Central District Healthy Streets
Updated February 29, 2024
What's Happening Now?
We are excited to announce we will be installing permanent Healthy Street features on the permanent segments of the Central District Healthy Street over 2024 and 2025! Permanent features for the segment on 22nd Ave from E Union St to E Columbia St will be installed as soon as summer 2024. We plan to install permanent features on E Columbia St from 12th Ave to 22nd Ave in 2025. We’ll be communicating directly with neighbors along these segments soon to offer them the opportunity to sign up for planter sign bases instead of the standard concrete sign base. To learn more about planters, please visit our Healthy Street Planters webpage!
The evaluation process for the remaining segments of the Central District Healthy Street will continue through 2024. We expect to conclude this evaluation process and decide whether the remaining segments will become permanent or be returned to Neighborhood Greenways by the end of the year. Your feedback is essential to the evaluation process! Please fill out our feedback form, send us an email, or leave us a voicemail to share your experience of the Healthy Street and whether you’d like the remaining segments to become permanent or not. Thank you in advance for your input.
Project Map
**Click here to view map as a .pdf
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
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
We’ve been updating our Healthy Streets across Seattle based on trends we’ve seen, and data collected for community use and public feedback. Now we are making some locations permanent Healthy Streets, returning some locations back to neighborhood greenways, or continuing to evaluate and gather additional input from neighbors on the Healthy Street location.
In 2022, we conducted evaluations of Central District Healthy Streets at three locations:
22nd Ave East
25th Ave South
East Columbia Street
Based on these mixed evaluation results and public feedback, we continued our review of the Central District Healthy Street locations and conducted more outreach to determine next steps. In Winter 2024, we announced permanent features for the segment on 22nd Ave from E Union St to E Columbia St will be installed as soon as summer 2024; and we plan to install permanent features on E Columbia St from 12th Ave to 22nd Ave in 2025. Evaluation is continuing on the remaining segments and those locations will remain Healthy Streets until further notice. If you have questions or comments please email us at Healthystreets@seattle.gov.
Permanent Treatment Options
Example of permanent Healthy Street sign base and planter from the Ballard Healthy Street.
Schedule
- Spring 2023: Additional outreach to determine permanent Healthy Street status or reversion back to a neighborhood greenway.
- Fall 2023: Permanent announcement for two segments of the Healthy Street: 22nd Ave from E Union St to E Columbia St and E Columbia St from 12th Ave to 22nd Ave, and continued evaluation for the remaining segments.
- Fall 2024: Install permanent Healthy Street features on 22nd Ave from E Union St to E Columbia St and continue evaluation for the remaining temporary segments.
- 2025: Install permanent Healthy Street features on E Columbia St from 12th Ave to 22nd Ave.