FOLLOWUP: SDOT says it's going ahead with removing downhill driving lane on Highland Park Way hill

Amy March 5, 2025 (12:38 pm)

Fantastic news! This traffic calming effort will have positive impacts on the highland park neighborhood.

DC March 5, 2025 (3:33 pm)

I’m jumping up and down! Both as a driver and walker of that section it will greatly increase safety and comfort. Scofflaws, speeders and road ragers will be mad, but they’ll get over it in time.
Kyle March 5, 2025 (6:25 pm)

Reducing lane capacity is the wrong way to “traffic calm” for this major arterial out of West Seattle. Especially as the neighborhood is slated for an upzone with the One Seattle plan. This plan offers no more frequent bus service either. Speed humps should be able to accomplish the same thing if it is speeds they are worried about. A more thoughtful design would look at ACTUAL collision data and come up with an actual plan, but SDOT ignored over 60% of their respondents so I have little faith they will do that.
- Foop March 5, 2025 (9:52 pm)
  
  Speed humps don’t help with distracted and aggressive drivers while I’m trying to bike up the hill. I haven’t ridden this stretch in 3 years because of how unsafe it’s felt since drivers went nuts after Covid.
  - Kyle March 6, 2025 (10:42 am)
    
    What does help with distracted and aggressive driving? Sounds like you want enforcement…
    - Crumb March 6, 2025 (7:30 pm)
      
      Nope, enforcement is only ever reactive, and only ever occasional. If you want to prevent dangerous driving, you design roads to force drivers to slow down, including reducing lanes, narrowing lanes, and putting on speed bumps. Drivers won’t slow down to keep themselves on others safe, but they do slow down rather than risking damaging their car or scraping their paint.
    - Kyle March 8, 2025 (10:06 pm)
      
      Foop thinks speed humps wouldn’t help though….
    - john ewing March 9, 2025 (9:39 pm)
      
      you must be extreamly paranoid if you think people driving down the hill are agressive, good thing there is an existing bike trail next to Highland park way
john ewing March 9, 2025 (9:36 pm)

the above picture clearly shows the bike trail that was constructed in the 1970s. I have never seen a bike on the street but I have seen people walking and riding on the bike trail. No one wants this, again the city is refusing to listen to the people of Boeing hill!!
john ewing March 9, 2025 (9:40 pm)

This will only back up traffic and make it harder for people to get to work, commerace to happen in an efficiant way and reduce the safety of those who work and commute along the duwamish waterway.

Jake March 5, 2025 (12:42 pm)

As someone who lives in the neighborhood I am thrilled. That road is very unsafe with downhill traffic regularly going twice the speed limit, downhill, around an unprotected corner. SDOT did considerable community outreach about this project last summer.

CarDriver March 5, 2025 (12:46 pm)

I’m sure SDOT has clear evidence that this change will bring hundreds (if not more) of new bike riders and pedestrians to that hill and will not adversely affect cars or freight/delivery vehicles. Why else would they be going ahead with it?

LoudIdentifier March 5, 2025 (2:40 pm)

SDOT has already done extensive outreach around this project and explained it’s benefits. In short, it will discourage unsafe driving from CarDrivers.
- Josh March 5, 2025 (4:03 pm)
  
  Nice.
- Kyle March 5, 2025 (6:28 pm)
  
  Did you read the report? The majority of residents were “not supportive at all” of any of their designs. Over 60% said they would not use the path even after it is improved. It is a steep hill connecting through an industrial area. Only hard core riders will use it. If you’re walking, there are much more pleasant locations to walk. It’s a major arterial out of West Seattle. Let’s not ignore that cars and buses are the VAST majority of users that need to get to work etc. through here.
  - Ben March 5, 2025 (8:10 pm)
    
    I ride that hill sometimes and the only safe option currently is to use the sidewalk that has a minefield of tree roots pushing up through it.It’s outdated thinking to assume that steeper hills are off limits to all but the most hard core bikers. The prevalence of electric bikes opens up all sorts of route options, and just about every road from the West Seattle ridge down to the Duwamish valley along that stretch is pretty steep.
- CarDriver March 5, 2025 (6:52 pm)
  
  You-and your neighbors will be a safer drivers now?
john ewing March 9, 2025 (9:43 pm)

The only fatal accident on this hill happened when a 14 year old stole a car and sped down the hill and ran into another vehicle in the middle of the night.

hey hey ho ho SDOT has got to go March 5, 2025 (12:50 pm)

Glad to hear that SDOT is up to its usual anti-democratic tricks. There isn’t any possible way that even a tiny minority of people support this plan.

CAM March 5, 2025 (3:23 pm)

I think you needed another syllable in there.
Ian March 5, 2025 (4:04 pm)

‘Antidemocratic’. Please tell me what was the result of November transportation levy?
- Kyle March 5, 2025 (6:28 pm)
  
  Please tell me the results of their community outreach for THIS project?
- Commuter March 6, 2025 (9:28 am)
  
  My question is what will it cost to put the lanes back, the grid lock this will cause will be horrendous.

AK March 5, 2025 (12:55 pm)

Wow! Looking forward to the road rage and accidents that are going to happen. This is a waste of tax money!

River view guy March 5, 2025 (3:07 pm)

This could lead to drivers passing others in oncoming lanes. No bueno
- Magic Mike March 5, 2025 (4:01 pm)
  
  Don’t worry, Curby to the rescue!
1994 March 5, 2025 (11:14 pm)

Agreed! A waste of taxpayer money. This is NOT the way to move Seattle. Hey new interim SDOT director Adiam Emery – please take a look at this project. Why is the sidewalk not being upgraded to accommodate bike riders?

Steve March 5, 2025 (1:08 pm)

More people who gave feedback voted no on the proposal to remove a lane voted no by 60% to 40%. Of the the 40% of people who use the path only 14% use it daily. But they are going ahead with it anyway. Because it aligns with their goals as stated in the report. Not what the majority of people want or what would be the best use of the resources. More and more people and more cars and these are the decisions they reach. They could quite easily install a barrier and widen the walking path and leave the road at two lanes on each side. Very frustrating.

Walkerws March 5, 2025 (1:49 pm)

Good thing these decisions aren’t solely made based on a poll of people who have no expert knowledge or even amateur knowledge of traffic design
- Alki resident March 5, 2025 (2:14 pm)
  
  I’ll keep that in mind when you screamthe next time that you voted for something.
- Steve March 5, 2025 (2:28 pm)
  
  Traffic design? How do you think the road was designed in the first place? Two lanes on each side and that was with a smaller population and less cars. Do you think the original designers did not know what they were doing? I think SDOT has goals they want and they are going to make changes regardless.
  - walkerws March 6, 2025 (9:01 am)
    
    Correct. The original designers were designing in a different era and traffic design knowledge has evolved significantly since then.
  - rpo March 8, 2025 (10:26 am)
    
    So we should never change the way things were designed after collecting more data and realizing what was done decades ago was not the safest solution after wall? Hell, we should have rebuilt the Tacoma Narrows bridge with the same design that collapsed in under a year in that case.
- ionlyseektrash March 5, 2025 (3:01 pm)
  
  You think SDOT knows how to design traffic? LMAO
- john ewing March 9, 2025 (9:45 pm)
  
  there is an unkept city sidewalk on the West side and a bike lane on the other side of this street, its time the city referbished the sidewalk and updated the existing bike lane.
  - Bbron March 10, 2025 (12:47 pm)
    
    I’m not sure what you’re referring to. Highland Park hill doesn’t have a sidewalk or anything on the West / North side of it.

Walkerws March 5, 2025 (1:11 pm)

Yes! This is great news!

Richard H March 5, 2025 (1:13 pm)

Typical tone-deaf SDOT decision, intent on making everything worse at all costs. Why even bother asking for public input if you’re just going to ignore it?

justjosh March 5, 2025 (2:24 pm)

In general because it’s required by law. Public input is a component of these decisions but not necessarily a heavily weighted one.
Unfortunate March 5, 2025 (3:59 pm)

In most cases the public are incredibly misinformed, so it’s great that SDOT aren’t listening to the people like those in the comments here that just mindlessly hate on SDOT every time they do something to improve safety. This is great news, that road has far too many accidents and it’s heartening to see something done about it. It’s a very good sign that the crotchety people whom only care about cars are complaining about this. If those people are upset then SDOT are doing something right.
- Kyle March 5, 2025 (6:30 pm)
  
  Please, how many accidents in the last 5 years? Please compare it to other major arterials in Seattle. Should we remove a lane on the West Seattle bridge next?
  - E March 5, 2025 (8:18 pm)
    
    Yes.
  - Bbron March 5, 2025 (8:43 pm)
    
    This data is available: https://data-seattlecitygis.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/90a68d4709b54327a6bc1dfa1b900f8d_0/explore?location=47.538096%2C-122.344120%2C15.16 how many accidents are acceptable?
    - SCorp March 5, 2025 (10:42 pm)
      
      Not sure what the date range is, but I count a whopping 3. When you look at the surrounding roads, this stretch appears to be comparatively astoundingly safe. I’m not sure if the safety is in dire need of improvement here, but I do know it was our primary ingress/egress for the years the bridge was closed and remains the best way to SEA and other points south. Bottlenecking doesn’t sound good at all.
    - Lolz March 6, 2025 (12:51 am)
      
      Bro the data you posted shows that road has the least accidents of any road around it! Lol wut
    - Bbron March 6, 2025 (4:47 am)
      
      @Scorp you can filter by date of the incident, and no there aren’t a “whopping 3” if you interacted with the map at all instead of confirming your bias; there have been more than 100 collisions since 2020.
    - Kyle March 6, 2025 (10:54 am)
      
      I spent 15 minutes looking at the not necessarily intuitive data. Since the West Seattle Bridge reopened in September 2022 there has been ~34,000 collisions in Seattle. Rough collisions for these 0.3-0.5 mile stretches of road: |Highland Parkway Between Holden&W Marginal Way ~41 collisions (0.1%) | Olson Pl SW between Roxbury&Meyers Way ~134 collisions (0.4%) | Admiral Way between Olga St&WSB entrance ~38 Collisions (0.1%) | Avalon between 35th Ave SW& SW Spokane – 63 Collisions (0.2%) | 35th Ave Sw between Alaksa&WSB entrance – 44 collisions (0.1%)
    - john ewing March 9, 2025 (10:12 pm)
      
      shows way more accidents occur on the 2 lane roads near highland park way, then the 3 accidents which have happened on it.
    - Bbron March 10, 2025 (12:52 pm)
      
      Always enjoy seeing confidently wrong comments. @Lolz, @John: you gotta click on the circles and be a bit more investigative before insta-confirming your bias. you really believe any stretch of road has had only 3 reported collisions? since 2020 there’s been over 100 collisions with cars on the hill. click on the dots, use the filters.
  - Margie March 7, 2025 (9:50 am)
    
    We got rear ended a few years ago when we stopped for the red light at the bottom of the hill and the driver behind us didn’t. Totaled our car, I was injured. This is another intersection where there are lots of cars and semis running the red lights. As someone who’s been in an accident because of someone driving too fast, I get the concept. My bigger concern is road rage.
    - Kyle March 7, 2025 (2:21 pm)
      
      I’m sorry that happened to you. However, how would any of what SDOT has proposed stop someone from not paying attention from rear ending you?
    - k March 7, 2025 (3:08 pm)
      
      Slowing them down makes the impact less severe, and has a chance of avoiding the collision altogether because it takes less time to stop, and they have more time to react. The improvements aren’t all or nothing. Avoiding impacts is great, but making impacts less severe is a huge victory too.
    - Kyle March 8, 2025 (10:07 pm)
      
      So speed humps?

Joe Z March 5, 2025 (1:19 pm)

Woo hoo! Now get all of 35th Ave SW down to 1 lane please!

K to the F March 5, 2025 (2:21 pm)

Seconded!
Hans March 5, 2025 (3:17 pm)

What a stupid idea
Lauren March 5, 2025 (9:37 pm)

Thirded!
TreeHouse March 5, 2025 (10:00 pm)

100% agree! They need to finish what they originally planned to do.
Platypus March 6, 2025 (1:39 pm)

Yes! 35th is raceway, massively overbuilt.

Actually Mike March 5, 2025 (1:25 pm)

Idiots.

K March 5, 2025 (1:31 pm)

Great news! I may start using this road again!

Adam March 5, 2025 (6:48 pm)

Haha, get in line. And by that I mean you’ll be able to slide in back near Henderson unless you cut
- cwit March 7, 2025 (10:08 am)
  
  Not if they’re on a bike. :)

Derp March 5, 2025 (1:36 pm)

A total waste of tax payer money, use the existing sidewalk area and redo it. So stupid

DoubleDerp March 5, 2025 (8:35 pm)

Yeah because THAT wouldn’t cost any more money 🤣

highland park resident March 5, 2025 (1:48 pm)

This is frustrating. As someone who drives this road every day, this will increase congestion. Also, I rarely see people biking that beast of a hill so I don’t see how this plan is an improvement.

leon March 5, 2025 (5:05 pm)

bikers don’t ride it because it’s super unsafe to ride on, lots of terrible drivers and barely anywhere to ride
- Kyle March 5, 2025 (6:31 pm)
  
  There is room to improve the path and keep the lane capacity.
  - Ro March 5, 2025 (8:19 pm)
    
    Yeah for a several hundred thousand if not millions more. You gonna pony that up?
    - Kyle March 6, 2025 (11:02 am)
      
      I think we all will as part of the $1.55B SDOT levy that voters approved.
Foop March 5, 2025 (9:57 pm)

I drove this hill often, 4 days a week at least. Traffic never backs up far, reducing to one lane won’t impact your commute time in the least.

JB March 5, 2025 (1:56 pm)

In the full report, SDOT says 71 of respondent’s use the path daily. And then in small print they add, ‘Please note that 17 of the people who said they use the path daily indicated they drive along it. Thus, the daily users of the path may be closer to 54.’ Why wouldn’t SDOT correct their findings/charts to reflect this?

CAM March 5, 2025 (3:27 pm)

Because how do you know which response was the error? Just choosing the response that aligns with you and assuming the other response was erroneous by participants? No, you do what a non-biased source would do, as SDOT did, and report all the responses and the discrepancy without making inferences.
Kyle March 5, 2025 (6:33 pm)

I’d argue there is no way 55 people even use that path daily. Pretending this isn’t a major auto arterial for cars and buses carrying people to get to work, contribute to society, etc. is insane.
- Derpette March 5, 2025 (8:36 pm)
  
  Oh wow! You have some hidden knowledge SDOT doesn’t have access to. You’d better get down there and redesign it for them. Show them how it’s done! 😄

Philip March 5, 2025 (2:13 pm)

Yay more traffic to make useless bike lanes. Great. Complete waste of money to make commutes worse.

Andros March 5, 2025 (2:18 pm)

I look forward to getting behind a Prius driver who rides his breaks all the way down the hill from now on.

Vbmart March 5, 2025 (2:22 pm)

This is terrible news! Another example of SDOT moving forward with a solution that is opposed by the majority of the neighborhood. They have posted no evidence that this is a better solution, so don’t claim that we are a bunch of non-traffic engineers who don’t know what they’re talking about. SDOT refused to even seriously consider other options, but won’t provide evidence of why they were ruled out. All this will do is increase congestion, and decrease our ability to safely and quickly evacuate in an emergency. It is also an ableist solution trying to “force” more pedestrian and bike use of the trail. Not all of us are able to use the trail to complete our errands due to physical limitations. Notice that the more wealthy and better connected residents of the Admiral district did not lose their downhills lane when it was considered a few years ago.

Duh March 5, 2025 (8:23 pm)

Yeah shocking I know but SDOT doesn’t serve only one neighborhood

Alki resident March 5, 2025 (2:22 pm)

SDOT has proven time and time again that they’ll do what they want despite public opinion. This decision will no doubt cause many injuries and fatalities in the future. There are reasons people drive on the outside lanes for their own protection from oncoming traffic.Been here all of my life and have yet to see more than two bikes at a time on that hill and I’m on it regularly. Any excuse to waste more money. This will no doubt cause traffic backups and longer waits at the lights. Another meeting needs to be held to address this. Why ask what our opinions are if that’s not even considered at the end?

KT March 5, 2025 (4:29 pm)

“SDOT has proven time and time again that they’ll do what they want despite public opinion”. I think you can say this about all Seattle Government agencies.

Paul March 5, 2025 (2:23 pm)

Wow. SDOT is really ignorant and tone deaf. In their key themes it states that “More than half of survey respondents do not support any of the options, primarily because they would
remove a driving lane.” and “Many people feel that there are not enough people using the current path to warrant changes.”. Yet, they want to move forward with one of their options which at most received one-third approval. Why are they still moving forward? Why do they seek input if they want to ignore it? Also, why don’t they survey people on HPACs option 4 and 5?

Platypus March 6, 2025 (1:44 pm)

SDOTs job is not to do what is popular, its to make the streets safer for humans. Not make it faster for cars. Their design is safer while maintaining nearly equally service for humans in cars, but with the addition of a better facility for walking and biking humans. Cars are hunks of metal and plastic and not inherently special, humans are.
Matt March 6, 2025 (6:01 pm)

Just because the majority of people think it will make their commute worse, based on zero actual evidence or data that it will, does not mean SDOT should just accept the majority opinion.

greyhat March 5, 2025 (2:24 pm)

As someone with a functional brain and pulse, I am extremely excited about this change. All too often, our neighbors drive like homicidal maniacs down this hill, and I will be happy to see this traffic calming go into place to protect our neighbors!

Alki resident March 5, 2025 (3:53 pm)

Great, now they’ll just drive like homicidal maniacs on one lane. Makes complete sense. Irresponsible drivers won’t change their ways narrowing down to one lane.
- Wig March 5, 2025 (6:14 pm)
  
  If congestion actually increases as so many here are suggesting, driving like a homicidal maniac will not be possible. Unfortunately car drivers as a group are apparently unable or unwilling to be considerate and insist on endangering everyone on the roads, including themselves, and thus necessitate designs that make this recklessness physically impossible.
- E March 5, 2025 (8:21 pm)
  
  Then hopefully they are arrested or will lose their license.then they can use the great new separated bike facility! 🤠
Derp March 5, 2025 (5:10 pm)

Well good for you, you get to wait in the backup at the light at the bottom. It will increase wait times, back up traffic. All for the 5 people that actually use the SIDEWALK, which could easily be done by using that area, and not take a lane away. Where is Saka, hiding no doubt
- Derp March 5, 2025 (8:22 pm)
  
  Happily there will now be other options than driving!!!
- Kathy March 7, 2025 (3:19 pm)
  
  It’s been proven many times that reducing from 2 to 1 motor vehicle lanes does not increase driving times or decrease traffic throughput by a significant amount. What it does do is reduce speeding, collisions, injuries and deaths. Look at the SB West Marginal Way, after all the angry comments and pushback it’s just fine. I wish they would do the same on the uphill east side of Admiral Way. Today I was passed on the right by a car speeding uphill in the painted downhill bike lane. There are just too many crazy speeding drivers out there. Rushing for no reason to get to the next red light.
Kyle March 5, 2025 (6:35 pm)

I don’t think this proposal will do what you want. Reckless driving is a problem pretty much everywhere. Enforcement is the answer. Seattle police used to post a cop halfway up that hill before COVID about once a month. It kept speeds in check as a deterrent of folks afraid of getting a $200+ ticket.
- Ro March 5, 2025 (8:20 pm)
  
  SPEED CAMERAS 😻
  - Kyle March 6, 2025 (10:59 am)
    
    Sounds great. Much better than halving road capacity when we have a growing population.
SCorp March 5, 2025 (10:45 pm)

…George Carlin has entered the chat…

Peter March 5, 2025 (2:37 pm)

What a waste of taxpayer money. I’ve never once seen a bike rider on that stretch of road. No wonder it takes so long to get anywhere in this city.

Les March 5, 2025 (2:39 pm)

What is the cost of this project?

Foop March 5, 2025 (11:48 pm)

This project is included in the transportation Levy already (which we voted on and passed) and is part of a buck of *new bike lane* projects which has $67mm blocked out for.

We should be thrilled that this tax which we already voted on and passed is resulting in so much investment and improvement in our home neighborhoods.

Other projects included in this: Add concrete-protected bike lanes as part of
paving projects, closing gaps in the all-ages and-abilities bicycle network with a focus on
improving bicycle connections throughout South
Seattle. Initial projects include segments along
the following corridors:

N 130 St
S Henderson St
Beacon Ave S (middle and southern segments)
Highland Park Way SW
Cleveland High School / Swift Ave S protected
bike lane and Georgetown / S Albro Pl
connection
Chief Sealth Trail: S Myrtle St to S Webster St
12th Ave / 12th Ave S: E Madison St to Jose
Rizal Bridge
Install a protected bike lane project in West
Seattle to be named in honor of Steve Hulsman.

DRW March 5, 2025 (2:43 pm)

Did the SDOT actually count how many bike riders use Highland Park Way on a daily basis?!

WSB March 5, 2025 (3:03 pm)

We had that in a different story months ago. It may well be in this report but I didn’t have time to read it closely, just wanted to get the links out to everyone.
Tired of the BS March 5, 2025 (7:10 pm)

Four
Platypus March 6, 2025 (1:47 pm)

How many cars drove 60 mph on i5 before it was installed? Oh, none? I guess we didn’t need to install it.

Alki Parent March 5, 2025 (3:38 pm)

Leave it to West Seattle to freak out about anything that might prioritize something besides cars.

Alki resident March 5, 2025 (4:05 pm)

What exactly is taking a perfectly good lane away going to prioritize? It’s certainly not going to prioritize safety, in fact taking a lane away will now cause cars to go up on the sidewalk that potentially could hit or kill a person using the sidewalk. Genius ideas always come from SDOT.
- Bim March 5, 2025 (6:20 pm)
  
  Using the special exonerative tense I see, as if drivers don’t have the choice to behave themselves, be considerate, and follow the rules. Taking away a lane won’t “cause cars to go up on the sidewalk.” As someone who drives that hill regularly, I certainly won’t be doing that. However, if you truly believe that drivers as a class are so entitled and criminally reckless that they will routinely endanger the lives of pedestrians, then you are describing a group of people who frankly should not be permitted to operate heavy machinery. At a minimum, you’ve made a strong case that in addition the road diet here we should also be installing bollards and traffic cameras, and impounding the vehicles of violators.
  - Alki resident March 5, 2025 (8:29 pm)
    
    Not sure what your gibberish is about but in my lifetime, there has been one fatality on the hill by a reckless driver killing an innocent driver and two separate car crashes resulting in cars going onto the sidewalk and upside down.Doesn’t matter how many lanes are in place, people are going to be reckless at times. The point is that stretch is hairy enough with four lanes and it’ll be worse taking out a lane. A lot of people are rightfully opposing it and will be speaking out to stop it.,
  - Matt March 6, 2025 (6:09 pm)
    
    This was such a perfect reply, I love it.
- Derpette March 5, 2025 (8:38 pm)
  
  Um yeah see *that* would be illegal, and people should lose their license for that. And maybe be fined or jail. Hope that clears that up.
- Foop March 5, 2025 (10:01 pm)
  
  “Only having one lane to drive on will force me to use the sidewalk and kill pedestrians” is a wild take.
- M March 5, 2025 (10:36 pm)
  
  “Cause cars to go up in the sidewalk” I am deceased. (To clarify, not because I was struck by a driver on the sidewalk but because this comment is one of the funniest things I have ever read here).
- cwit March 7, 2025 (10:10 am)
  
  In my lifetime, I’ve not seen the terms ‘in fact’ and ‘no doubt’ used so loosely.
Sam March 5, 2025 (4:21 pm)

Freak out?! Hardly, and this isn’t even about the cars. It’s about (SELECT_ONE:disabled access:saving the orcas:saving the owls:stopping greedy developers:protecting immigrants)

HP Life long Resident March 5, 2025 (3:58 pm)

I can’t believe this, as someone who has lived in the neighborhood for 48 years and has used this hill, both by bike and by car, for just as long. This hill became flooded with many new drivers when everyone discovered it after the West Seattle Bridge was closed due to poor city planning. Closing down a lane to disrupt our commute for a new bike lane that only serves 10 people who use the hill by bike is one of the dumbest things I have ever heard. I wish Seattle would stop messing up our streets! If you remove the number of meth heads on our kids’ stolen bikes from the study, there will be about 10 people who ride this hill. Of those 10 people, only about 5 of them will actually be riding it; the rest are on powered moped bikes. I can’t even imagine why the city would waste our money like this, making it take a half hour or more to get out of our neighborhood every morning. I hope they gain some common sense and reverse this decision. Instead, they should spend our money enforcing laws and reducing the level of violent crime, and crime vehicles and trailers illegally parked in the HP School zones! What is next, Crime RV and Crime vehicle parking on the hill so people can get their drugs easier while waiting in the long line of traffic?

Actually Mike March 5, 2025 (3:59 pm)

Are federal transportation dollars involved in this misbegotten project? If so, any way to find out if some of those are as yet undisbursed to the state / city? Perhaps this would be something to call that new White House agency about, DOGGY? Whatever it’s called.

M March 5, 2025 (4:01 pm)

This is great. I do wish it would mean that aggressive people behind the wheel would automatically take responsibility for the harm they create, but I will take what I can get!

Mark B March 5, 2025 (4:18 pm)

Option 1 shows four bus stops carved out of the otherwise protected bike lane. Buses and bikes sharing portions of the path – what could possibly go wrong?

KAL March 5, 2025 (4:22 pm)

This is such a stupid waste of taxpayer $$. And you wonder why Seattle is going broke. Oh, I’m sorry, no, they keep raising taxes and re allocating funds….

rolldeeeez March 5, 2025 (4:25 pm)

This is great news! This isn’t a design entirely for the usage we see now, but the usage we want and can imagine. I rode this route on my bike a lot (to/from work in Georgetown and Downtown) but am not as strong as I was and it can be especially treacherous in anything but perfect weather. This improvement will encourage me to increase my use and I’m sure I’m not alone. Great to see us leaning back from car-centric design where we can!

Kyle March 5, 2025 (6:37 pm)

To be fair I am for improving this path, it is bumpy and mossy (maintenance issue likely to comeback after repaving) and should be repaved. Perhaps make a bit wider too. That can all be accomplished and maintain the lane capacity.
Adam March 5, 2025 (6:59 pm)

I don’t think any of this money is going towards lessening the incline or improving the year-round weather.
- Smith March 5, 2025 (8:40 pm)
  
  Well said.

Bbron March 5, 2025 (4:25 pm)

Very well targeted bike lane addition. Adds a missing link between Westwood and South Park by bike without needing to decide between dodging pedestrians or having their lives in the hands of speeders.

AT March 5, 2025 (4:32 pm)

Thanks, I hate it.

Tom March 5, 2025 (4:41 pm)

I regularly ride my bike on that hill and these changes need to be done desperately. Cars regularly go 50+ down that hill! It is so dangerous!

Don Brubeck March 5, 2025 (5:01 pm)

Good response to need for greater traffic safety, bike access, and to community concerns about congestion at the bottom of the hill. Looking forward to seeing the design proposal.

Wheeeee March 5, 2025 (5:05 pm)

I hope they do the same to Admiral! (Oh wait, they would never dream of doing that to Admiral residents.)

Foop March 5, 2025 (10:04 pm)

Admiral hill already has a protected bike lane.

Zack March 5, 2025 (5:10 pm)

Anyone who has biked this hill knows it isn’t the traffic that makes it unsafe. It’s a steep-ass hill that sits in the shadows all day long. Add a little moisture and a drop in temperature and it’s pretty much a death trap. I rode it for years. Or a portion of years because once the weather changed in fall, I avoided it until late Spring. SDOT needs to stop saying this is for bikers. That’s just BS.

k March 6, 2025 (7:10 am)

I never got the impression it was for bikers. It’s to slow down the dangerous drivers. That bikers will get a protected lane out of it is a bonus.

Derp March 5, 2025 (5:19 pm)

Here is Rob Saka’s email. Please send him many emails about his pet project in West Seattle and what a waste of tax payer money for the 5 people that use the sidewalk. Rob Saka = Rob.Saka@seattle.gov

Kyle March 5, 2025 (6:38 pm)

I mean, I’m not happy with some of the things Rob has done, but this isn’t a pet project or his lol.
- Derp March 5, 2025 (8:02 pm)
  
  If he is for the people of West Seattle, then he sure hasn’t showed it yet. Where is he, hiding like every other politician. It may not be his pet, but where the hell is he then. This project is stupid ass hell and a waste of my tax dollars.
- Smith March 5, 2025 (8:42 pm)
  
  Yeah he’d be far more likely to wanna nix it. He hates anything that aren’t motorists haven’t you seen?

Travis March 5, 2025 (6:09 pm)

Excellent! This will make my bike commute easier, faster, and definitely safer. Glad my taxes are being spent in a way that directly benefit me

Aimee C March 5, 2025 (6:35 pm)

Uggggh why couldn’t they just put in Jersey barriers between the road and the path and widen the path to accomodate bikers?? Now everyone who drives a car out of Highland Park is being punished for no good reason at all.

Craig March 5, 2025 (6:53 pm)

Did we forget about the West Seattle Bridge being out just recently? This road needed to be high capacity then, but suddenly now we’re sure the WSB will never have another problem? And West Seattle is a going to only grow in traffic as houses get replaced with high density townhomes and apartments. Combined that means more car traffic crammed into a small road, and if we have the bridge out again that’ll choke off a major route out of our neighborhood.

B March 5, 2025 (8:15 pm)

Second this. I can’t imagine the traffic nightmare if the high bridge gets shut down again. Does anyone know where to find data regarding the actual number of accidents that occur on this stretch of road? I drove it everyday during the high bridge shutdown, and I don’t recall ever seeing an accident during that time.

Tired of the BS March 5, 2025 (7:07 pm)

What is up with this city and wasting money on non-projects. There’s a phrase I learned in the military…”if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” it seems to apply here…

Smith March 5, 2025 (8:43 pm)

I would say the number of pedestrian and cyclist fatalities in this city would not indicate it “ain’t broke” but ok
- Tired of the BS March 6, 2025 (3:51 am)
  
  Highland Park Way SW is the subject here, not the entire city. So rein in the rhetoric. Maybe you’ve forgotten the disaster of trying to get out of this part of West Seattle when the bridge was closed? That extra downhill lane leaving West Seattle will no longer be available when the bridge is closed in the future. Now we’re talking broke…

KT March 5, 2025 (7:13 pm)

That will only shove people to Roxbury and the First Aven S bridge again (like during COVID). We do not want those soon to be irritated/angry drivers back over here.

MFLASH March 5, 2025 (7:17 pm)

Really? What happened to expanding the existing paved sidewalk? There is plenty of space! Such a waste of tax$$$$ So dissapointed with the lack of communication. I’ve lived here 35 years and hardly ever see any cyclists. The single lane will be a magnet for head on crashes. Don’t squeeze us in!

bill March 5, 2025 (7:51 pm)

Why would you expect to see cyclists on a road clogged with aggressively unsafe drivers?
Derpa March 5, 2025 (8:44 pm)

Yeah because THAT wouldn’t cost any money 😂

Reed March 5, 2025 (7:20 pm)

The comments on here are astounding and people really don’t get it. The point of this project isn’t to add a bike lane, it’s about slowing down car traffic by physically constraining where they can drive. You can’t drive like a reckless ass if you physically can’t go anywhere. For the folks who are saying this is going to result in drivers moving into oncoming traffic to pass, those people were going to do that anyway. This is the result of years of poor driving behavior, and I’m glad to see the city doing something about it. Added bonus, more bike lanes!

Alki resident March 5, 2025 (9:24 pm)

When and what year was the last accident there? The traffic had flowed fine all of these years with very rare incidents. You’ll see an occasional cop pulling over someone but that’s been a very long time. Not even so much as a fender bender has occurred. The last tragedy was years ago also. SDOT can find use for that money at so many other locations.

mnw March 5, 2025 (8:05 pm)

Correct me if I’m wrong but none of the options appear to include a buffer between uphill and downhill lanes. I usually like to stay in the outside lane when going downhill. It looks like there will be no “safer” lane to drive in after this update. I see more head on collisions occurring due to this.

AH March 5, 2025 (9:31 pm)

Cars will back up into the neighborhoods after this change is made. They are not adding bus routes. They are not changing bus routes. What you see is what we get. So many cars will be added to theses streets given the increased density. It would be better to do this traffic change after the other three things evolve: comprehensive plan, light rail build, ferry rebuild, And what will happen when the bridge goes out again during the construction of light rail? An aside: saw a cool relatively new bike lane on Yancy between Avalon and Delridge today with two bicycle riders. Both Bicycles were on the road and not the bike lane. They were going super fast on a curve side by side and I am really happy I did not hit them. Personally I would like SDOT to fix and clean our current roads, repaint the pedestrian crosswalks AND fix.clean side walks, clean up public right of ways as well as add sidewalks. I would also like more street cleaners to pick up the leaf sludge in our road ways. It seems to me the traffic on 35th has slowed a bit over the last 5 years although not consistently. How about adding more cross walks so pedestrians can cross major streets more frequently. I do agree SDOT does not like to listen to the people. They sure are stubborn.

Lauren March 5, 2025 (9:43 pm)

When 35th was rechannelized, fatalities went down to zero. That’s a huge win, and a good reason to do it here. https://westseattleblog.com/2025/01/10-years-after-big-35th-avenue-sw-change-another-one-is-on-the-horizon-heres-a-look-into-the-distance/

Chemist March 5, 2025 (11:53 pm)

One of those fatalities was Gregory Hampel a “man hit by a car last night after chasing his dog onto 35th near Dawson” according to the WSB write-up. That’s near Camp Long/where the future dog park is going, right?
- WSB March 6, 2025 (12:42 am)
  
  No, those two points (entrance to the stadium/golf course/future dog park, and 35th/Dawson) are half a mile apart.

Foop March 5, 2025 (10:19 pm)

After reading the report it’s amazing how many of my neighbors cry about tree canopy with regard to housing but so many were so quick to sacrifice the green space along highland parkway just to keep a car lane.

Kyle March 6, 2025 (11:01 am)

I think you are the only who mentioned trees. you make it sound like this is some lane expansion project (not just maintaining what we currently have for a growing population). There aren’t any trees in the lane now, nor would there be any if they took it away.
- CAM March 6, 2025 (8:04 pm)
  
  So clarify for me Kyle, on a wooded slope you are arguing that it is possible to expand the current pedestrian and bike infrastructure without narrowing/reducing space for cats and that doing so would have no impact on those trees? Because I’m pretty sure that when I’ve gone up and down that hill the only things I see are trees (and ridiculous drivers who think they’re in a race to get to a red light faster than everyone else because there must be some award or something for the first people down the hill I’m guessing).
  - Kyle March 6, 2025 (10:02 pm)
    
    Good grief my comment was that the above commenter made no sense talking about the tree canopy. And sure lets remove some trees if it makes a safer pedestrian path and maintains lane capacity for a growing population and 99% of the users of that stretch of road.
    - CAM March 6, 2025 (11:59 pm)
      
      I think your response just proved Foop’s point. It isn’t if you (and other commenters here) are ok with trees being removed in this location to allow cars to continue to move at illegal speeds. The point is that it is regularly put forward by many of these same commenters in posts discussing multifamily housing that the tree canopy is more important than housing human beings. So combining those arguments, cars being able to speed > trees > human beings. Either that or people are being very hypocritical and only arguing in favor of what, in their opinion, is personally beneficial to them.
    - Kyle March 7, 2025 (6:45 am)
      
      Ah, I guess I found it ridiculous because I don’t believe that (never have I said trees more important than housing), and no one else had brought up trees so it seemed to be a broad generalization intended to just enflame people. Sign of the times I guess.
  - john ewing March 9, 2025 (10:05 pm)
    
    the trees along highland park way on the SE side where the existing bike lane is, are at least 60-0 away from the street

Gresytreet March 6, 2025 (7:16 am)

Yay! One more project to reduce traffic flow; but here comes the car-haters lauding the win for bikers who will always remain a minority (don’t get me wrong their safety is also paramount). The royal “you” will never get *everyone* to take public transit or ride a bike, never going to happen in a city “Built on 7 hills” where the weather is not great 7 months of the year. This isn’t my commute but I do not quickly forget what it was like when the WSB was shut down and let’s not forget the bridge is only temporarily fixed. So, it WILL be shut down again and I can only hope I’ve moved out of this awesome neighborhood where we stifle progress and make narrow-minded selfish decisions because this route was pivotal for the south end WS residents to get to work and events, etc.

AT March 6, 2025 (8:38 am)

Do they promise to remove it if accidents increase?

CAM March 6, 2025 (8:06 pm)

If accidents increase I vote we just remove the drivers then. They clearly aren’t able to manage driving on this hill.

Patrice March 6, 2025 (8:46 am)

It just means that the road rage drivers will pass into the oncoming traffic to pass. It happens all of the time on 4th Ave to Burien. That speed limit is also 25mph and if you go the speed limit…you will be passed aggressively. It will be no different down HP way. Sounds more dangerous and stressful for those who follow the law.

VapoCOOL March 6, 2025 (9:27 am)

SDOT wasting tax payer money and making traffic worse on a daily basis..
How many MPG does your car get sitting in traffic? ZERO, just adds more C02 for the environment.

Jessicab March 6, 2025 (10:33 am)

Complete waste of money. Very few residents of highland park want this change. This will only increase tensions and traffic on an already busy road. Terrible idea. I can’t believe our council member doesn’t advocate for our needs. So disappointed.

KB1000 March 6, 2025 (10:39 am)

I encourage all Highland Park residents to call and email the contacts listed on the HP Connector site. They obviously did not listen to our community feedback and are railroading this through. HP is already a redlined neighborhood with limited access in and out. This will only make things worse. I hope SDOT is ready for a massive battle because that is what they’re going to get. Once again, people who live in lower income areas are getting hosed.

Brian March 6, 2025 (10:52 am)

The road should be entirely for pedestrians and bicycles and no I’m not kidding.

CSinHP March 6, 2025 (12:47 pm)

SDOT already came to the community with this idea and it was heavily rejected by those of us that live here. Why did they even ask for opinions in the first place? Are they planning to add all kinds of visual clutter as well? those stupid plastic stick bollards lined up the hill, and more poorly conceived and then ground out and redone striping that make the lanes hard to make out in the rain at night? driving through that forested threshold is magical, please don’t mess that road up with crappy bollards and backed up traffic full of more frustrated drivers. If you could commit to maintaining the sidewalk that’s already there or even expand it – that would be great, that’s what the community is asking for – but please- again, don’t mess that road up.

walkerws March 6, 2025 (2:08 pm)

“Why did they even ask for opinions in the first place?” Because your opinion is worthwhile but your opinion also isn’t the only factor.
- Look Both Ways March 6, 2025 (5:46 pm)
  
  Apparently data isn’t a factor, either; as the data and costs certainly don’t justify this myopic and horribly conceived SDOT boondoggle.
Matt March 6, 2025 (6:18 pm)

Right I guess the only people who ever use that road are neighborhood residents so I guess theirs is the only opinion which should count.

Mark Schletty March 6, 2025 (2:36 pm)

We need the idiot Elon Must to come to Seattle and fire everybody at SDOT. At least that would be one (the only one) good thing he is doing.

k March 6, 2025 (4:08 pm)

If it went anything like what’s happening on the federal level, they’d get fired, then get rehired, then spend time writing out their 5 bullet points, then get told not to, then get asked to resign, then get told they’re essential workforce. Then get hired again, except they’re already hired, which is confusing. SDOT is efficient enough without their help.

HP Res March 6, 2025 (4:25 pm)

I have no faith in SDOT. They have made it very hard, slow and frustrating to get anywhere in Seattle. First they had the Get Seattle Moving levy, which helped some, but after that was the “Slow Down Seattle and Make it Difficult to Get Anywhere Levy.” Now there’s another levy to make it more restrictive and difficult to get anywhere in Seattle, with even more congestion.Gas tax revenue for the City… what better way to raise more money in gas taxes than to make people waste gas idling in Seattle traffic!Highland Park Way has a suggested speed limit of 25 mph. Suggested? Yes, because without enforcement the speed limit is only a suggestion. If the City was serious about operating the roadway, why not post it as 30 mph and enforce it?

Look Both Ways March 6, 2025 (5:57 pm)

100%. Sadly, SDOT justifies their budgets by creating solutions to non-problems while wasting taxpayer funds. They could improve movement, access (enhanced bike path without reducing auto lane easily works) & safety while actually generating revenue for the city via enforcement. Truly backwards.
Bbron March 7, 2025 (12:48 am)

Lived in this city 20 years, and my commute has improved consistently in time and comfort. Maybe because I don’t drive? “Transportation” doesn’t only mean “cars”

Rainier Valley Interloper March 7, 2025 (9:38 am)

I know it isn’t popular in these parts to schlub it in the Rainier Valley, but if you ever get the chance, notice how pleasant Columbian Way S is between Beacon Ave S and MLK Way S. Columbian Way used to be four lanes up and down the hill, with greenbelt on either side. In 2011 SDOT brought it down to one lane in either direction and it has made walking, biking, AND driving much more pleasant. And safer to!My favorite part is the trail system that the community has built in the greenbelt on either side of Columbian. You can now thru hike the forest and it’s relatively easy to scramble across the road. The West Duwamish Greenbelt trails already reach Highland Park Way SW and I can imagine one day they may extend further south all the way to Westcrest Park. Perhaps one day there might even be a crosswalk! A man can dream.

Scarlett March 8, 2025 (8:15 am)

It’s wonderful that some have informed us the cost of owning and operating a car versus bike because, you know, no one can possibly figure that out for themselves. This is standard “classist” lecturing from those with luxury of discretionary income and time to choose between riding a bike, driving a car, or paddling a kayak to work.

Bbron March 8, 2025 (7:04 pm)

if I can’t afford a car and have to buy and use a bike to commute, I did so with discretionary income?? this is news to me. if you’re upset with folks painting with broad strokes, I’d put down the brush myself.
- Scarlett March 9, 2025 (10:44 am)
  
  Methinks someone is harboring a grudge, in that inimitable obsessive Seattle style. By the way, Bbron, I’ll stop “painting with a broad brush,” when I’ve outed all the “pseudo-progressives” with their theatrical concern about poor people and decency.
k March 8, 2025 (8:28 pm)

So you agree that not everyone has the time to wait on buses, so the faster light rail would be helpful to those with less privilege? Particularly since that same light rail would be funded by car tabs, which are paid for by people who can actually afford cars, versus buses and road infrastructure, which are paid for by everyone? Pretty rich to hear you of all people championing the downtrodden, lol. It’s okay to admit you just love roads. You’re in good company, no one’s gonna roast you for that.
- Scarlett March 9, 2025 (11:04 am)
  
  You’re really, really reaching, K, though I have to admit it was just a matter of time before someone tried to wedge that hideously expensive “toy” for affluent West Seattle – light rail – into the conversation for some truly delicious irony. Actually, K, unlike the vast majority of self-described progressives, I am exactly who and what I say I am.

Arash Sarraf March 8, 2025 (12:00 pm)

Bellevue is not reducing lanes like this and their roads are way better maintained than west seattle. this just creates long lines that do not make it through the lights.

Commuter March 9, 2025 (8:32 am)

Aren’t there more accidents on Olson/Meyers way, will that be the next road to lose a lane? I wonder if the long term vision isn’t to have only transit off the peninsula? If we had enforcement of any road violations thing would be different.