Even Better Bike Lanes
Project overview
We’re making many of Seattle’s protected bike lanes more durable by replacing flexible posts with hardened buffer materials like tall curbs, sometimes referred to as “Toronto barriers” and precast flat-top curbs. This work will improve separation between people biking and driving, reduce ongoing maintenance needs, and strengthen Seattle’s bike network.
Several projects have been completed, with more planned for 2025 construction that were included in the voter-approved Seattle Transportation Levy as part of a bike program goal, championed by several of the city’s bike advocacy groups, to upgrade 30% of the protected bike lane network.
Project background
We’re replacing ‘paint and post’ protected bike lanes with a variety of concrete, recycled rubber, and plastic material options to improve durability and trips for Seattle’s bike riders.
The original pilot followed the lead of cities like New York and Chicago, which implemented similar programs to help determine the best type of barriers for their protected bike lanes. As we continue to roll out new locations and pilot new materials, we will monitor the performance of these hardened buffers to see how they last and identify process improvements to upgrade the protected bike lane network across the city.
Where are we installing these barriers?
The first location was installed on NE 40th St beneath the University Bridge in 2022 using wheel stops, and we began scoping other locations citywide for feasibility.
Below is a map of the completed locations around the city, and the locations that have been scoped so far for 2025-2027 delivery. Due to limited materials as we scale up our purchasing contracts, equipment needs, and storage space after the recent approval of the voter-approved Seattle Transportation Levy, we will likely be delivering between 4-5 miles of hardened buffers along our existing PBLs as early as summer 2025. There are also a few projects in early planning to build new protected bike lanes with hardened buffers where feasible along their extent noted below.
Completed Locations (in blue)
2024 (Past Levy)
- 1. S Dearborn St from 10th Ave S to 13th Ave S - 0.36 miles
- 2. S Columbian Way from 16th Ave S to MLK - 1.00 miles
- 3. NE 40th St from Lincoln Way to 7th Ave NE - 0.16 miles
- 4. 9th Ave N from Republican to Mercer - 0.10 miles
- 5. Swift/Myrtle/Othello from S Eddy St to MLK - 1.40 miles
- 6. 4th Ave from Jefferson St to Vine St - 1.30 miles
Total 2024 Miles: 4.32
2025
- 7. 5th Ave S / S Main St from S Jackson St to 4th Ave S - 0.12 miles
- 8. SW Andover St/Yancy from Delridge to Avalon - 0.40 miles
- 9. NE Campus Pkwy from Brooklyn to U-Bridge - 0.39 miles
- 10. Yesler Way from Boren Ave to 14th Ave S - 0.16 miles
- 11. Banner Way NE from Banner Pl to NE 77th St - 0.13 miles
- 12. NE Ravenna Blvd from E Green Lake Way N to 15th Ave NE - 2.00 miles
- 13. E Union St from 14th Ave S to MLK Way - 0.84 miles
- 14. S Lander from 6th Ave S to 5th Pl S - 0.02 miles
Total 2024 Miles: 4.06
Future Planned Locations (in orange)
2026
- 1. SW Admiral Way from SW Spokane St to SW Lander St - 0.53 miles
- 2. Government/Gilman/20th from Dravus to Government Way - 1.23 miles
- 3. Wilson Ave S from Dawson to Morgan - 0.8 miles
- 4. Dearborn Phase 2 from 10th Ave S to 7th Ave S - 0.32 miles
- 5. NE 75th St from 30th to 33rd - 0.05 miles
- 6. 22nd Ave NE from NE 54th St to NE 52nd St - 0.15 miles
- 7. Renton Ave S from 55th Ave S to MLK - 1.7 miles
- 8. 4th Ave from Vine to Denny, Broad from 4th to 5th - 0.28 miles
- 9. N 92nd St from Wallingford to Corliss - 0.3 miles
- 10. S Henderson St from Seward Park Ave S to Chief Sealth Trail - 0.51 miles
Total 2026 planned miles: 5.87
2027
- 11. Western Ave from Virginia St to Union St - 0.2 miles
- 12. 9th Ave N from Westlake to Denny - 0.52 miles
Total 2027 planned miles: 0.72
How are projects selected?
Locations selected for upgrades to hardened buffers are typically already existing protected bike lane facilities that have sufficient painted buffer width to install the various types of concrete or rubberized curb materials we are using, and where minimal changes are needed to the roadway channelization. Projects are prioritized using several metrics, including:
- Known maintenance requests and concerns collected from field observations, the Find-it, Fix-it App, or other emailed community service requests to the city.
- Safety metrics like vehicular speeds and volumes along a corridor, or site conditions that would benefit bikes having more concrete protection between them and vehicles.
- Partner opportunities with other projects to cost-share on traffic control or SDOT labor and outreach.
- Locations with fewer utility & driveway conflicts as we ramp up installation and continue to test materials and how to best design and deliver upgraded bike lanes.
Equitable distribution across council districts to ensure we are addressing the maintenance burden fairly.
Why does SDOT use flexposts?
Currently, plastic posts (also known as flexposts or flexible delineators) are the most common material used for Seattle’s protected bike lanes and have continued to be the national industry standard for over a decade. Due to their availability and ease of installation, plastic posts have helped solve many of the challenges of planning and implementing new protected bike lanes. For example, the flexibility of plastic posts has allowed us to install protected bike lanes throughout the city in locations that may continue to require access for emergency vehicles.
The downside is that because they are flexible, plastic posts require continued maintenance and replacement when they are broken or detached. In 2024, over 700 flexposts were replaced by SDOT crews. Better bike lane upgrades can also decrease maintenance costs for the city over time.
Plastic flexible posts provide separation for the protected bike lane on N 92nd St in the Licton Springs neighborhood. Photo: SDOT.
Protected bike lane on NE Campus Parkway in the University District, with posts that need to be replaced. Photo credit: Seattle Neighborhood Greenways.
What options are we testing?
When considering materials for the Better Bike Lane program, we wanted to test materials that would offer an increased level of protection for bicyclists and be more durable than the current plastic delineator posts.
Precast Concrete Tall Curbs
This is also known as a Toronto Style Barrier. This is a durable alternative to cast in place concrete curbing, suitable for use on busy streets with wide buffers between the bike lane and travel lane.
Precast Parking Stops
This is a durable barrier option useful for streets with less space between the bike and travel lane.
Armadillos
Low-cost direct replacement for flex posts with potentially better durability.
(Photo credit - Bike Delaware)
Precast Flat-Top Curbs
Useful along Seattle’s many parking-protected bike lanes because vehicles pull up alongside it the same as a sidewalk curb. Very similar to cast-in-place concrete islands but with more flexibility to space them according to drainage or loading zone needs and faster, lower-impact construction.
(Photo credit - Universal Precast Concrete, Inc.)
Related Projects
Georgetown to Downtown Safety Project’s Protected Bike Lane
This project used the same low wall concrete curb that was recently installed on S Columbian Way as part of the Better Bike Barriers pilot.
4th Ave Upgrade
This project upgraded the protected bike lane on 4th Ave in downtown Seattle using funding from a grant award to install cast-in-place buffers between Jefferson and Vine.
8th Ave Upgrade
This project upgraded the protected bike lane on 8th Ave between Pike St and Westlake Ave. This project was delivered by contractors and funded by the Convention Center mitigation fund, which is supporting transportation investments near the Seattle Convention Center in downtown Seattle.
Historical Materials
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