10 years after big 35th Avenue SW change, another one is on the horizon. Here’s a look into the distance

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Almost a decade ago, after five deaths in seven years, SDOT made big changes to two miles of 35th Avenue SW, between Roxbury and Willow.

Most of the stretch had its speed limit and number of travel lanes cut. In the years since then – no fatalities, on either the rechannelized section of 35th, or the street north of there.

Originally, that was 35th SW Phase 1, and the city planned a Phase 2. But in 2018, SDOT announced it had no plans for further rechannelization, while taking pains to say that wasn’t off the table forever. Phase 2 instead encompassed some one-off changes that have been made in the ensuing years – including signals at 35th/Graham and 35th/Dawson (Camp Long), restoration of a crosswalk at 35th/Kenyon, and addition of left-turn signals at 35th/Barton.

Then last year, the north stretch of 35th resurfaced as a named project in the new Seattle Transportation Levy (briefly removed, then restored). But the description was fairly vague – the section between Alaska and Morgan was labeled a “corridor for street maintenance and modernization” and so it remained through passage of the eight-year, $1.55 billion levy. Once the post-election dust settled, we started asking SDOT about specifics, given how much interest Phase 1 had drawn last decade.

Eventually, we were connected to two longtime SDOT communicators for an online chat about the project – which they also insisted has almost zero specifics, but at least attempted to explain why. Meghan Shepard and Dan Anderson stressed that the 35th SW project is not in the “earliest group” of levy-specified projects to be planned, and so is truly at “0 percent” design and planning. Pre-election materials say the “extent” of this and other projects will be decided by a “design process,” and Shepard said there’ll be a “long lead time” – two or three years of planning.

So why was it chosen if it’s not urgent? “Same reasons as (other projects in the levy) – it’s carrying a lot of vehicles, and the pavement needs attention.” The longterm vision comes from the Seattle Transportation Plan, and the levy is expected to fund “five or six” major paving projects such as this one. Once that “design process” is launched, key decisions will be made such as whether to totally rebuild the road in concrete – as has happened with most projects in recent years, such as the Delridge repaving accompanying the RapidRide H Line conversion , and the Fauntleroy Way repaving between The Triangle and Morgan Junction 15 years ago.

Project funding will come from a $330 million bucket of levy money which will have to cover all the levy’s paving projects, Anderson said. (Two others in West Seattle were identified – Fauntleroy Way in The Triangle, part of the shelved-because-of-light-rail “Fauntleroy Boulevard” plan, and the east end of the Roxbury corridor.)

Would the Alaska-to-Morgan section of 35th, much of which has kept two travel lanes each way, be evaluated for rechannelization whenever the paving project gets going?

Yes, said Anderson: “This is what planners do.” They’ll evaluate it compared to “current standards” including bicycling and transit. They’ll also be working with Seattle Public Utilities to see if any sections need a new water main, so that all the work can be done while the road’s torn up for paving. Sidewalk repairs and crossing improvements also could be part of the eventual plan.

So who makes the ultimate decision on what will get done and when?

Every year a “levy delivery plan” will be brought to the City Council by the end of January, the SDOT reps said (the first one is due by January 31 of this year). As was the case with the now-expired Levy to Move Seattle, there also will be an oversight committee – this one hasn’t been appointed yet, but in a change from past practice, it will include a member from each council district. And the SDOT duo promised there will be “engagement” (the previous 35th projects were preceded by many community meetings, although toward the end they moved from the “presentation to audience and Q/A for all” format to the “circulate around to easels for one-on-one conversations” format).

Bottom line – though it’s called out in the Transportation Levy, 35th SW’s future remains in TBA mode.

35 Replies to "10 years after big 35th Avenue SW change, another one is on the horizon. Here's a look into the distance"

  • Stressing 35th plans January 7, 2025 (1:20 pm)

    Please just repave the dang thing. It’s so rough right now that your car jostles around like a roller coaster. And maybe we can go back to 35mph, because no one drives 25 anyway. Just please don’t decrease the number of lanes or start a multi-year rapid line construction. What a nightmare that would be.

    • walkerws January 7, 2025 (2:31 pm)

      If they reduced the number of lanes it would be so awesome actually

      • Kyle January 7, 2025 (3:48 pm)

        Ah, and we’re back.

      • Rob January 7, 2025 (5:25 pm)

        I live on 35th and I would love to see it down to 1 lane.  The amount of people driving 60+mph is crazy.  Someone is going to get killed one day.  They also run the red lights constantly when I’m walking across the road.  

        • CarDriver January 8, 2025 (6:32 am)

          Rob. How are you accurately measuring that people are going 60+???

          • Austin January 11, 2025 (6:04 pm)

            I also live on the street and I purchased a speed measuring tool online. I can back up Rob’s claims. I’ve showed this data to SDOT but so far I’ve had little response. 

      • Platypus January 11, 2025 (10:17 pm)

        Agreed, the road is way to big for the amount of traffic, and the person above knows this since they say they choose to drive too fast, 40% above the speed limit.

    • Morgan Graham January 7, 2025 (2:50 pm)

      Nobody obeying the posted speed isn’t really a sound argument for bumping it back up to 35 mph. If they drop it to one lane each direction, many more people will be going 25 simply because they are forced to if that’s what the cars in front of them are doing. I held on to going 35 until more recently.

    • Concerned Joe January 7, 2025 (8:39 pm)

      Make it one corridor. Too many speeders and accidents at 35th and Morgan. Also seen people swerve around others due to impatience and privilege kicking in from some Neanderthal corner of their brains…

    • Josh January 7, 2025 (11:27 pm)

      I drive 27 to 29 and love how peaceful the ride is. Especially as I catch up to 95% of the speeders at the next light. Reduce the whole stretch from Alaska to Holly to one lane each way. 

  • Vanessa January 7, 2025 (1:24 pm)

    The left turn situations at 35th and Avalon are super frustrating. 

    • CatLady January 7, 2025 (6:07 pm)

      Agreed! I don’t understand how this intersection is allowed to exist as is. There should definitely be turn arrow lights there for both safety and efficiency; especially since most people seem to miss the no left turn from 35th to Avalon between the hours of 3pm-7pm sign, creating a back up. 

      • J9 January 7, 2025 (9:27 pm)

        I’ve been asking for a left turn arrow at that intersection since about 2006. I was repeatedly told that the number of incidents didn’t merit a left turn light west from northbound 35th. When I asked how many incidents were needed; and did they have to be fatalities, the person referred me to another department. I must have written emails and called more than a dozen times until I gave up around 2008. It still astounds me that a major intersection, located a micro block from an on/off ramp to a major “freeway” has no left turn arrow and one must take their life into their hands to take a left turn to the junction. Times all of that by the substantial growth since 2008 and it’s an absolute cluster. 

      • walkerws January 8, 2025 (8:24 am)

        That intersection needs both left turn arrows and all way walk.

      • CynB January 8, 2025 (9:44 am)

        Yes, needs a brief left-turn LANE and Traffic-light arrow both north and south. Hard to turn there and people swerve to go around. Going south towards bridge, left lane should be left-turn only with clear signage that you are going on WS Bridge. I drive this way almost every day and see people trying to make late lane changes to avoid left-turning vehicles in both directions. 

  • Aaron G January 7, 2025 (3:34 pm)

    The bike crossing light at Graham Street is really great.

    • Jeff January 7, 2025 (4:33 pm)

      Agreed!!  I make a point of crossing there any time the route makes sense.   It lets me easily cross from quiet street to quiet street, while avoiding the heavy car traffic.   

    • skeeter January 7, 2025 (4:55 pm)

      I agree Aaron.  I cross 35th every evening at Graham Street and the experience is excellent.  I’m impressed with the accuracy of the bike sensor.  

    • Platypus January 11, 2025 (10:21 pm)

      One of the best bike infrastructure elements I have seen in west seattle. Would love to see it replicated at Fauntleroy and Findlay.

  • Dog Whisperer January 7, 2025 (4:31 pm)

    Thanks for the update Traci. 

  • anonyme January 7, 2025 (4:34 pm)

    Willow to Roxbury is not the “southernmost” portion of 35th Ave SW.  35th continues south of Roxbury to Marine View Drive through Arbor Heights.  I don’t know why Arbor Heights is continually dismissed as even being part of Seattle.  Why do so many people refuse to believe life exists south of Roxbury? It’s frustrating.

    • WSB January 7, 2025 (5:15 pm)

      Sorry, I meant the southernmost portion of what had been the two-lanes-each-way section. Will fix the verbiage. I’m very aware that 35th continues south of Roxbury – this is my side of town and I pass that way often

      • anonyme January 8, 2025 (8:49 am)

        Thanks!  Figured it was just a slip, but it’s shocking how many people think that Arbor Heights isn’t part of either Seattle or West Seattle – including police and government agencies.  It’s kind of a no-man’s-land, with no amenities and few services (such as terrible bus service).  Given that we don’t exist in the minds of many, I guess that’s understandable.

  • DRW January 7, 2025 (4:54 pm)

    Lets just designate 35th as a Healthy Street!

  • jw January 7, 2025 (5:12 pm)

    How much money have us tax payers given them to get these projects done.

  • millie January 7, 2025 (6:15 pm)

    Thank you Anonyme re. 35th Avenue south of Roxbury (especially Marine View Drive thru Arbor Heights in respect to road maintenance, crosswalks and sidewalks.  Over the past six (6) plus years it  has also become more dangerous for walkers due to speeding drivers (definitely not 25 miles).  The only time the City of Seattle or King County see us is for “speed bumps” (which don’t deter speeding) or taxes.

  • Cindy January 7, 2025 (8:54 pm)

    “Almost a decade ago, after five deaths in seven years, SDOT made big changes to two miles of 35th Avenue SW, between Roxbury and Willow. Most of the stretch had its speed limit and number of travel lanes cut. In the years since then – no fatalities, on either the rechannelized section of 35th, or the street north of there.”This says all we need to know. Living on 35th Ave SW for almost 30 years, the speeding and unsafe driving has only gotten worse. Hearing car crashes is not uncommon. Anyone making a left on 35th is risking their lives. 

    • bill January 8, 2025 (8:42 am)

      That result is remarkable. Notice that most of the usual suspects who argue against slowing and calming traffic are too embarrassed to comment.

  • Lauren January 7, 2025 (9:15 pm)

    Wow, that’s an amazing reduction in fatalities. Love to see it. 

    • Platypus January 11, 2025 (10:24 pm)

      Me too! Rechannelization works! Road design directly leads to speed changes, and speed kills. I think I read the rechannelization added less than 1 minute of commute south of Morgan. So essentially no impact, but huge savings. 

  • McDanver January 7, 2025 (9:24 pm)

    It was such a bummer when I found out they cancelled the road diet for the north section last time. I really hope they do it this time. 

  • CW January 8, 2025 (6:49 am)

    35th is dangerous for many reasons. I used to regularly see smashed in left rear corners of parked cars. I say I used to because I avoid 35th now. Especially in the dark and when it is wet (duh) because the shifting lane design to accommodate left turning lanes is difficult to see for me and I assume for others too as I’ve narrowly avoided side crashes by drivers barreling through at 35+ mph ignoring or not seeing the shifting lane markings. It’s a slalom and if the intent was to slow traffic, the traffic design department needs to rethink their approach. What looks good on a computer screen doesn’t always bear out on the road. 

  • anonyme January 8, 2025 (12:31 pm)

    Since Seattle is against enforcement of any kind, maybe we should just leave the cracks and potholes as a less-expensive form of speed bumps.  Win-win.

  • Population goes up January 13, 2025 (12:37 pm)

    Make arterials 2 lanes each way and 35mph again! Otherwise it’s often faster to drive on residential streets when a single slow car can create blocks of traffic with no way to pass.

  • WeHavePlacesToBe January 13, 2025 (12:47 pm)

    35th Ave SW is an absolute nightmare. Nothing is more depressing or frustrating after a long day of work to stare down the road and see nothing but brake lights and non-moving traffic because you can’t keep removing road access for an exponentially growing population, NOT to mention the teenagers becoming drivers as well. I hope by the time they put the rest of 35th Ave SW on a slim fast diet that I no longer live in the area because the only reprieve is being able to pass people north of Morgan. I’m sorry but some of us have places to go and it isn’t sitting in stop and go traffic on 35th.

Sorry, comment time is over.