Community Outreach

West Seattle Low Bridge

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Reconnect West Seattle is a vision to restore travel across the Duwamish to similar levels seen before the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge closure, while also reducing the impact of increased traffic on communities in the Duwamish Valley. 

As the phased reopening of our economy continues, we can reconnect West Seattle by working with the community and our partners to identify challenges and prioritize solutions that help more people who are able to elect to safely ride the bus, bike, walk, or take a water taxi. 

There are four parts to Reconnect West Seattle:  

Mobility Action Plan: It is possible to return a similar level of travel across the Duwamish, but to get there, we need every person in West Seattle to, within their means, consider how they can change their travel patterns. The Mobility Action Plan will outline what SDOT and our partners are doing to support travel on and off the West Seattle peninsula. Learn more about the Mobility Action Plan. 

Neighborhood Prioritization Process: We are committed to providing an additional layer of support for neighborhoods along the detour route that most acutely impacted by increased traffic. This communities include Roxhill, Highland Park, Riverview, South Delridge, SODO, Georgetown, and South Park. Learn more about the Neighborhood Prioritization Process.

Bike Network Prioritization Process: The Bike Network Prioritization Process aims to fill gaps in our existing bike network in West Seattle so more people feel safe and empowered to bike commute, if able. We know not everyone can substitute a bike for all or even a portion of their trips to and from West Seattle. For those who can, however, it will be essential that they explore this option. Learn more about the Bike Network Connectivity Strategy.

Freight Network Prioritization Process: The Freight Network Prioritization Process portion of the Reconnect West Seattle framework aims to fill gaps in the freight network and build needed connections. Access to Terminal 5, Terminal 18, and other key locations in the Spokane Street and West Marginal Way corridors will be a focus of this effort. Learn more about the Freight Network Prioritization Process.  

Traffic in West Seattle is getting worse: Tell us what you need to move on and off the West Seattle peninsula.  
If you live or work in West Seattle, please take the Reconnect West Seattle Survey!  

We have gathered great input from the community, but we want to make sure our list is complete and no ideas were overlooked. This survey is your chance to let SDOT and our partners know what you need to move on and off the West Seattle peninsula at similar rates to before the High-Rise Bridge closure, but with a significant reduction in travel lanes. 

Take the Reconnect West Survey

Your participation will help us prioritize the right improvements in a highly resource constrained environment due to COVID-19 impacts. The survey will be open until July 31 and is available in multiple languages. 

Reconnect West Seattle Survey:

For a paper survey or more information, please contact WestSeattleBridge@seattle.gov or 206.xxx.xxxx 

Additionally, if you live or work in one of the following neighborhoods, please fill out your Neighborhood Prioritization Process Ballot. 

In order to deal with the major increase in traffic on the detour routes, we are looking to the community to help us prioritize what transportation projects we should put in place immediately. 

 The ballots includes lists of potential  projects that were generated from ideas we have received from community, along with some of our own ideas, and projects from existing transportation and neighborhood plans, like the Bike Master Plan, Transit Master Plan, and the Pedestrian Master Plan. While a much larger mix of projects remain on our radar, we recognize the need for immediate action. Therefore, the lists includes projects that 1) can be completed within a year, and 2) cost less than $100,000.   

These Neighborhood Prioritization Process Ballots are your chance to choose your top 10 projects that SDOT should carry forward.    

The ballots will be open until July 31 and is available in multiple languages.

Roxhill, Highland Park, Riverview, & South Delridge Ballot: English, Español, 繁體中文, af Soomaali, Tiếng Việt, Oromiffa, ភាសាខ្មែរ  

Georgetown Ballot: English, Español, 繁體中文, af Soomaali, 한국어, Tiếng Việt  SODO Ballot: English, Español, 繁體中文, Tiếng Việt  South Park Ballot: English, Español, 繁體中文,af Soomaali, Tiếng Việt, ភាសាខ្មែរ 

 For paper ballots or more information, please contact westseattlebridge@seattle.gov or 206.400.7511.  

We are also looking to prioritize projects to support our bike network and freight access.

If you currently use or would like to use bike facilities in the West Seattle and neighboring areas, please take the Reconnect West Seattle Survey to help prioritize bike network improvements.   

Freight access conversations are underway now with the Seattle Freight Advisory Board and maritime/industrial stakeholders. If you'd like to learn more, please contact westseattlebridge@seattle.gov or 206.400.7511. 

The Challenge

The challenge for all of us is that prior to the bridge closure, a good portion of people in West Seattle drove cars on and off the peninsula. Now that the bridge is closed, there are not enough travel lanes to support the same number of cars on the road. We need people to start thinking about other ways to move around. We want to know what you would need to make that change.

Pie chart of how people got around in 2019. 81% used cars, 17% used buses, 1% used water taxis, 1% used bikes. No data for teleworking or people walking. These numbers represent eastbound trips per hour during peak morning travel timesPie chart showing impact if no actions were taken now that the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge is closed. 17% people in buses, 28% people in cars, 1% people on water taxis, 1% people in cars, 53% reduced bridge capacity. Numbers represent eastbound trips per hour during peak morning travel times  
Before the bridge closure, there were 21 vehicle travel lanes crossing the Duwamish River. Now there are 12 that are mostly in the southern part of West Seattle. During peak eastbound morning commute hours in 2019, car trips made up about 82% of all trips crossing the Duwamish. If no actions are taken to help those who previously drove, there would be a 53% gap once traffic slowly returns to pre-COVID levels. This is the challenge that we must collectively solve to reconnect West Seattle.  The closure creates unique challenges in different parts of West Seattle and surrounding communities:   North: While the north end of the peninsula has a driving capacity disadvantage today, there are promising water, transit and rolling opportunities in 2021South: The bridge closure and detour disproportionately impacts the south end of West Seattle where communities already face higher levels of pollution, including:

  • Proximity to the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund site, one of the most toxic hazardous waste sites in the nation  
  • Air pollution from a disproportionate number of polluting industries  
  • Air pollution from surrounding major highways - State Highways 99 and 509, and I-5  

Consequently, people in these southen communities face greater health, public safety, and economic disparities, including higher rates of asthma and lower rates for life expectancy. This is also a race and social justice issue as the Duwamish Valley community is far more diverse than much of Seattle. In South Park, 63% of residents are people of color and 40% speak a language other than English at home.  

The Solution

With help from us and our transportation partners, we need every person in West Seattle to, within their means, consider how they can change how they travel. We need more people to start taking the bus and water taxi, riding bikes, walking, or continue to work from home. Please take our survey and tell us how we can help you make these changes.  

To accomplish this, we're setting some ambitious targets for ourselves - and for you - to change how you get around in the future when social distancing requirements are lifted. You can see the data behind these goals in our Reconnect West Seattle Framework. Here is our goal for have people get around in 2021 during peak commute hours, typically 6-9 am and 3-7 pm, and the change needed to get there: Pie chart showing our goal for how people get around in 2021. People in cars 35%, People in buses 30%, people on water taxis 10%, people on bikes 10%, people walking 5% The change needed per hour for hour people get around. 4,600 less people drive. 1,1280 more people take the bus, 950 more people take water taxi, 940 more people ride bike, 1,000 more people telework, 500 more people walk

The Reconnect West Seattle Survey is your chance to let SDOT and our partners know what you need to help you change your travel patterns.   Reconnect West Seattle Survey

WHAT IS SDOT DOING RIGHT NOW? 

We know that not everyone will be able to change the way they travel. We are doing what we can to help people who continue to drive cars and freight trucks, as well as ride bikes, by updating the markings on the road, adjusting signal timing, and improving road signs. We are also continuing to monitor the condition of the bridge and are currently looking at all options to either repair or replace the bridge. In addition we are: 

  • Working with neighborhoods like Highland Park, South Park, Georgetown, and SODO to prioritize projects that will reduce the impact of increased detour traffic through their communities 
  • Prioritizing transit connections to and from West Seattle 
  • Building new bicycle projects
  • Establishing and improving the detour routes through revised traffic signal timing, signage, and real-time information 

The Path Forward

Flow chart showing Reconnect West Seattle framework. 1 SDOT collects all ideas from community and partners for the initial reconnect west Seattle proposals. 2 Sdot develops initial neighborhood proposals and mobility proposals. 3 The community decides which projects to prioritize through public input. 4 SDOT with help from Community task force updates plans for community endorsement and creates and updated reconnect west seattle proposal. 5 implement Reconnect West Seattle plan and begin building projects and starting programs through

Neighborhood Prioritization Process

ROXHILL, HIGHLAND PARK, RIVERVIEW & S DELRIDGE | SODO | GEORGETOWN | SOUTHPARK

In order to deal with the major increase in traffic on the detour routes, we are looking to the community to help us prioritize what transportation projects we should put in place immediately. We have compiled a list of transportation projects in SODO, South Park, Georgetown, Roxhill, Highland Park, Riverview, and South Delridge and are asking these communities to prioritize projects that will be most helpful at this time to improve safety and traffic outcomes.   

YOUR VOICE IS NEEDED: FILL OUT YOUR BALLOT 

If you live or work in Roxhill, Highland Park, Riverview, South Delridge, SODO, Georgetown, or South Park, fill out your neighborhood prioritization process ballot by July 31st.

We are very interested in making this an inclusive process and would like to hear from all community members that live or work in these neighborhoods. We are especially invested in hearing from people that have traditionally not been involved in these conversations in the past. As such, we encourage you to please share these surveys widely.   

Roxhill, Highland Park, Riverview, & South Delridge Ballot: English, Español, 繁體中文, af Soomaali, Tiếng Việt, Oromiffa, ភាសាខ្មែរ 

Georgetown Ballot: English, Español, 繁體中文, af Soomaali, 한국어, Tiếng Việt 

SODO Ballot: English, Español, 繁體中文, Tiếng Việt

South Park Ballot: English, Español, 繁體中文,af Soomaali, Tiếng Việt, ភាសាខ្មែរ 

Paper ballots in all languages are included included in the Materials section of this webpage. 

THE PROJECT LISTS 

The list of  potential  projects was generated from ideas we have received from the community, along with some of our own ideas, and projects from existing transportation and neighborhood plans, like the Bike Master Plan, Transit Master Plan, and the Pedestrian Master Plan. While a much larger mix of projects remain on our radar, we recognize the need for immediate action. Therefore, the lists include projects that can be completed quickly and cost less than $100,000.

MAKING A PLAN TOGETHER  

After the ballots close, SDOT will work with the West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force to look at the ideas presented to us through the lens of budget restrictions, potential transportation-related conflict, equity, safety, mobility, sustainability, livability and community support.   We will make every attempt to honor the neighborhoods' feedback and suggestions; however, not all projects will be able to move forward. Once the plans are developed, we will hold a follow-up meeting with the neighborhoods to discuss and create a plan for action. We should note that as we better understand the financial implications of the new economy, we'll work with you to right-size the project list to fit the challenges we all face.   

TIMELINE 

July 10: Neighborhood Plans are released to community and ballots open   

July 10 - 31: With SDOT playing a support role, community organizations and neighborhoods will prioritize a list of potential actions and projects specific to their neighborhood.  

August: SDOT and WSB Community Task Force analyze community feedback  

September: Reconnect West Seattle Plan

Reconnect West Seattle Mobility Action Plan

The Reconnect West Seattle Mobility Action Plan aims to move as many people on and off the peninsula as possible despite significantly reduced travel lanes, while also reducing the impact of increased detour traffic through neighborhoods like Highland Park and South Park.  

In order to maintain steady movement across the Duwamish, we need every person in West Seattle to, within their means, consider how they can travel to and from West Seattle without a car.   

If you live or work in West Seattle, please take the Reconnect West Seattle Survey by July 31 and tell us what you need to help change your travel patterns!


With limited bridge capacity, SDOT and our agency partners need to provide alternatives for the traveling public that greatly reduce demands on the road network. This includes prioritizing bus and water taxi service, providing appropriate infrastructure for cyclists, and acknowledging the different options available to the various neighborhoods of West Seattle.   

SDOT is one part of a larger transportation system. Beyond bike and traffic improvements, we will work with King County Metro, the Washington State Ferries, the Washington State Department of Transportation, Sound Transit, and the Port of Seattle/Northwest Seaport Alliance to come together, make improvements, and turn this vision into a reality. 

TIMELINE

July 8-31: Mobility Action Plan Survey is open 

August: SDOT will develop an Implementation Plan based on community feedback that will identify the commitments and milestones needed to move toward implementation.  

Bike Network Prioritization Process

We have heard and gathered proposals and feedback directly from bike community members who are deeply and rightfully concerned about how they will bike on, off, and throughout the peninsula. The Bike Network Prioritization Process aims to fill gaps in our existing bike network in West Seattle so more people feel safe and empowered to bike commute, if able. We know not everyone can substitute a bike for all or even a portion of their trips to and from West Seattle. For those who can, however, it will be essential that they explore this option. 

This portion of the Reconnect West Seattle framework enables the bike community to lead and prioritize which projects you feel, as a community, will best mitigate the impacts of the High-Bridge closure and corresponding detour routes.  

YOUR VOICE IS NEEDED: TAKE THE RECONNECT WEST SEATTLE SURVEY 

If you currently use or would like to use bike facilities in the West Seattle and neighboring areas, please take the Reconnect West Seattle Survey by July 31st.  

We are very interested in making this an inclusive process and would like to hear from all community members that use or would like to use bike facilities in West Seattle. To reach the most people, we have included bike network prioritization process questions in the Reconnect West Seattle Survey. In the survey, you will be asked to prioritize your top bike network improvement projects.  

THE PROJECT LISTS 

The list of potential projects was generated from ideas we have received from community, along with some of our own ideas, and projects from existing transportation and neighborhood plans, like the Bike Master Plan, Transit Master Plan, and the Pedestrian Master Plan. While a much larger mix of projects remain on our radar, we recognize the need for immediate action. Therefore, the lists include projects that can be completed quickly and cost less than $100,000.

Here is the list of bike network projects.  

MAKING A PLAN TOGETHER 

SDOT will work with the West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force to look at the ideas presented to us through the lens of budget restrictions, potential transportation-related conflict, equity, safety, mobility, sustainability, and livability. We will make every attempt to honor the community's feedback and suggestions. However, not all projects will be able to move forward. Once the plans are developed, we will hold a follow-up meeting with your neighborhood to discuss and create a plan for action. As we better understand the financial implications of the new economy, we will work with you to right-size the project list to fit the challenges we all face. Your feedback will give us a starting place for keeping West Seattle and surrounding communities moving and safe.  

TIMELINE 

July 10: Bike Network Plans are released to community and Reconnect West Seattle Survey opens with bike project prioritization 

July 10 - 31: Community prioritizes bike projects 

August: SDOT and WSB Community Task Force analyze community feedback to inform the Reconnect West Seattle Plan 

September: Reconnect West Seattle Plan  

Freight Network Prioritization Process

The closure of the high rise bridge and increase of traffic along freight routes has greatly impacted Seattle's freight and maritime community, which supports tens of thousands of jobs along the Duwamish River and across Harbor Island, as well as the critical supply chain to Alaska, Hawaii, and across the globe. 

Maintaining the free movement of goods is critical to the economic health of the region and will be even more essential as we better understand the financial implications of the new economy. We have heard and gathered proposals and feedback directly from freight community members who are deeply and rightfully concerned about how they will move goods on, off, and through the peninsula and Harbor Island. The Freight Network Prioritization Process portion of the Reconnect West Seattle framework aims to fill gaps in the freight network and build needed connections. Access to Terminal 5, Terminal 18, and other key locations in the Spokane Street and West Marginal Way corridors will be a focus of this effort.   

THE PROJECT LISTS 

We have compiled a comprehensive list of potential freight projects recommended by the freight community and generated by SDOT. While a much larger mix of projects remain on our radar, we recognize the need for immediate action. Therefore, the lists include projects that can be completed quickly and cost less than $100,000.Here's the list of freight network projects.

MAKING A PLAN TOGETHER WITH THE FREIGHT COMMUNITY 

This process will be a partnership between SDOT, our agency partners, and the freight community. Through the West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force, we hope to engage members of the freight community including the Maritime Townhall, The Port of Seattle, and Freight Advisory Board. We are asking these groups to reach out to their constituents and prioritize the ideas and projects they feel would be most beneficial. We are here to help with technical assistance and any questions that may come up. While the freight community can decide which criteria are most important to them, we consider each of our projects through the lens of equity, safety, mobility, sustainability, livability, and community support, and think these could serve as a helpful metric for you, too. We are also asking you to consider the cost of implementing ideas. We will be using these same criteria to determine which projects to consider. Everyone can be involved in this process even if you are not connected with the freight community. To share your feedback, contact us at westseattlebridge@seattle.gov or 206-400-7511.  

TIMELINE 

Through June 2020: SDOT has been working with the Seattle Freight Advisory Board to identify and review the different sets of freight strategies.  

July - August 2020: SDOT will work with freight and maritime industry stakeholders and the Seattle Freight Advisory Board to prioritize a list of potential actions and projects specific to this modal networks. 

September 2020: We will work with our engineers, the West Seattle Community Task Force and the Mayor's Office to consider projects the community has prioritized. We will report back to the community on the next steps and path forward.  

Reconnect West Seattle Outreach Materials

Outreach to date:

 

Transportation

Greg Spotts, Director
Address: 700 5th Ave, Suite 3800, Seattle, WA, 98104
Mailing Address: PO Box 34996, Seattle, WA, 98124-4996
Phone: (206) 684-7623
684-Road@seattle.gov

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The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is on a mission to deliver a transportation system that provides safe and affordable access to places and opportunities for everyone as we work to achieve our vision of Seattle as a thriving, equitable community powered by dependable transportation.