020)  
• Pine to Bell Design Mailer (October 2020)
• Spring to Pine Installation Flyer (September 2020)
• Spring to Pine Installation Mailer (August 2020) (revised with corrections to peak hour parking restrictions)

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Resources

Seattle Vision Zero Plan
Seattle Bike Master Plan
SDOT's Protected Bike Lane Page
The Green Lane Project - Helping cities build better bike lanes
Bike Lanes, On-Street Parking and Business - A study of Toronto merchants and patrons
Protected Bike Lanes Mean Business - Case studies on how 21st century transportation networks help new urban economies boom
One Center City's Proposed Near-Term Projects