Highland Park Way SW Connection Project

Updated July, 2026 

What's Happening Now?

We’re moving forward with the final design, updated to reflect recent community feedback. The webpage has been reorganized to highlight key information, including project goals, safety data, and the final design. 

Early design concepts are still available in the Early Design Options expandable section. 

While we made improvements throughout the corridor, the most significant updates are in the eastern part of the project area. You can find more details in the Project Design section. The final design balances safety, freight mobility, transit efficiency, and community input. 

Construction is planned to begin as soon as February 2027.

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Project Overview

The Highland Park Way SW Connection project will create a safer, more comfortable route for people to walk, roll, and bike between Highland Park and the Duwamish River Trail. It also aims to calm traffic and improve overall safety along Highland Park Way SW.

Project Goals

  • Build protected bicycle connections linking Delridge, Highland Park, and the Duwamish Regional Trail
  • Reduce vehicle speeds for safer, more reliable travel
  • Improve sightlines near neighborhood streets and driveways
  • Provide an accessible shared-use path connection to Metro Route 131
  • Advance equitable access to transportation options and local and regional destinations

Why This Project is Important

Highland Park Way SW is a busy neighborhood corridor with fast-moving traffic traveling up and down a steep 11% grade hill. Today, the corridor lacks safe, comfortable facilities for people walking, biking, or using mobility devices. Space for people to walk and roll is narrow, primarily located on the east side of the street, and lacks a consistent buffer from traffic. These conditions create uncomfortable and unsafe experiences for travelers.

The corridor is identified as a priority in the 2024 Seattle Transportation Plan (STP) and is also part of Seattle’s High Injury Network in our latest Vision Zero Action Plan (page 55).

Between 2021 and 2025, the corridor experienced:

  • One serious injury to a person walking
  • Two bike crashes involving drivers
  • Twenty-four injury collisions involving people in vehicles, including two serious injuries

Crash patterns include recurring rear-end and angle collisions, especially near the W Marginal Way SW intersection. Drivers have also left the road, crossed the centerline, sideswiped vehicles, and struck a person biking. 

Speed data further highlights the need for improvements. Many drivers exceed the posted 25 MPH speed limit.

  • Eastbound (downhill) drivers average 41 MPH
  • Westbound (uphill) drivers average 39 MPH
  • 18% for eastbound drivers and 13% for westbound drivers travel faster than 40 MPH

Together, these conditions underscore the need for safety-focused investments. This project will provide safer walking, rolling, biking, and driving options while strengthening connections to the regional Duwamish River Trail network.

Project Design

Community feedback highlighted support for safety improvements and protected bike facilities, along with concerns about congestion near W Marginal Way SW. In response, the project team refined the design to improve safety while maintaining traffic operations.

Updated Design Highlights

  • The curb will not be shifted along the full downhill section
  • Semi-permanent concrete barriers will be used instead of a full curb shift to allow flexibility during emergencies
  • Improved bike and pedestrian connections throughout the corridor
  • New lane layout that maintains traffic flow, slows vehicle speeds, and reduces congestion near W Marginal Way SW

Features That Remain from Previous Design

  • One downhill lane removed beginning at SW Holden St
  • Wider, repaved shared-use path with upgraded lighting

Section-by-Section Design Summary

W Marginal Way S Intersection

  • Protected bike lane extends all the way to the intersection
  • Downhill lane expands to three lanes (left-turn lane and two through-lanes)
  • Center median removed to fit the new lane configuration
  • One westbound left turn lane removed on W Marginal Way SW

Diagram with downhill protected bike lane that extends to the intersection, three travel lanes with removal of center median.

Pioneer Industries Driveway

  • Widened and repaired shared-use path
  • Single downhill travel lane to reduce speeds
  • Protected bike lane with opening in concrete bike barrier around bus stop and driveway, along with driveway access markings

Diagram at Pioneer Industries with widened and repaired shared-use path, single downhill travel lane, and protected bike lane with opening in concrete for bus stop and driveway access

Mid-Hill

  • Widened and repaired shared-use path
  • New lighting for visibility
  • Single downhill travel lane to reduce speeds
  • Downhill protected bike lane with concrete barrier separating people walking, rolling, and biking from traffic
  • Centerline posts to reduce vehicles crossing into oncoming traffic

Mid-hill diagram of widened and repaired shared-use path, new lighting, single downhill travel lane, centerline posts, and protected bike lane with concrete jersey barriers

SW Othello St Area

  • Widened shared-use path
  • Downhill protected bike lane with jersey barrier opening and bike pavement markings at intersection
  • Single downhill travel lane
  • Advanced warning signs for intersection
  • No centerline markings to indicate turning movements

 Diagram of downhill protected bike lane with jersey barrier opening around intersection, single downhill lane, additional side street signage, and no centerline markings to indicate turning movements

Top of Hill

  • Repaved and widened shared-use path with landscape buffer
  • Protected bike lane with jersey barrier
  • Single northbound travel lane

Diagram of repaved and widened shared-use path with landscape buffer, protected bike lane with jersey barrier, and single northbound travel lane

  • Single travel lanes from SW Holden St and eastbound Highland Park Way SW expand into two lanes downhill.
  • A narrow, variable path exists on the east side of the corridor, separated from traffic by an inconsistent grass buffer.
  • Frequent speeding makes the path uncomfortable and unsafe, especially where it is closest to traffic.

A person walking on the existing path along Highland Park Way SW. To the left of the path are two with two northbound driving lanes and two southbound driving lanes. There are cars driving in both directions.

Highland Park community member walking on the existing path along Highland Park Way SW. This section of the path, just north of SW Holden St, where the path is about 6 feet wide, and the landscape buffer is about 2.5 feet wide.  

Illustration and Map of Current Conditions 

Both early design options included:

  • Removal of one downhill travel lane
  • A downhill protected bike lane
  • Improvements to the existing multi-use path.

Option 1: Protected bike lane ends ~400 feet before the intersection, requiring cyclists to merge with traffic.

Option 1 diagram of Highland Park Way SW and W Marginal Way SW with downhill protected bike lane merging with general traffic 400 feet before intersection.

Option 2: Protected bike lane extends to the intersection. Island buffer remains; maintains the two westbound lanes.

Option 2 diagram with downhill protected bike lane that extends to the intersection and maintains the two westbound lanes.

Community Engagement

Spring 2026 input highlighted key themes:

  • Concerns about increased driver wait times during peak hours or if there are future issues with the West Seattle Bridge
  • Questions about Jersey barrier placement
  • Difficulty turning from side streets such as SW Othello St
  • How emergency vehicles will navigate congestion
  • Request for more data on bike/pedestrian volumes and project prioritization

Earlier outreach in 2024 engaged more than 2,000 community members. The feedback we received is summarized in our Outreach Report.

Woman standing behind a table with project materials on it. She is smiling and talking to a person who is writing a comment about the project. They are standing under a tent decorated with rainbow flags. There are poster boards on easels illustrating the different project design options.

Team member Colleen Woods talking to community members at the White Center Pride Street Festival. Thank you to the Highland Park Action Coalition and the Highland Park Improvement Club members who shared their booth with us! Photo: SDOT

In 2023, we met with local community groups, including the Highland Park Action Coalition and West Seattle Bike Connections. We also received input through the Seattle Transportation Plan (pages B-43 and B-45).

Timeline

The project is funded through the Seattle Transportation Levy and is currently in design (2025-26). Construction is planned to begin as soon as February 2027.

Document Library

Transportation

Angela Brady, Acting Director
Address: 700 5th Ave, Suite 3800, Seattle, WA, 98104
Mailing Address: PO Box 34996, Seattle, WA, 98124-4996
Phone: (206) 684-7623
684-Road@seattle.gov

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