15th Ave NE Paving Project

Paving, protected bike lanes, sidewalk repair, crossing improvements, parking removal.

Updated: October 21, 2021

What's happening now?

Monthly virtual office hours 

We're hosting monthly virtual office hours on the fourth Thursday of each month between 3 and 4 PM, except for the November and December months, where they will be on the 3rd Thursday. See a full list of dates below. 

October 28
**November 18 (3rd Thursday)
**December 16 (3rd Thursday)

The purpose of this ongoing event is to maintain open lines of communication with neighbors and stakeholders and to provide an opportunity for you to ask questions of project team members. We'll also share information about the project schedule and updates as construction continues. Details for how to join can be found below. Please note: This Teams link will remain the same for each month.

How to join the meeting
To join online, click the following link: Click here to join the meeting

Audio options for Microsoft Teams
Join by phone - dial-in: Conference phone number: +1 (206) 485-0017  Conference ID: 571 027 095#

Join by phone - phone app
Telephone audio can also be accessed through the Microsoft Teams app, which is available for free download on the iPhone App Store or the Android App Store

Join by computer audio
By default, Microsoft Teams requests access to the camera and microphone on your computer. You can disable both; however, please note you will not be heard if your microphone is not enabled. 

Three new Link light rail stations opened on October 2! You can read how SDOT and its partners are working to provide access to these stations by clicking this link.

Crews are planning to complete roadway paving throughout the project area as soon as early November, weather permitting. We'll continue sharing updates as crews progress with this work.

The following construction activities will be taking place in the coming weeks:

  • Asphalt grinding and final roadway paving along 15th Ave NE between NE 73rd St and NE 70th St, and between at NE 66th St and NE 55th St
    • Detours will be in place for people driving
    • Work in this area will be high impact. Construction noise and vibrations should be expected
    • Temporary driveway closures will be required. We will provide notifications to impacted residents ahead of closures
  • Equipment and materials will remain in place temporarily on NE 73rd St between 15th Ave NE and 16th Ave NE
  • Electrical work at NE 65th St, NE 75th St, and NE 80th St
  • Road panel demolition, preparation, and installation along 15th Ave NE from Cowen Pl NE to NE 56th St 
    • Detours will be in place for people walking, biking, and rolling
    • Work in this area will be high impact. Construction noise and vibrations should be expected
    • Temporary driveway closures will be required. We will provide notifications to impacted residents ahead of closures
  • Equipment and materials will be in place temporarily on NE 56th St between 15th Ave NE and the alleyway west of 16th Ave NE through early December

We're committed to working closely with project neighbors during construction and will:

  • Be available for questions via our project inbox and construction hotline
  • Provide advance notice about construction through email updates and other promotions
  • Ensure project signage is clear and effective to encourage safety and caution near active work zones

What to expect during construction

Typical construction hours are weekdays, 7 AM to 5 PM, with occasional weekend and night work. SDOT will coordinate utility work with Seattle Public Utilities (SPU), and residents who are affected by significant utility outages will receive advance notification. Other expected construction effects may include:

  • Temporary driveway impacts
  • Noise and vibration
  • Dust and debris
  • Construction staging and parking impacts near the work sites
  • Crosswalk and sidewalk closures, and detours for people walking and biking
  • Roadway closures and detours for vehicle traffic  
  • Changes in construction schedule due to unforeseen circumstances (i.e., weather, soil conditions, etc.)

Overview

15th Ave NE is a minor arterial serving northeast Seattle. Approximately 10,000 vehicles travel this street on an average day. This corridor connects the University District, Ravenna, and Maple Leaf neighborhoods, and is a major transit street, serving King County Metro routes 71, 73, and 373. This section of 15th Ave NE is home to houses, apartment buildings, businesses, and Roosevelt High School.

As part of our paving program, we'll pave approximately 1.3 miles of 15th Ave NE to make it safer and more comfortable to travel on, and to extend the useful life of the pavement.

A paving project, such as this one, provides opportunities to cost-effectively update street designs to promote safety, build features called for in citywide transportation plans, and coordinate with other projects. They also provide an opportunity for community engagement to ensure feedback is gathered and incorporated into the final design.

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, 15th Ave NE has had an above-average amount of injuries from collisions.

  • Vehicle volumes: 10,000/average day
  • Vehicle speed: 26.7 MPH (85th percentile speed)
  • Collisions: 143 in 5 years
  • Injuries: 48
  • Fatalities: 1
  • Peak hour parking restrictions: 7-9 AM (southbound) and 4-6 PM (northbound)

Since the summer of 2016, we've shared street design concepts with the community and asked how you get around your neighborhood. We sent mailers, offered an online survey, held an open house, dropped off materials, and visited businesses with door-to-door outreach.

We heard from hundreds of people about transportation safety and we appreciate everyone who took time to talk to us. Your feedback helped shape our design and here's what we heard from you:

  • Concerns about speeding
  • Desire to cross street more easily
  • Interest in using more transit and biking
  • Interest in maintaining parking
  • Discourage cut-through traffic
  • Desire for turn pockets and signals at key intersections
  • Preference for "protected" bike lanes

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. New flashing beacons will be added to the crossings at Roosevelt High School. New protected bike lanes will be introduced, and new exclusive left-turn pockets and signals will improve safety for everyone.

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
  • Removal of peak-hour parking restrictions to make parking available 24/7 on 1 side of the street
  • New protected bike lanes
  • New exclusive left-turn pockets and signals
  • Stormwater drainage improvements
  • Parking removal on 1 side of the street
  • Safe Routes to School and neighborhood greenway crossing improvements at Roosevelt High School

Improvements at Roosevelt High School

Crews recently completed work to reverse the direction of NE 68th St and NE 66th St between 12th Ave NE and 15th Ave NE (see map below for more details). These improvements are the product of an ongoing partnership between SDOT, Roosevelt High School, and Seattle Public School System, as well as feedback from local residents and businesses.

Reversing the direction of traffic around Roosevelt High School will allow school buses to load and unload on the curb side of the street, improve access for students with disabilities, reduce bus/bike conflicts on 15th Ave NE, and improve traffic flow and safety. We appreciate the involvement, feedback, and partnerships that made these improvements a reality.

Map of changes around Roosevelt High School

100% Project Map

Paving Map

100% Design Concepts

Design concept cross-sections

The cross sections above are conceptual and not to scale. Actual street widths will vary, and cross sections don't illustrate intersections.

Schedule

This is our anticipated project timeline for 15th Ave NE paving.

Fall, 2020
Construction began

Spring, 2022
Construction completion

Schedule

The Three Stages of a Project

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

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

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

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.

Preconstruction Phase

Design Phase

Contact

We're committed to building a productive, inclusive, and collaborative relationship with all who live, work, or travel in the project area. Please contact us with any questions.

Phone: 206-775-8718
Email: 15thNEpaving@seattle.gov

Community Outreach Lead
Darrell Bulmer

Project Manager
Brian Glas

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Updated: 2/8/2018