12th Ave Vision Zero Safety Corridor

Updated: January 2026

About the Project 

The 12th Ave S Vision Zero Safety Corridor Project aims to make 12th Ave S safer for everyone. The project spans several neighborhoods, including Capitol Hill, the Central District, and Little Saigon, covering 12th Ave S from E Aloha St to S Weller St.

In 2026, we’re focusing on the section between E Yesler Way and S Weller St, which has a high number of crashes. Our goal is to make this area safer for people walking, biking, and driving by investing in transportation safety improvements.

The project will:

• Address curb space needs for business loading.
• Improve connections to existing bike routes.
• Increase visibility at intersections to make it safer for everyone.

12th Ave S is a priority for the Vision Zero program, which aims to end traffic deaths and serious injuries, and create a culture of care and dignity for everyone who uses Seattle’s streets.  

Image above shows the conditions today at 12th Ave and Cherry St. looking east

Project Background

12th Ave S is an important street for people walking, biking, using transit and driving. It connects Little Saigon to Beacon Hill and runs through some of Seattle’s busiest and most diverse neighborhoods. The street serves residents of Yesler Terrace, businesses and visitors in Little Saigon, and students at Seattle University.

As Seattle grows, it’s important to ensure 12th Ave S is safe and accessible for everyone traveling by foot, bike, transit, or car, regardless of age or ability. SDOT is working with nearby communities to identify and invest in transportation safety and mobility improvements along this corridor.

We’ll use community feedback and traffic data to guide our plans. Outreach will begin in early 2026 to share information and gather input from neighbors. We’ll continue working with communities as the project develops.

In recent years, we’ve already made safety improvements on 12th Ave S, including:

• Reducing traffic speeds near the Dr. José Rizal Bridge.
• Repaving sections of the street between E Pine St and E Olive St, and between E Fir St and E Yesler Way.
• Making people walking and biking more visible to drivers at intersections.

Project area

Schedule

• Early 2026: We’re analyzing traffic data and modeling preliminary design alternatives. Meanwhile, we're hearing from the community members about their experiences which will help us inform our designs. 
• Mid-2026-2027: We’ll continue to refine design alternatives with technical input from the team and present feasible options to the community.  
• Late 2027: We’ll move into construction and keep the community informed with regular updates about schedule, progress, and expected impacts. 

Materials

Fact sheet 

Translation and Interpretation

• We are improving 12th Avenue to make it safer for people walking, biking, and using other mobility devices. If you need this information translated, please call (206) 400-7515.
• Estamos mejorando la 12 Ave S para que sea más segura para las personas que la recorren caminando, en bicicleta u otros dispositivos de movilidad. Si necesita traducir esta información, llame al (206) 400-7515.
• 我们正在改善 12th Avenue 的路况，让人们步行、骑自行车和使用其它出行设备时更加安全。如果您需要翻译此信息，请致电 (206) 400-7515. | 我們正在改善 12th Avenue 的路況，讓人們步行、騎自行車和使用其它出行設備時更加安全。如果您需要翻譯此訊息，請致電 (206) 400-7515.
• Aming pinagbubuti ang 12th Avenue upang gawin itong mas ligtas para sa mga taong naglalakad, nagbibisikleta at gumagamit ng iba pang mga kagamitan para sa paggalaw. Kung kailangan ninyong maisalin ang impormasyon na ito, mangyaring tumawag sa (206) 400-7515.
• Chúng tôi đang cải thiện đường 12th Avenue để giúp mọi người an toàn hơn khi đi bộ, đi xe đạp, và sử dụng các thiết bị di chuyển khác. Nếu quý vị cần thông tin này được dịch sang ngôn ngữ của quý vị, vui lòng gọi (206) 400-7515.
• 교통국에서는 걷거나 자전거를 타거나 기타 이동 장치를 사용하는 사람들이 더 안전하게 이용할 수 있도록 12th Avenue를 개선하고 있습니다. 이 정보의 번역본이 필요하신 경우, (206) 400-7515로 문의해 주세요.