14th Ave W Emergency Vehicle Access Project

Updated: April, 2026

What's happening now?

We’re hosting a community Q&A session  on Wednesday, May 6, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Queen Anne Library at Library at 400 W. Garfield St, Seattle, WA 98119. This session will provide an opportunity to ask questions and learn more about the project. Councilmember Kettle’s office will help facilitate the discussion.

We’re making changes to improve emergency vehicle access and traffic flow on 14th Ave W between Gilman Dr W and W Barrett St. Here’s what’s changing:

• One-way traffic: Each side of the street will become one-way. The east side (upper side) will be northbound only, and the west side (lower side) will be southbound only.
• No Parking zone:  To allow enough space for fire engines, trucks and other emergency vehicles to pass, we’ll add No Parking signs on the east side of the street. The street is not wide enough to reliably allow emergency vehicles to pass parked vehicles.

If you have questions about this project, contact Trilce Villalobos at trilce.villalobos@seattle.gov or (206) 584-4038. 

About the Project 

The Seattle Department of Transportation is making changes to 14th Ave W between Gilman Dr W and W Barrett St to improve access for emergency vehicles. These updates, requested by the Seattle Fire Department, address past challenges where narrow street conditions made it hard for fire trucks to navigate the area.

Here’s how we’re addressing this issue:

Traffic flow changes
We’re switching to one-way traffic on each side of the street. The east side will be northbound only, and the west side will be southbound only. Right now, cars can drive both directions on both sides of the street.

How will this affect you?

• You won’t be able to park on the east side (upper side) of the street.
  • We’re adding No Parking signs to allow enough space clear for emergency vehicles to pass. This side of the street is about 15 feet wide in most locations, with some areas as narrow as 14 feet 8 inches. It reflects older street design standards. Under current City design standards, a minimum of 18 feet is needed to accommodate one-way travel with parking. 
• Parking will remain available on the west side (lowers side) of the street where feasible.
  • Given the street width of slightly more than 17 feet. Although this is less than the current design standard for new streets. Therefore, we anticipate that parking will remain on the majority of the street.

These improvements will make 14th Ave W safer, easier to use, and more accessible for emergency responders. 

Parking on public streets, including in residential areas, is a limited and shared resource. It is not a reliable substitute for dedicated parking. While parking is allowed where possible on residential streets, it must also be balanced with mobility needs and property access. 

 Project Area

Schedule and Construction

• Mid-March: traffic flow changes to be implemented 
• Early April: parking restrictions to be implemented
• Good-weather-window: we’ll install pavement markings to signal parking restrictions and deter speeding.

Construction schedules are also subject to change and depend on factors such as weather and availability of crews and materials.  

Translation and interpretation

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