Othello and Rainier Beach Healthy Street
Updated July 2025
What's Happening Now?
We are excited to announce that Hillman City/Othello Healthy Street is becoming permanent! The permanent Healthy Street includes:
- 39th Ave S between S Graham St and S Morgan St
- S Morgan St between S 39th Ave S and 42nd Ave S
- 42nd St S between S Morgan St and S Willow St
- 44th Ave S between S Willow St and S Myrtle St
- S Myrtle St between 44th Ave S and 45th Ave S
- 45th Ave S between S Myrtle St and S Othello S
The Hillman City/Othello Healthy Street will have the typical Healthy Street intersection treatments on each block, including Healthy Street signs, concrete sign bases and planters, and painted curb bulbs. We’re also adding stop signs at 9 intersections. You can read more in the Design section below.
Sign up for project email updates for the latest information! We’ll share more information about the Hillman City/Othello Healthy Street as we continue design and prepare for construction. We’ll also share information about opportunities to sign up to maintain a Hillman City/Othello Healthy Street planter. You can sign up for email updates to get the latest news and updates.
Pictured above: the two permanent Healthy Street sign options. On the left is a Healthy Street sign with a planter, and on the right is a sign with the concrete base.
Project Map
Hillman City/Othello Area
What are Healthy Streets?
Healthy Streets are closed to pass-through traffic, but open to people walking, rolling, biking, or playing. They provide more space for people to use the street with the goal of improving community and individual health. Permanent Healthy Streets have:
- Signs with concrete bases, planters, and painted curb bulbs at each intersection. We typically do not need to remove any legal street parking to make these intersection upgrades. The changes help improve visibility by preventing people from parking too close to the intersection.
- Other design features to calm traffic and improve safety for people walking, biking, and rolling. This can include features such as street markings, speed humps, stop signs, flashing beacons, and crosswalks.
Both Healthy Streets and Neighborhood Greenways have features to calm traffic and prioritize people walking, biking, and rolling. Neighborhood Greenways do not have the same signs and intersection features discouraging pass-through traffic used on Healthy Streets. Healthy Streets can also be used as Play Streets without needing a permit.
You can learn more about the Healthy Streets and Neighborhood Greenways on our webpages.
Design Elements
New stop signs at intersections on the Hillman City/Othello Healthy Street, Neighborhood Greenway and near Martin Luther King Jr Elementary School:
We’re adding stop signs at 9 intersections in coordination with the Safe Routes to School program. Locations include:
- 39th Ave S and S Morgan St
- 42nd Ave S and S Willow St
- 44th Ave S and S Willow St
- 44th Ave S and S Myrtle St
- 44th Ave S and S Holly St
- 45th Ave S and S Holly St
- 45th Ave S and S Willow St
- 45th Ave S and S Myrtle St
- 46th Ave S and S Holly St
Map showing locations of new all way stop signs
Safety Enhancements at S Webster St and 46th Ave S:
- New stop signs with stop bar markings indicating where to stop on the east and west sides of the intersection of S Webster St and 45th Ave S.
- New stop signs with stop bar markings indicating where to stop on the north and south sides of the intersection of S Webster St and 46th Ave S.
Safety Enhancements at S Kenyon St and 46th Ave S:
- A mural installation by local artist Damon Brown. The mural design was based on artwork and ideas created by Dunlap Elementary School students.
- Additional stop signs and stop bars to create new all-way stops at the intersection(s).
New street mural on S Kenyon St
Adults and kids ride their bikes on the Othello Healthy Street at the new S Kenyon St mural
Safety Enhancements at S Cloverdale St and 46th Ave S:
- New crossing lights, also known as Rectangular Rapid-Flashing Beacons (RRFB), on the east side of the intersection of S Cloverdale St and 46th Ave S.
- A new crosswalk on the north side of the intersection of S Cloverdale St and 46th Ave S.
- Relocated the existing stop sign and stop bar closer to the intersection to improve lines of sight.
What to expect during construction
We will let you know before construction of the permanent Healthy Street begins. During construction, you can expect:
- Typical work hours from 7 AM to 5 PM. Work usually happens on weekdays but sometimes it can occur on weekends.
- Noise and vibration
- Dust and debris
- Construction staging and parking impacts near the work sites
- “No Parking” areas and other parking impacts
- Crosswalk and sidewalk closures, with detours for people walking and biking
- Roadway closures and detours for vehicle traffic
- Tree trimming (for sign visibility)
Construction schedules can change due to things like weather and crew availability. We encourage you to sign up for email updates to get the most updated information on construction.
Materials
- Othello Evaluation Report (2025)
- Othello and Rainier Beach Healthy Street & Bike to Books Fact Sheet (Aug 2024)
- Othello and Rainier Beach Healthy Street Construction Flyer (Jul 2024)
- Othello and Rainier Beach Healthy Street Construction Postcard (Jul 2024)
- Othello Neighborhood Greenway (Dunlap ES Extension) Mailer (Oct 2023)
- Rainier Valley–South Evaluation Report (2023)