15th Ave NE Paving Project

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

Updated: January 14, 2021

What’s happening now?

Virtual office hours starting February 25

We're hosting monthly virtual office hours! Starting February 25, we invite you to "stop by" between 3 and 4 PM on the fourth Thursday of each month. Details for how to join will be posted through this email update and on our webpage in the coming weeks.

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. 

We hope to see you there! 

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

  • Roadway panel demolition and restoration at NE 69th St
  • Storm drainage, ADA curb ramp and sidewalk upgrades, and electrical work at NE 68th St
  • Storm drainage work at Cowen Pl NE
  • Water main installation between NE 70th St and NE 75th St
  • Equipment and staging materials will remain temporarily in place in the following areas:
    • NE 77th St, heading west toward 14th Ave NE and on both the north and south sides of the street. Access to driveways and alleyways along NE 77th St will be maintained.
    • NE 73rd St, heading east toward 16th Ave NE and on both the north and south sides of the street.

Temporary driveway closures at 15th Ave NE and NE 69th St

Starting as soon as Thursday, January 14, 2021, crews will be demolishing and restoring roadway panels at the intersection of 15th Ave NE and NE 69th St. Work is scheduled to last 2 to 3 weeks. We'll provide advance notification to affected neighbors.

Temporary intersection closure at 15th Ave NE (east side) and NE 68th St

Starting this week, the intersection of 15th Ave NE and NE 68th St will be closed for 3 to 4 weeks while crews work on:

  • Storm drainage
  • ADA curb ramps and sidewalk upgrades
  • Underground electrical piping for new Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon crosswalks

During this closure, access to and from 15th Ave NE will be unavailable (see map below). Some parking impacts on the south side of NE 68th St between 15th Ave NE and 16th Ave NE should be expected.

Closure map

Temporary parking impacts

This week, the two parking spots outside of 5812 15th Ave NE will be temporarily impacted while new drainage is being installed (see map below). 

Map of working area

Storm drainage and water main work

Storm drainage work at Cowen Pl NE

Storm drainage work will continue (see image below for work locations). Temporary roadway surfacing will take place at the end of every workday before reopening the road. 

Project area map

Water main reconstruction between NE 70th St and NE 75th St 

The water main between NE 70th St and NE 75th St will be reconstructed and will require overnight shutoffs (see map below for a list of address numbers affected). This work includes digging in the street and sidewalks, removing old pipes, connecting new pipes, and temporary patching the work area. This work will be after the storm drainage work is complete and may begin as soon as January 18. 

Important note: Water shutoffs will extend beyond the area shown in the image below. SPU will provide advance notification to affected neighbors. Roadway sidewalk, and driveway impacts should be expected during this work. 

Map showing location of water main work

Minimizing impacts 


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

Another feature of this project includes roadway changes near Roosevelt High School along NE 68th St and NE 66th St, between 12th Ave NE and 15th Ave NE (see image below). Changes include:

  • NE 68th St
    • Currently: One-way westbound 
    • Changing to: One-way eastbound 
  • NE 66th St
    • Currently: One-way eastbound 
    • Changing to: One-way westbound 

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

Project 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