Fauntleroy Way SW Boulevard Project
Mobility, landscaping, and lighting improvements at the entrance to West Seattle.
Updated: January 2023
What’s happening now?
This project was paused in 2018 and remains on pause as a currently-unfunded project. As part of the pause, we were able to install some interim improvements that were community priorities.
We have built near-term improvements for Fauntleroy Way SW. SDOT will pursue construction on this project when it is funded.
Making improvements in West Seattle is a priority for SDOT. Specifically:
- We have invested $100 million into projects in the Duwamish Valley and West Seattle through Reconnect West Seattle.
- We completed construction on the Delridge RapidRide H Line. As you travel along Delridge Way SW, you will see new bus lanes to support the future Metro RapidRide H Line between South Lake Union and Burien, freshly paved streets, medians with landscaping, a new bike lane, safer crosswalks to get to transit and local businesses, public art, and other new features.
- We made improvements on SW Avalon Way including repaving, new bike lanes, transit islands, improved curb ramps, and more to support efficient and safe travel across all modes.
- We continue to work with Sound Transit on the West Seattle-Ballard Link Extension Project (WSBLE), which will add 4.7 miles of light rail service from downtown Seattle to West Seattle's Alaska Junction neighborhood.
Fauntleroy Way SW Project Background
- 2018: The Fauntleroy Way SW Boulevard project was put on hold in January 2018 pending light rail route decisions from Sound Transit’s ST3 process. This decision allowed Sound Transit to complete their process for route selection and for SDOT to reduce construction impacts on the neighborhood while avoiding infrastructure investment that could be removed shortly after construction completion.
- 2019: We designed and constructed near-term improvements to help improve predictability for people who walk, drive, and bike on Fauntleroy Way in 2019. We developed these improvements in coordination with community representatives and elected officials.
- 2020: In 2020, as a result of the pandemic-induced recession, and with revenue declines forecasted to continue into 2021 and beyond, we took thoughtful but immediate action to pause work on projects within the Levy to Move Seattle portfolio. This work was described in the COVID-19 Impact Assessment of the Levy to Move Seattle. As Sound Transit’s timeline was still undetermined at that time, funds remaining in this project were reallocated to help address significant cuts to the Levy program and prioritize projects in the areas of highest need.
- 2022: The Sound Transit Board selected a tunnel to West Seattle as the preferred alternative, which would no longer conflict with what we proposed for Fauntleroy Way SW as part of the boulevard project. However, construction and other costs have increased since we designed this project years ago and we’re currently estimating that there is a ~$15 million of funding need to complete construction. This estimate is likely to change over time. That amount is not readily available in any existing SDOT funding sources. The project remains a priority in SDOT’s Capital Improvement Program.
Project Overview
Fauntleroy Way SW serves many purposes; it is a key entrance to West Seattle, a major truck street, a bike route, and is home to numerous retail businesses and new residential developments. Today, this area presents several challenges that impact mobility for users, including: poorly defined sidewalks, significant distances between marked pedestrian crossings, no dedicated space for people riding bikes, and minimal landscaping.
The Fauntleroy Boulevard Project builds upon previous planning work done by the community. Discussions of improvements to Fauntleroy Way began in 1999, when the West Seattle Junction Hub Neighborhood Plan identified streetscape improvements in this area, and continued through the multi-year West Seattle Triangle planning process. The community chose a preferred streetscape plan for the project in 2012, which was formally adopted by SDOT and the Seattle Department of Planning and Development. In addition, the 2014 Bike Master Plan designated Fauntleroy Way SW for a protected bike lane.
Through several extensive community planning efforts, the residents and business owners in the area have expressed the need for mobility improvements to make this stretch of Fauntleroy Way more comfortable for people walking or riding bikes, and highlight its role as a main entrance to West Seattle. The project goals are:
- Respond to community needs identified in the West Seattle Triangle Plan and the Bicycle Master Plan
- Improve mobility by organizing the street to be more predictable and comfortable for everyone: people driving cars or trucks, walking, or biking
- Enhance Fauntleroy Way SW’s role as a key entrance to West Seattle
The project area is on Fauntleroy Way between 35th Ave SW and SW Alaska St.
Typical cross-section
Schedule
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 2011 | Conceptual design |
| 2012 | Community feedback on conceptual design alternatives |
| Summer 2014 |
|
| July 2014 | 30% design milestone |
| September 2014 | Public open house |
| October 2014 | 60% design milestone |
| December 2016 |
|
| January 2017 | Seattle Bicycle Advisory Board briefing |
| February 2017 |
|
| March 2017 | Walk and Talks |
| Winter and Spring 2017 |
|
| Fall 2017 |
|
| 2018 | Project put on pause |
| 2020 | At this time, the timeline for Sound Transit’s extension was still undetermined, so funds remaining in this project were reallocated to help address significant cuts to the Levy program. Project funding. Read more about this decision and factors that went into it in the 2020 COVID-19 Assessment of the Levy to Move Seattle. |
Final Design
Fauntleroy Way is a busy street and a key route in and out of Seattle. We're committed to improving mobility for all users - people who walk, bike, and drive. Thanks to input from residents, stakeholder groups, and nearby property and business owners, we have reached final design.
Aerial image of the final design. Click to enlarge.
Key features of the final design:
- Maintains two lanes of traffic in each direction on Fauntleroy Way, as are in place today
- New sidewalks, crosswalks, and shortened crossings at side streets, created by realigning skewed intersections
- New pedestrian street lighting
- Traffic signal revisions to improve traffic flow and remove overhead span wires
- One-way protected bike lane on either side of the street, connecting to the existing bike network at Avalon Way and Alaska St
- Landscaping, including a landscaped boulevard median to calm traffic
- New public art, funded by the City of Seattle's 1% for Art program