Crossing Improvement Program
Updated November 2025
What we do
The crossing improvement program creates more street crossings and improves current ones to make them safer and more comfortable for people walking. This work is guided by the Seattle Transportation Plan (STP), which includes a Pedestrian Element that prioritizes crossings. Nearly all intersections in Seattle are legal places to cross, but there are some things that can make it easier, including:
- Marked (painted) crosswalks
- Medians or curb extensions that shorten the distance required to cross
- Flashing signs to alert drivers
- Leading pedestrian intervals that give people a head start at lights
- New traffic signals at busy intersections
- Intersection daylighting to improve visibility at intersections
Background
Seattle Transportation Levy
In 2024, Seattle voters approved the Seattle Transportation Levy. The eight-year $1.55 billion Transportation Levy will provide funding to maintain and modernize the city’s transportation infrastructure, and includes funding to make improvements at street crossings, including upgraded crosswalks, visibility improvements, pedestrian crossing signals, and more.
Upcoming Projects
Some of our upcoming projects include:
- New traffic signal at 5th Ave NE and NE Banner Way
- Stone Way N safety improvements
- Safety improvements to the intersection of Rainer Ave S and S Henderson St
- Flashing beacon at 11th Ave E and E Aloha St
- Accessibility improvements at N 137th St and Roosevelt Way N
- Enhanced crossings along 35th Ave NE
We receive many requests from community members who would like a crosswalk to be marked (painted) in their neighborhood.
When someone requests a crosswalk, SDOT first studies the location to see if painting a crosswalk is the best and safest option based on certain criteria.
We have to make difficult decisions about where to make improvements with limited resources. We generally consider the following when deciding whether to mark a crosswalk:
- If it is a non-arterial or arterial street next to a school and leads to a campus entrance
- If it is on an arterial street with no more than two travel lanes (could have a center turn lane too), relatively low-to-medium driver speeds and vehicle volumes, and has one or more of the following characteristics:
- Connects a multi-use trail
- Part of a Neighborhood Greenway or Healthy Street
- Near a busy bus stop
- Within a high equity community as defined by The Racial and Social Equity Index. This combines data on race, ethnicity, socioeconomic and health disadvantages to identify where priority populations make up relatively large proportions of neighborhood residents.
- Part of a larger infrastructure project, such as corridor repaving
- NOT on a curve or slope where sightlines are a concern
- It is several blocks to the nearest marked crosswalk
- Near destinations where we tend to see more pedestrians such as parks, community spaces (like libraries, food banks, churches), and places serving seniors, kids, or people with disabilities.
If, based on the above criteria, you feel you have a good location to mark a crosswalk, please submit your request at seattle-cwiprod.motorolasolutions.com/cwi/select under “general inquiry - transportation.”
Learn more
Translation and interpretation services available upon request: (206) 400-7511.
Dịch và thông dịch sẵn sàng nếu có sự yêu cầu (206) 400-7511. Để yêu cầu một lối băng qua đường, vui lòng gửi vị trí yêu cầu qua email đến walkandbike@seattle.gov với dòng tiêu đề [“crosswalk request”].
Servicios de traducción e interpretación disponibles bajo petición (206) 400-7511. Para pedir un cruce peatonal, envíe un correo electrónico con la ubicación a walkandbike@seattle.gov con [“crosswalk request”] en el asunto del mensaje.
Turjubaanka waxaa lagu heli karaa codsasho a (206) 400-7511. Hadii aad rabto inaad codsato isgoys, Fadlan goobta meesha uu ku yaal iimaylkaan ku soo dir walkandbike@seattle.gov Mawduuca iimaylkana waxaad ka dhigtaa [“crosswalk request”].
요청하시면 번역이나 통역을 제공해드립니다 (206) 400-7511. 횡단보도 설치를 요청하려면 [“crosswalk request”]라는 제목의 메일을 walkandbike@seattle.gov로 보내 해당 위치를 알려주십시오.
如果您需要此信息翻譯成中文 請致電 (206) 400-7511. 欲請求設置行人穿越道，請使用電子郵件將確切地點以郵件主旨 [“crosswalk request”] 發送至walkandbike@seattle.gov。
Tagalog mangyari lamang na tumawag sa (206) 400-7511. Upang humiling ng tawiran, i-email ang lokasyon sa walkandbike@seattle.gov na mayroon linya ng paksa [“crosswalk request”]