Center City Bike Network

Updated October 7, 2021

What's happening now

The full Center City Bike Network is coming together! Starting with a pilot protected bike lane on 2nd Ave back in 2014, many people had a hand in taking that success and building a full all ages and abilities bike network downtown.

Program Map - Center City Bike Network Projects

Center City Bike Network map

Click for pdf of map

Program Overview

The Center City Bike Network launched in 2015 and developed a network map of better bike streets that separate vulnerable users from moving vehicles, provide safe all-ages and abilities facilities, and maintain transit priority downtown. This network was the product of community engagement, which continued through the One Center City program to make sure any improvements to the bike network were well coordinated and complimentary to the greater transportation network for people walking, driving, taking transit, and delivering goods.

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.

These protected bike lanes, paving, channelization changes, and signal upgrades in the center city improve safety for everyone and connect the important missing segments of the Center City Bike Network.

We've built critical projects that have given Seattle large segments of a basic downtown network, including 2nd Ave, the west end of Pike St and Pine St, and 7th Ave. These go on to connect to additional, built connections like the Westlake Cycle Track, Broadway, and Dearborn St

We completed the following projects in 2019:

  • 8th Ave Mobility Improvements Project: A northbound protected bike lane on 8th Ave between Pike St and Bell St, and Pine St between 8th Ave and 6th Ave completes a two-way couplet for people biking with the existing southbound 7th Ave protected bike lane. It also connects with protected bike lanes on Bell St and 9th Ave to get people to and from the Westlake Cycle Track and north Seattle neighborhoods, and with bike lanes on Pike St and Pine St to get people to and from greater downtown, Pike Place Market, and Capitol Hill. In 2022, we plan to upgrade the protected bike lane on 8th with concrete rather than "paint and post" separation between people biking and moving vehicles. 
  • Pike St Mobility Improvements Project: The bike lanes on Pike St between 9th Ave and Broadway connect to the existing protected bike lanes in Capitol Hill.
  • 9th Ave N Mobility Improvements Project: This project connects the 8th Ave and 7th Ave protected bike lane couplet with the existing 9th Ave N protected bike lanes north of Harrison St that lead to the Westlake Cycle Track. The protected lanes on 9th Ave N and Bell St, between 8th Ave and Harrison St were completed in November and provide critical connections to and through South Lake Union.
  • South End Connection Mobility Improvements Project: We installed two-way protected bike lanes on 2nd Ave Ext S, S Main St, and 5th Ave S between the existing 2nd Ave protected bike lanes and the S King St Neighborhood Greenway. 
  • S King St Neighborhood Greenway: We completed pavement repair, added speed humps, and signage to create a safer, calmer street and connection to 12th Ave and the Jose Rizal Bridge to Beacon Hill. 

We completed the following projects in 2020 and 2021:

More to come!

  • North Downtown Mobility Action Plan projects are in construction this year. You'll soon see more bike connections to Uptown and Climate Pledge Arena. 
  • Melrose Promenade will start construction in 2022 and will create a north/south bike connection to the protected bike lanes on Pike and Pine streets. 
  • Stay tuned for more info on protected bike lanes on Alaskan Way.

Each of these projects included targeted communications and outreach with neighbors and stakeholders. 

Protected Bike Lanes

Protected bike lane projects typically include new bike lane markings, plastic posts, signs, and bike signals.

Before installation of protected bike lane on Pike St      After protected bike lane is installed on Pike St, showing more bikers biking safely

Since protected bike lanes were installed on 2nd Ave, crashes are down and bike ridership is up.

Protected bike lanes separate people biking from moving cars, buses, and trucks, making the street safer, more predictable, and comfortable for everyone. Cities around the world are increasingly embracing protected bike lanes that separate people on bikes from people in cars by using physical barriers such as posts, parked cars or simple landscaping. 

Seattle's center city network of bike lanes aims to:

  • Improve safety and predictability by separating all modes of travel
  • Expand connectivity throughout downtown and the rest of Seattle as our city continues to grow
  • Boost business by offering more travel options for getting to them
  • Promote physical activity and increase ridership
  • Provide affordable travel options
  • Maintain transit priority 

Parking and Loading

Some parking changes typically accompany the street redesign and new lanes. Our goal is to work closely with all adjacent building and business owners to understand parking needs and maintain on-street loading zones.

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

Levy to Move Seattle logo


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.