Melrose Promenade
Updated May 13, 2022
What's happening now?
Construction resuming in June
Construction of the Melrose Promenade will resume in June. We’ll begin by demolishing and restoring sections of the street and sidewalk on Melrose Ave between E Roy St and E Mercer St. We'll continue south to E Olive Way over the following months. Work on the E Pine St to E Pike St segment of Melrose Ave E is expected to begin as soon as early September.
During construction, you can expect temporary parking restrictions, sidewalk and street closures, and short-term local access only restrictions on some northern segments of Melrose Ave. Flaggers will be on-site to direct traffic and detour routes will be signed for sidewalk and street closures.
We’ll provide an update with more information as we get closer to work starting. Please sign up for email updates to get the latest information on project construction activities and schedule.
Stay informed on what to expect during construction
- Sign up to receive project email updates, and check out our email archive for previous email updates.
- Let us know your needs during construction by completing this survey.
- Check out our project poster, factsheet, and frequently asked questions.
- Learn more about typical construction activities.
Background
Built atop a high retaining wall, Melrose Ave is a key walking/biking connection. The construction of I-5 created a barrier between Capitol Hill and downtown that project neighbors have envisioned reconnecting through the "Melrose Promenade."
Melrose Ave is a key walking and biking connection in our citywide network and is included in our Bicycle Master Plan. Part of the project area is a designated pedestrian zone that will provide safe and accessible walking connections.
Currently, the streets can be difficult to cross, some sidewalks and pavement are damaged, and drivers are exceeding the speed limit. Between 2013 and 2018, there were a total of 141 reported collisions on Melrose Ave between E Roy St and University St. All but 1 of the serious injury collisions involved someone walking or biking between E Denny Way and E Pike St.
Capitol Hill is one of the densest neighborhoods in the Puget Sound region and continues to grow. The Melrose Promenade will connect community members with major destinations in the neighborhood and routes to First Hill and Downtown. The project area includes high-density residential and mixed-use communities, and major employment centers near the south end of the project including medical centers, colleges, and the downtown business district. Currently, 37% of households in the Melrose Promenade project area are car-free. Constrained on-street parking supply, expensive off-street parking, nearby mass transit, and the density of housing and jobs in the neighborhood can make owning a car expensive and inconvenient - or unnecessary for many. This project aims to improve walking and biking connections so they are more attractive and convenient.
This project is a foundational step toward the community's "Melrose Promenade" vision by improving the walking and biking experience along Melrose Ave from E Roy St to University St.
Project Area
We're building speed humps, curb ramps, curb bulbs, a raised intersection, and bike lanes in sections, as well as repairing damaged pavement and sidewalks on Melrose Ave between E Roy St and University St.
See this poster for a PDF of design the map image above.
Outreach & Project Design
In 2018 and 2019, we conducted outreach with project neighbors and collected input on the project design. We hosted an open house with an online survey and held meetings with neighbors and community members on early design concepts. Materials from these outreach activities, including summaries on what we heard, can be found in the Documents section below. We finalized project design in 2020 and construction began in February 2022.
Key project elements include:
- Protected bike lanes between E Pine St and E Denny Way
- Intersection improvements at E Pike St, E Pine St, E Denny Way, and E Olive Way, including:
- New raised intersection and at Melrose Ave and E Pike St
- Raised community crosswalks at E Pike St and E Pine St
- New curb bulbs and crosswalks at the intersection of E Olive Way and Melrose Ave to improve safety at the I-5 on-ramp entrance
- Traffic calming including speed humps and pavement markings
- Pavement and sidewalk repair, including installing a wider sidewalk on the west side of Melrose Ave between E Pike St and E Pine St
- Curb ramp improvements
- New and relocated load zones
- Changes to on-street parking, including some parking removal between E Pine St and E Denny Way, new back-in angle parking and a Restricted Parking Zone north of E Denny Way
See this poster for a PDF of the project design the map.
Community members and project staff review design concepts at a public meeting.
What to Expect During Construction
Construction began in February 2022 and is expected to continue into fall 2022. We will send regular email updates with information on upcoming construction activities. You can sign up for email updates here.
Typical construction hours are weekdays from 7 AM - 5 PM, with occasional nighttime and weekend work. We are restricting weekend construction between E Pike St and E Pine St to minimize impacts to the business and retail district.
During construction, people can expect:
- Temporary lane and street closures for people driving. Detours will be provided and signed.
- Temporary sidewalk and crossing closures for people walking and rolling. Detours will be provided and signed.
- Disruptions to on-street parking.
- Noise, dust, and vibrations during work hours.
- Construction equipment staged in the work area.
- Pedestrian access will be maintained at all times to businesses and residences.
Funding
The total project budget (includes design and construction) is $4.3 million including a grant through the Federal Highway Administration for $3 million. The project is also funded by the Levy to Move Seattle, a 9-year $930 million levy approved by voters in 2015.
Documents
- Project FAQ (February 2022)
- Pike to Pine businesses coordination meeting - full video recording presentation slides, and meeting summary
- Postcard (December 2021)
- Fact Sheet (March 2022)
- Pike to Pine businesses coordination meeting - full video recording and meeting summary (February 2021)
- Poster with design maps (March 2022)
- Mailer (December 2019)
- Listserv Update 2 (April 2018)
- Listserv Update 1 (March 2018)
- Stakeholder briefing summary: Denny Terrace (May 2018)
- Open house summary (April 2018)
- Online survey summary and detailed results (April 2018)
- Open house display boards (April 2018)
- Fact Sheet (March 2018)
- Mailer (March 2018)
Other Projects in the Area
Pike-Pine Mobility Improvements
Waterfront Seattle's Pike Pine Renaissance: Act One
Translation and Interpretation
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