35th Ave NE

Updated: May 6, 2019

What’s happening now?

Construction update

As soon as Monday April 27, we will be wrapping up the final phase of the 35^th Ave NE project.

Most of the work was completed in 2019, but there are a few remaining items to complete the project in its entirety. In this final phase we'll be working on the installation of survey monuments, casting adjustments, and curb ramp adjustments for drainage. The areas where we'll be working are 35^th Ave NE between NE 75^th St and NE 89^th St, and the intersection of 35^th Ave NE and NE 50^th St. In order to complete this work in the right-of-way, we will be placing no parking signs in the work zones. Please be sure to move your vehicle from these areas in order to avoid towing. Thank you in advance for your patience as we complete the work on this project.

What you can expect: Working hours are Monday through Friday, 7 AM - 3:30 PM and the work will last approximately two weeks. There will be parking restrictions in work zones and signage will be placed 72 hours in advance. Expect traffic revisions and flaggers, noise, dust, and vibrations.

Questions about construction? Sign up for our construction email listserv using the form to the right. Email the project team at 35thAvePaving@seattle.gov or call 206-512-3950.

Project Overview and Description

35th Ave NE is an arterial serving northeast Seattle and approximately 12,500 drivers on an average day. 35th Ave NE connects the Ravenna-Bryant and Wedgwood neighborhoods and is home to religious institutions, retail establishments, a post office, library, and many private residences. It's also a transit route with service connecting northeast Seattle to the U District, Link light rail, and downtown Seattle.

This project will:

Repave the roadway*: This will extend the life of the pavement, making the roadway safer and smoother for travel.
Improve safety: We’ve seen decreased vehicle speeds and decreased collision rates on streets with 1 lane in each direction and a center turn lane. Examples include NE 75th St, NE 125th St, and Nickerson St. By slowing vehicle speeds and better defining the travel lanes, this helps increase safety for everyone on 35th, including people crossing the street.
Improve the intersection at NE 75th St: We're adding left-turn pockets for northbound and southbound traffic on 35th Ave NE at NE 75th St.
Minimize parking impacts: Throughout this project, we’ve worked with businesses and religious organizations along 35th to better understand parking, loading, and access needs. Parking will be maintained on the east side of the street, instead of both sides (between NE 47th and NE 85th streets). Peak-hour restrictions (between 4 - 6 PM) will be removed to make parking more predictable for all.
Improve speed and reliability for people riding transit: We're working with King County Metro to consolidate some stops to improve speed and reliability, particularly on Route 65. The new design will also allow efficient transit travel through the corridor with southbound buses making in-lane stops at the curb.
Upgrade sidewalks: In select locations, we've upgraded curb ramps to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards and repaired sidewalks.

Project Design Elements

NE 47th St to NE 65th St

Parking will be maintained on the east side of the street, instead of both sides
One lane in each direction
No center turn lane given the narrow width of the road

NE 65th St to NE 85th St

Parking will be maintained on the east side of the street, instead of both sides
One lane in each direction
Center turn lane

NE 85th St to NE 89th St

Parking maintained on both sides of the street
One lane in each direction
Center turn lane

Throughout the corridor

Pedestrian crossing improvements at NE 60th St and NE 80th St, with further evaluation of additional requests after the project is complete
New left-turn pockets at NE 75th St as well as space for left-turning vehicles to pull out of the travel lane at many other intersections
Signage and crossing enhancements on the 39th Ave NE greenway
New load zones and short-term parking changes, in coordination with nearby businesses

Each year, we pave arterial streets in poor condition to make them safer, smoother, and to extend their useful life. We prioritize paving projects based on pavement condition, traffic volume, geographic equity, cost, and opportunities for grants or coordination with other projects in the area. Paving streets also creates opportunities to improve street safety and move people and goods more efficiently in a growing Seattle. Read more about our current paving projects.

*Between NE 65th and NE 55th streets, 35th Ave NE is made up of concrete panels that were replaced a few years ago. This section is included in the project area for street design improvements but will not be paved.

Updated Paving and Safety Projects Map
Click to enlarge

In addition to paving, the new design includes:

A center turn lane north of NE 65th St
Pedestrian crossing improvements at NE 60th St and NE 80th St, with further evaluation of additional requests after the project is complete
New left-turn pockets at NE 75th St as well as space for left-turning vehicles to pull out of the travel lane at many other intersections
Parking maintained on east side of street (between NE 47th and NE 85th streets)
Signage and crossing enhancements on the 39th Ave NE greenway
New load zones and short-term parking changes, in coordination with nearby businesses

Click to enlarge

Design Update

Since the early stages of the 35th Ave NE Project, we've heard support from the community for changes to the street that improve safety. When the project began, the goal was to better organize the street, increasing safety for everyone. To meet this goal, we proposed a design that included bike lanes consistent with recommendations in the Bike Master Plan.

In response to the feedback we heard about the design, and based on industry best practices, data analysis, and continued conversations with the community, we’ve chosen to move forward with a new design that includes 1 travel lane in each direction, a center turn lane (north of 65th) and parking maintained on the east side of the street (between NE 47th and NE 85th streets).

Better street design can lead to safer streets. The new design helps us improve safety and operations for all travelers on 35th by providing a dedicated space for turning vehicles. We’ve seen decreased vehicle speeds and decreased collision rates on streets with 1 lane in each direction and a center turn lane. Examples include NE 75th St, NE 125th St, and Nickerson St. By slowing vehicle speeds and better defining the travel lanes, this helps increase safety for everyone on 35th, including people crossing the street. While there would be no protected bike lanes on 35th, people riding in the street would still benefit from slower vehicle speeds and clearly defined travel lanes. We will also be making enhancements to the parallel neighborhood greenway on 39th Ave NE that provides a route for people that prefer to bike on a quieter street.

To make space for the center turn lane, parking will be maintained on the east side of the street, instead of both sides. Throughout this project, we’ve worked with businesses and religious organizations along 35th to better understand parking, loading, and access needs. With the new design, we have decided to prioritize parking on the east side of the street. This decision is based on community feedback and the location of several existing load zones and ADA parking spaces on the east side of the street. We’ve heard these spaces are critical for people with limited mobility that are attending services at the religious institutions on 35th.

The new design addresses many concerns we’ve heard from the community however, we’ve also heard requests for additional enhancements along the corridor. SDOT is evaluating these requests and will share more information as we have it.

How the new design achieves what we've heard from the public

What we’ve heard	Description	Achieved with new design?
Request for slower vehicle speeds	We’ve seen decreased vehicle speeds and decreased collision rates on streets with 1 lane in each direction and a center turn lane. Examples include NE 75th St, NE 125th St, and Nickerson St. Next steps: We’ll evaluate the request to lower the speed limit to 25 mph after construction is complete.	Yes
Request for safer crossings for pedestrians	Slower vehicle speeds and a dedicated space for turning vehicles makes the street better organized, improving safety for everyone. Next steps: We’re also considering options to better organize the street and minimize the crossing distance for people walking at the curve at NE 47th St.	Yes
Request for additional crosswalks	We’re adding flashing beacons at existing crosswalks at NE 60th and NE 80th streets. Next steps: We’ll evaluate additional crossing enhancement requests at 50th, 77th, and 87th after project completion.	Needs further evaluation
Request that on-street parking be maintained	While there continues to be preference to maintain the existing level of parking, the new design that maintains parking on one side of the street, rather than both sides, had some support during mediated conversations and recent targeted outreach. Next steps: We’ll continue to work with businesses on the corridor on short-term parking and load zone requests.	Needs further evaluation
Request that short-term parking and load zones are available for people with limited mobility	We’ve heard from businesses and religious organizations about the importance of keeping the existing load zones and ADA parking spaces on the east side of the street. Based on feedback from businesses, we’ve already made some changes to accommodate load zones that will be removed on the west side of the street. That includes new 2-hour parking near the Seattle Public Library and new load zones on side streets for other businesses. Next steps: We’ll continue working with businesses on short-term parking and load zone needs. This will include consideration of additional ADA-designated parking spaces on the corridor upon request from the adjacent property owner or business.	Yes
Request for protected bike lanes on 35th Ave NE as designated in the Bike Master Plan	The new design will not include bike lanes on 35th Ave NE. We will update the markings and signage along 39th Ave NE to enhance the existing neighborhood greenway. Next steps: We’ll continue working with stakeholders and community members as part of our Bike Master Plan efforts to identify any potential areas for enhanced bike network connections in northeast Seattle.	Needs further evaluation
Request for bike routes on side streets only	The existing neighborhood greenway on 39th Ave NE will continue to provide a route for people biking. We’re evaluating additional crossing enhancements on this greenway at NE 65th St.	Yes
Request to minimize congestion on 35th Ave NE	SDOT has completed an updated traffic study. Travel times with the new design will remain about the same, but the center turn lane will allow through-traffic to move more freely by providing space for turning vehicles. Northbound buses will be able to pull to the curb at bus stops, out of the travel lane. Southbound buses will make in-lane stops at the curb at bus stops.	Yes
Request for left-turn pockets and left-turn traffic signals at key intersections	The new design includes new left-turn pockets at NE 75th St and maintains existing left-turn pockets at NE 85th St. Next steps: We’ll review feasibility for left-turn pockets at NE 65th St. Left-turn signals at NE 75th St will require additional funding for a signal rebuild that would need to be identified.	Yes
Request to minimize cut-through traffic on side streets	The new design will include a center turn lane and left-turn pockets at NE 75th St, allowing through-traffic to move more freely by providing space for turning vehicles. Next steps: We are gathering before and after speed and volume data to see if additional traffic calming measures are needed on side streets.	Yes

History and Background

Since the summer of 2016, we've shared street design concepts with the community and asked how you get around your neighborhood. We held an open house, hosted an online survey, went door-to-door to businesses, presented to community groups, and sent several pieces of direct mail to over 24,000 residents in northeast Seattle.

We heard from hundreds of people about transportation safety and we appreciate everyone who took time to talk to us. While we heard that many people in the neighborhood use their personal vehicle for travel, we also heard that people would like to take transit, walk, and bike more. In addition, there was strong support to improve safety for people crossing the street. Our primary goals for this project reflect those comments by enhancing safety and predictability for everyone using the street.

People engaging with SDOT at an outreach event

In addition to taking community feedback, we analyzed traffic and parking data and reviewed freight, transit, bike, and pedestrian master plan recommendations. Some of our findings included:

Vehicle volumes: 12,500/average day
Vehicle speed: 31 MPH (85th percentile speed)
Collisions: 113 in 5 years
Peak hour parking restrictions: 7-9 AM (southbound) and 4-6 PM (northbound)
Parking utilization: Midday peak average: ~40% and highest utilization at commercial nodes, between NE 68th and NE 77th streets and at the NE 85th St intersection

Schedule

This is our anticipated project timeline, but dates are subject to change.

Summer/Fall 2016

Project planning and outreach.

Spring 2017

Street concept design and outreach.

Fall 2017

Outreach to residents, businesses, and property owners.

Late 2017

Finish design.

Early 2018

Pre-construction coordination with community.

Spring/Summer 2018

Begin construction.

Spring 2019

Complete construction.

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.

Get Involved

We're committed to keeping you informed and working with neighbors to limit construction impacts to the extent feasible. Here are some ways to get more information about the project:

Review project materials linked below
Subscribe for project email updates
Request a briefing for your business or organization (contact us via phone or email)

Outreach to Date

June 2018 - Present

Ongoing outreach during construction with project near neighbors.

April 2018

Ravenna Bryant Community Association Annual Membership Meeting.

November 2017

Northeast District Council briefing.

October 2017

Public meeting and walking tours.

Congregation Beth Shalom presentation.

Trick-or-treat at Wedgwood businesses drop-in.

September 2017

Door-to-door business and residential outreach.

May 2017

District 4 Council Leadership Event presentation.

Ravenna Bryant Community Association presentation.

March 2017

Wedgwood Community Council presentation.

December 2016

Seattle Bicycle Advisory Board presentation.

October - November 2016

Shared first design concepts with community and asked for input via North Seattle Paving Projects survey at the following forums:

October 2016 Public Open House
October 2016 University District Farmer's Market Booth
November 2016 Roosevelt High School presentation
November 2016 Wedgwood Community Council presentation
November 2016 Door-to-door business outreach
November 2016 U-District Livability Open House booth

Received 650 total responses to survey.

July 2016

Seattle Freight Advisory Board presentation.

June 2016

Seattle Pedestrian Advisory Board presentation.