Beacon Hill Bike Route
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Updated: March 28, 2022
What's Happening Now?
We are in the early design phase for all three segments for the Beacon Hill Bike Route.
We're excited to announce the northern route segment after conducting traffic, collision, and parking studies, and listening to more than 500 community members and 30-plus community-based organizations since summer 2020. We chose 15th Ave S as the northern segment of the bike route because:
- It's the flattest and most direct path between major destinations.
- It has the least impact to priority transit.
- It was preferred by nearly two-thirds of the community members engaged.
- It aligns with the community's desire for traffic calming and improved pedestrian access and safety along the corridor
Read our Planning Outreach Summary report to learn more about the extensive feedback received on route preferences and design features for this project.
We are continuing our outreach activities in the Beacon Hill business district, connecting with neighbors on 15th Ave S, and determining other community outreach opportunities for 2022.
We have been seeking feedback on the route and its features. Watch our 3-minute video to learn more.
Project Description
SDOT is building a bike route in segments, from the Dr. Jose Rizal Bridge to the intersection of Beacon Ave S and 39th Ave S. Segment 1 will extend from Dr. Jose Rizal Bridge to S Spokane St, Segment 2 will cover S Spokane St to S Myrtle St, and Segment 3 will be from S Myrtle to S 39th St. The city is considering a variety of bike improvements, including protected bike lanes and neighborhood greenways. Construction is expected to begin in 2023. 
Project Overview
In 2019, SDOT partnered with the Department of Neighborhoods (DON) to conduct outreach around the City to find out about the community's priorities to having places to bike in their community. This outreach effort provided an avenue to listen to community members, understand how the implementation plan was perceived, and collect ideas on how we could improve the plan. We also learned about how future work can be more responsive to community needs.We heard clearly that it was important to have more routes in Southeast Seattle to connect people to the neighborhood and job centers, specifically on Beacon Hill. The Beacon Hill Bike Route Project was created in response to what we heard. The purpose of this project is to create a safe and comfortable bike route that connects people to businesses and community destinations in Beacon Hill.This bike project continues to build out the bike network connecting to the new bike lanes on S Columbian Way, S Myrtle St, and the Chief Sealth Trail.We're planning a bike route in Beacon Hill as we've identified the area as a high-priority corridor for meeting the following transportation and community needs:
- This project will contribute to the City's Vision Zero goal to end traffic deaths and serious injuries.
- Provide a better north/south bike connection in southeast Seattle.
- Improve pedestrian and bicycle safety and connections to transit.
Though there are other existing bike routes nearby, these other routes do not connect to the same vital community destinations.
Project Timeline
Project Details
Segment 1
Segment 1 extends from Dr. Jose Rizal Bridge to S Spokane St and connects the North Beacon Hill neighborhood.
Community Points of Interest
Segment 2
Segment 2 is located along Beacon Ave S from S Spokane St to S Myrtle St. It goes by Jefferson Park and connects along the center median trail through central Beacon Hill.
Community Points of Interest
Typical S Spokane St to S Alaska St
Proposed S Spokane St to S Alaska St
Note: cross sections are not to scale.
Segment 3
Segment 3 will be between S Myrtle St and S 39th St in South Beacon Hill. This area is much more residential.
Community Points of Interest
Typical S Ferdinand St to S 39th St
Proposed S Ferdinand St to S 39th St
Note: cross sections are not to scale.
Community Engagement
Since the summer of 2020, we have conducted multiple community engagement events with people who live and travel through Beacon Hill. The extensive feedback about route preferences and design features helped to inform the northern route segment. Read our Planning Outreach Summary report to learn more about the process and feedback received for this project.
During the planning, design, and construction phases of our project, we conduct inclusive community engagement and strive to balance varying needs presented by public comments that we receive at each step of our outreach processes. The below table summarizes our upcoming outreach activities.
- Winter 2021/2022: North Beacon Hill business district - gather feedback about access and parking needs
- Summer 2021: Neighborhood and public meetings - gather community feedback and ideas about about the use of this busy corridor
- November 2020: Online drop-in session - share Segment 2 and 3 options, answer questions and gather feedback from the community
- August 2020: Online drop-in session - introduce the project, share Segment 1 route options, answer questions and gather feedback from the community
- Ongoing: Business outreach - discuss project impacts, provide project information and updates and gather feedback
- Ongoing: Stakeholder outreach - provide project updates and gather community feedback
- Ongoing: Email updates - project updates
Bike Network Prioritization Process
The Beacon Hill Bike Route project was prioritized based on public feedback and City Council actions over the past several years. In 2019, SDOT and DON held four community meetings across the city to learn about people's priorities for building out the bike network. In that outreach, as well as engagement with the Seattle Bicycle Advisory Board, it was strongly recommended to build a bike connection not only on 12th Ave S between Capitol Hill and Beacon Hill, but within Beacon Hill itself to create a greater connection between southeast Seattle and downtown.
Beacon Hill was specifically recognized during that outreach as a priority of community and transportation safety advocates (see pages 13-14 of the 2019 Bicycle Master Plan Implementation Plan for summaries.) In addition, during the 2019 budget process, the City Council allocated funding to prioritize building a bike connection in southeast Seattle.
Funding
The Mayor's Office committed an additional $10.33M from the Mercer Megablock sale to building bike facilities prioritized by the community, including a connection Beacon Hill to Downtown. This project will be partially funded by the 9-year Levy to Move Seattle, approved by voters in 2015. Learn more about the Levy to Move Seattle.
Materials
To view a PDF of project-related materials, please click on the links provided below.
- 15th Ave S Route Announcement Presentation
- 15th Ave S Route Announcement Mailer
- 15th Ave S Route Announcement Poster
- 2020-2021 Outreach Summary Report
- Summer 2021 North Beacon Hill Outreach Invite Mailer
- Summer 2021 North Beacon Hill Outreach Poster
- 15th Ave S Neighbors 2021 Site Walk and Focus Group Flyer
- 15th Ave S Neighbors 2021 Outreach Invite Flyer
- November 2020 Outreach Summary
- November 2020 Drop-in Session Q&A
- October 2020 Segments 2 and 3 Early Planning Drop-in Session Invite Postcard
- August 2020 Outreach Summary
- August 2020 Drop-in Session Q&A
- July 2020 Early Planning Drop-in Session Invite Mailer
- Project Fact Sheet (English)
- Project Fact Sheet (Spanish)
- Project Fact Sheet (Simplified Chinese)
- Project Fact Sheet (Traditional Chinese)
- Project Fact Sheet (Tagalog)
- Project Fact Sheet (Vietnamese)
- Project Map (All Segments)
- Segment 1 Map
- Segment 2 Map
- Segment 3 Map