11th and 12th Ave NE Paving & Safety Project

Updated: March 21, 2023

What's Happening Now?

The 11th and 12th Ave NE Paving & Safety Project is nearing final design. We are reaching out to stakeholders and project neighbors to share the final design, including parking and load zone changes.

Overview

The 11th and 12th Ave NE paving project was originally included as part of the RapidRide J Line project. In 2020, as Covid-19 reduced budgets, the RapidRide J Line was amended to terminate service at the U District light rail station. During J Line outreach, community involvement was considered as updates were proposed for the channelization of 11th and 12th Ave NE.

The new plans included new paving between NE 43rd St and NE 67th St, new curb ramps, sidewalk repair, signal adjustments, and a new layout that accommodates a protected bike lane built on the west side of the street.

With the shortening of the RapidRide project, we moved the safety and maintenance elements of that project into a separate paving project. Now part of our paving program, we'll pave approximately 1.8 miles of 11th and 12th Ave NE to make it safer and more comfortable to travel on, and to extend the useful life of the pavement. We expect work to begin in 2023.

Community Engagement

This project is part of our Vision Zero initiative to end traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2030. Traffic collisions are preventable through smarter street design, targeted enforcement, and thoughtful public engagement. Together, we can make Seattle’s streets safer for everyone. In the last 5 years, this project area has experienced a considerable number of injuries from collisions.

  • Vehicle volumes: 4,000 – 5,500/average day
  • Vehicle speed: 21 MPH (85th percentile speed)
  • Collisions: 144
  • Injury crashes: 50
  • Serious injuries: 1
  • Fatalities: 0

In addition to taking community feedback, we analyzed traffic and parking data and reviewed freight, transit, bike, and pedestrian master plan recommendations. All these factors informed our designs; therefore, we are adding various safety features to this project, including protected bike lanes and updated traffic signals.

Safety has informed the parking design too, and we are removing parking from one side of the street, while introducing 24/7 parking to the remaining parking spaces so people don’t need to move their cars daily. This project will also include other measures to improve safety and improve all transit options:

  • Sidewalk repair and curb ramp upgrades
  • New protected bike lanes
  • New exclusive left-turn pockets and signals
  • Stormwater drainage improvements
  • Parking removal on 1 side of the street

Project Map

Map showing the project area

Click this link to enlarge the image

Design Concepts

TBA

Schedule

This is our anticipated project timeline for 11th Ave and 12th Ave NE paving project:

  • Spring 2023 - Construction begins
  • Fall 2025 - Construction completion

A graphic timeline indicating that we are 60% of the way through the design process, and that construction is scheduled to begin in 2023 and into 2025

The Three Stages of a Project

Planning

  • What we do: Collect traffic data, review plans, and gather community experiences to define options.

Design

  • What we do: Share updates as more details are known.

Construction

  • What we do: Provide construction schedules, expected impacts, and a contact for questions.

How Can I Get Involved

We're always interested in meeting with community and neighborhood groups that want to learn more about the project and make their voices heard. You can request a briefing by emailing 11th12thPaving@seattle.gov

Outreach Conducted to Date

TBA

Funding

This project is part of SDOT's Arterial and Asphalt and Concrete (AAC) Paving Program. Design and construction of our paving projects, as well as the safety and mobility improvements shown, are funded by the Levy to Move Seattle, approved by Seattle voters in November 2015. We also seek additional funding through grants, when available. Learn more about the levy.

Project Materials

To view a PDF of project-related materials, please click on the links provided below:

Transportation

Greg Spotts, Director
Address: 700 5th Ave, Suite 3800, Seattle, WA, 98104
Mailing Address: PO Box 34996, Seattle, WA, 98124-4996
Phone: (206) 684-7623
684-Road@seattle.gov

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The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is on a mission to deliver a transportation system that provides safe and affordable access to places and opportunities for everyone as we work to achieve our vision of Seattle as a thriving, equitable community powered by dependable transportation.