BACK TO SCHOOL: 45th SW in front of Madison Middle School will continue weekday through-traffic closures

| Safety | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | West Seattle traffic alerts

(WSB photo, January 2025)

One week from today, Seattle Public Schools begins the 2025-2026 school year. Even if your family doesn’t have a student or school staffer, you’ll be affected by the resumption of school-related traffic and transportation management, including school-zone speed limit and School Street closures. The Madison Middle School PTSA asked us to remind you about their School Street – 45th Avenue SW in front of the school, between SW Spokane and SW Hinds, will close to through traffic on weekdays again this school year. Several other West Seattle schools have set up School Streets; at one, Genesee Hill Elementary, SDOT has declared it to be permanent. This will be the first full year for Madison’s School Street, which was launched last January.

Kyle August 27, 2025 (1:20 pm)

When the neighborhood was designed 80+ years ago that section of roadway was designed wider than neighboring streets specifically to accommodate the increased traffic of drop offs, pick ups, and school events…

My two cents August 28, 2025 (6:36 am)

Reply

@kyle When the neighborhood was built 80 years ago, Seattle was half the size today (population). Car ownership per household outpaced the corresponding population growth additionally. Traffic standards also have evolved over the years.
- Kyle August 28, 2025 (7:22 pm)
  
  Reply
  
  My point was this pushes all the traffic, drop offs, pick ups, school events traffic to even smaller streets that were designed for even less traffic.

walkerws August 27, 2025 (2:35 pm)

Excellent news!

Kp August 27, 2025 (3:25 pm)

There needs to be better control of the kids and parents leaving school. They are running between running busses and cars not paying attention to bicycles and cars trying to get to their cars or to California. Most days it’s a total shit show. Kids and parents don’t give a dam about the people who live nearby. Madison is too big now and needs to be removed

k August 27, 2025 (4:15 pm)

Reply

Kids are acting the way kids have for decades and your solution is to get rid of the school? Wow. Just, wow.
odeaar August 27, 2025 (4:55 pm)

Reply

You spelled ‘damn’ wrong. This is why we need to keep schools open.
Jeff August 27, 2025 (5:13 pm)

Reply

Madison opened in 1929. I feel pretty confident in saying that there are zero neighbors that bought before the school went in, and knew what that entailed.
Mike B August 27, 2025 (7:36 pm)

Reply

This IS the better control.

Kp August 27, 2025 (8:58 pm)

Damn I knew that. In 1929 there was no traffic control at the intersections on 45th. In the 80s the SDOT put in Yield signs that people ignored. In the 2000s the SDOT put in Stop signs that people ignore. The closed street in front of Madison was a joke this last year, because the California Ave bypass known as 45th Ave Sw was unenforceable. People just go around the signs. This is just a bandage. With the new rezoning, just think of the traffic. Madison is just a school of the past. Look at other cities: There is a specific traffic pattern from a major street. Sell the school and move into WSHS