Healthy Streets
Updated May 22, 2023
What's happening now?
Play on Your Healthy Street! Across Seattle neighborhoods have embraced their Healthy Streets. One of the many reason is Healthy Streets are closed to pass through traffic, meaning you don't need a permit to host a Play Street. Many neighbors have taken advantage of the No Permit Required status of Healthy Streets to easily host their own events like community dinners, neighborhood gatherings, and Play Streets. We want to continue to celebrate and support neighbors that want to have fun on their Healthy Streets by providing free Healthy Street kits. The Healthy Street kits include updated signage and stringers that are required to be posted on each end of the block. We also have a limited quantity of fun giveaways that we can include in the kit for kids and adults to play with on the street. If you are interested, you can sign-up here and we will be in contact to coordinate sending you a Play on Your Healthy Street kit. Please continue to scroll down for more information.
Healthy Street Status:We introduced Healthy Streets during the pandemic in 2020 as a way for Seattleites to get outside safely and stay active in local neighborhoods throughout the city. Healthy Streets are open for people walking, rolling, biking, and playing, and closed to pass-through traffic.
We updated our Healthy Streets across Seattle based on the trends we’ve seen in terms of community use and public feedback. Next, we will:
- Make some locations permanent Healthy Streets
- Return some locations to neighborhood greenways, which they were prior to the pandemic
- Further review some Healthy Streets and conduct more outreach to determine next steps. These locations will remain Healthy Streets until further notice.
At each location, there may be a combination of permanent Healthy Streets, neighborhood greenways, and/or areas for further review and outreach. Below is a map that shows the plan for Healthy Streets locations moving forward. If you’d like to provide feedback on a current Healthy Street location, please fill out this form. You can also click on the Healthy Street neighborhood project pages listed below to get more information on that location.
Outreach and Community Engagement: Thank you to everyone that stopped by our Bike Everywhere Stations across the City and provided us your thoughts on the Healthy Street. If you didn't make it, you can still your feedback by going here.
Image of our Central Distirct Healthy Street outreach event for Bike Everywhere Day. Credit: SDOT
Program Overview
What are Healthy Streets?
Healthy Streets are closed to pass through traffic, but open to people walking, rolling, biking, and playing. The goal of this program is to open up more space for people rather than cars—improving community and individual health.
Healthy Streets can include:
- Traffic safety features like easier crossings at busy streets, speed humps to slow down drivers, and sign and pavement markings to help people find their way
- Neighborhood activities like hopscotch and basketball (that you would otherwise need to get a street closure permit for)
- Intersections with traffic circles and street murals to discourage people from driving on Healthy Streets unless they have to
Pictured: Greenwood permanent Healthy Street (left) | Mural art by Romel Belleza on Little Brook's Healthy Street (right)
What does this mean for drivers?
- People driving who need to get to homes and destinations along Healthy Streets are still able to drive on these streets; drivers should use extra caution and yield to people
- People enjoying the street should be mindful of drivers trying to get to homes and destinations as well
Check out our Frequently Asked Questions and PowerPoint videos for more info: English • Español • አማርኛ • Tiếng việt • af-Soomaali • 한국어 • 简体中文 • 繁体字 • Tagalog • ትግርኛ
Healthy Street locations:
- Alki Point
- Aurora-Licton Springs
- Ballard
- Beacon Hill
- Bell Street
- Central Area
- Delridge
- Highland Park
- Greenwood
- Lake City - Olympic Hills
- Lake City - Cedar Park
- Little Brook
- Othello
- Rainier Beach
- Rainer Valley
- Mt Baker
- Columbia City
- Hillman City
- South Park
- Georgetown
- Wallingford
- High Point
Healthy Streets next to schools
We're supporting schools by offering to close the block outside the school entrance to vehicles and open it for a more-socially distanced drop-off/pick up. Check out our School Streets page for more. Some schools are on or near Healthy Streets. Here are maps and details on how to use the Healthy Street when getting kids to and from school:
Aki Kurose - Cascadia - Cedar - Concord - Dunlap - Garfield - Greenwood - Hamilton - Highland - John Muir - Lincoln - Maple - MLK - Nova - Olympic Hills - Robert Eagle Staff - Sanislo - West Seattle Elementary
Healthy Streets Planters
For permanent Healthy Street locations, we can install planters at Healthy Street intersections (see diagram below). Healthy Street planters will need to be watered and maintained by neighbors, and you can find helpful tips and information for maintaining your planter here. If you do not live directly at the corner where a Healthy Street Planter can be placed, you can work with your neighbors to create a Partnership for a Healthy Street Planter.
If you are interested in requesting and taking care of a planter at your Healthy Street, please fill out this form.
You will also need to sign and submit a Landscape Maintenance Agreement. You can submit your signed agreement by either emailing us a scanned copy or an image of the aggrement.
Play On Your Healthy Street
Across Seattle neighborhoods have embraced their Healthy Streets. One of the many reason is Healthy Streets are closed to pass through traffic, meaning you don't need a permit to host a Play Street. Many neighbors have taken advantage of the No Permit Required status of Healthy Streets to easily host their own events like community dinners, neighborhood gatherings, and Play Streets. We want to continue to celebrate and support neighbors that want to have fun on their Healthy Streets by providing free Healthy Street kits. The Healthy Street kits include updated signage and stringers that are required to be posted on each end of the block. We also have a limited quantity of fun giveaways that we can include in the kit for kids and adults to play with on the street.
If you are interested, you can sign-up here and we will be in contact to coordinate sending you a Play on Your Healthy Street kit.
Please feel free to share your fun pictures by tagging us on social media #PlayOnYourHealthyStreet
If you don't live on a Healthy Street but are still interested in hosting a Play Street, you can get more information and request a free permit by clicking here.
- Play on your Healthy Street flyer (May 2023)
- Play on your Healthy Street printable sign (June 2021)
In hosting a Play on Your Healthy Street event please be aware that:
- No more than 3 days per week, adding up to no more than 12 hours per week
- Free and open to the general public
- Planned to occur between 9:00 AM - and dusk (or until 9:00 PM if dusk is later than that), including setup/cleanup
Play on your Healthy Street Sign:

Our family loves the 25th Ave Healthy Street. I've been surprised by how much it's impacted our neighborhood's quality of life. What has been a wonderful, unexpected aspect is seeing how the whole neighborhood uses the space. — M. Mainland, Central District
Background
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, in spring and summer of 2020 we upgraded over 25 miles of Neighborhood Greenways to Healthy Streets by closing them to pass through traffic and opening them to people walking, rolling, and biking.
Outreach and Engagement
Starting in 2020, we talked to people and distributed surveys to understand how Healthy Streets are working today, and what people would prefer for Healthy Streets in their neighborhood moving forward. We observed and reviewed each Healthy Street with this input in mind to help inform our decision-making.
We've heard concerns from BIPOC communities around how enforcement will be handled, maintaining established cultural practices, and reports of racism directed toward BIPOC people traveling the routes. If we truly want to rebuild to better than before, then "we" must include everybody. This has led to neighborhood-focused outreach and partnerships with Community Based Organizations.
Across Seattle neighborhoods have embraced their Healthy Streets. Many neighbors have taken advantage of the No Permit Required status of Healthy Streets to host their own events like community dinners and Play Streets.
We have also seen larger community activations such as the Columbia City Night Market and the Lucha Libre event at the Little Brook Plaza.
In fall of 2022, we are updating our Healthy Streets across Seattle based on the trends we’ve seen in terms of community use and public feedback.
Pictured: the Lucha Libre community event hosted on the Little Brook Healthy Street.
Translation and Interpretation
If you need this information translated, please call (206) 771-0481.
如果您需要此信息翻譯成中文 請致電 (206) 771-0481.
Kung kailangan mo ang impormasyon na ito na nakasalin sa Tagalog mangyari lamang na tumawag sa (206) 771-0481.
Si necesita traducir esta información al español, llame al (206) 771-0481.
Odeeffannoon kun akka siif (206) 771-0481.
Nếu quý vị cần thông tin này chuyển ngữ sang tiếng Việt xin gọi (206) 771-0481.
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당신이 번역이 정보를 필요로하는 경우에, (206) 771-0481 ? 전화 해주십시오.
Program Library
- Frequently Asked Questions (March 2023)
- Current Healthy Streets Locations Feedback Form
- Overview presentation (March 2021)
- Traffic diversion data analysis (shows traffic diversion after Rainier Ave S changes and during the Lake Washington Blvd Keep Moving Street - March 2021)
- Play on your Healthy Street flyer (May 2023)
- Play on your Healthy Street printable sign (May 2023)
- Healthy Streets Planter Request Form
- View photos on our Flickr site
- Email update archive
Click on a PDF below to read 2021/2022 evaluations of Healthy Street locations:
- Alki Point
- Aurora Licton Springs
- Ballard
- Bell Street
- 22nd Ave East (Central District)
- 25th Ave South (Central Distict)
- East Columbia Street (Central District)
- Delridge-Highland Park
- Georgetown
- Greenwood
- Lake City
- Little Brook
- North Beacon Hill
- Rainier Valley North
- Rainier Valley South
Current Healthy Streets survey:
Previous Survey Results:
- Online survey results dashboard
- Click for PDFs of question 5 and question 19 which don't show up well in the dashboard)
- Lake Washington Pilot Summary
- Lake Washington Pilot Public Comments
- Lake Washington Blvd Public Comments (Aug 30 - Sept 4)
- Confronting Power and Privilege (Transportation Planning)
- Impact 2020: The Central District Community Conversation
- Running While Black: Our [New York Times] Readers Respond (Seattle mention)
- Bystander Intervention Virtual Trainings (1-hour training)
- White Supremacy Culture (dRworks)
- Announcing Stay Healthy Streets (April 2020)
- Stay Healthy Streets continue this week and will add 3 new neighborhoods this weekend (April 2020)
- 2020 bike investments to accelerate, including 20 miles of Stay Health Streets to become permanent in Seattle (May 2020)
- 4 Miles of Stay Healthy Streets Announced along with a 5-day Pilot on Lake Washington Blvd (June 2020)
- Lake Washington Blvd opens to people walking, rolling, and biking 24/7 from July 28 to September 8 (July 2020)
- Three miles of Lake Washington Blvd will stay open to people walking, rolling, and biking until the week of Oct. 5 (September 2020)
- Starting 4th of July weekend, 3 miles of Lake Washington Blvd (from Mt Baker Park to Seward Park) will open to people walking, rolling, and biking on weekends & holidays through at least September (June 2021)
- Trick or Streets are back! Here's how you can participate this year (October 2021)
- Find out what’s next for Healthy Streets in Seattle (October 2022)
- Share your input on the design of the Alki Point Healthy Street (November 2022)