12th Avenue S Vision Zero Project

August 16, 2021

This project is complete!

The 12th Ave S Vision Zero project is complete!We want to thank community members and neighbors for your continued support and patience with our construction work.

Project Overview

12th Avenue S is a crucial bike, pedestrian, and transit corridor through some of the densest and most diverse parts of the city, connecting Little Saigon to Beacon Hill. As Seattle grows and demand on the street increases from everyone from residents of Yesler Terrace to businesses and patrons in Little Saigon to bicyclists arriving from Beacon Hill or the Mountain to Sounds Trail, it is important to ensure that 12th Ave S serves as a safe and accessible route for people of all ages and abilities. In partnership with neighboring communities, SDOT is committed to identifying and investing in safety and mobility improvements along the corridor.

There has been more than 15 total combined vehicle and pedestrian and vehicle and bicyclist collisions reported at the intersection of 12th Ave S and S Weller St, 24 total combined collisions between S Weller St and S Charles St, and 5 combined collisions at the intersection of 12th Ave S and S Charles St between 2004 and 2017.

Together with the community and the people who visit the neighborhood, we determined the specific nature and design elements of the necessary changes. We considered traffic calming, signal modifications, and pedestrian and bicycle safety enhancements. See below for project map and more detail.

While the Bicycle Master Plan Implementation Plan recommends a Protected Bike Lane on 12th Ave S between E Yesler Way and S Charles St, this project focused on the segment between S King St and S Charles St. The segment of 12th Ave north of this project, connecting S King St to E Yesler Way, was part of the Seattle City Council Resolution 31826 (Seattle Center City Bike Network) passed in July 2018. However, SDOT conducted traffic data analysis and modeling of the corridor as a whole and found that adding a Protected Bike Lane north of S King St would impact intersections at E Yesler Way, Boren Ave, and S Jackson St, adding significant delay and queue lengths. Streetcar and transit would experience the most delays. In balancing our modal priorities of streetcar speed and reliability, transit needs, and bicycle safety, this project can not continue north of S King St at this time. SDOT staff is continuing to evaluate alternatives to continue all ages and abilities bike facilities north.

Project Map

Vision Zero 12th Ave S Project Map

Project Details

This project included:

Install safety enhancements for people walking and biking at S King, S Weller St and S Charles St
Reduce speeds of vehicular traffic on 12th Ave S at the Jose Rizal Bridge
Improve the walking and bicycle connections along and across 12th Ave S
During the initial project planning phase, we analyzed traffic data and safety information, heard community concerns, and reviewed SDOT's modal plan recommendations for walking, biking, transit and freight.
- The final design incorporated feedback we heard from the community and broader public, and included a new protected northbound left turn signal at 12th Ave S and S Weller St, in-lane bus stops at 12th Ave S just south of Weller St, and a one-way protected bike lane on either side of 12th Ave S.

Northwest corner of 12th Ave S and S King St	Northeast corner of 12th Ave S and S King St
Southwest corner of 12th Ave S and S King St	Southeast corner of 12th Ave S and S King St
West side of 12th Ave S at S Weller St (looking north)	East side of 12th Ave S at S Weller St (looking north)
Southwest corner of 12th Ave S and S Weller St (looking south)	Southeast corner of 12th Ave S and S Weller St
West side of 12th Ave S, south of S Weller St (looking north)	East side of 12th Ave S, south of S Weller St (looking north)
Proposed all-way stop at 10th Ave S and S Weller St	Jose Rizal Bridge (looking south)