ALKI POINT HEALTHY STREET: SDOT says promised ‘next steps’ are finally on the way

SDOT has just announced the timeline for previously promised changes/additions on the Alki Point “Healthy Street” – Beach Drive and Alki Avenue’s stretches west of 63rd SW – and vicinity. These are basically what it announced early this year would be the “next steps.”

That SDOT graphic summarizes what’s ahead:

We’re excited to announce that we’ll soon begin making upgrades to the Alki Point Healthy Street at 63rd Ave SW and Beach Drive SW. These upgrades will enhance safety, accessibility, and make it easier for people to cross the street. They include:

-New accessible curb ramps, crosswalk, a flashing pedestrian / bike crossing sign at the intersection of 63rd Ave SW and Beach Dr SW.
-Two new accessible parking spaces and two new passenger loading zones near the intersection of Beach Dr SW and 63rd Ave SW. These will be on the north side of Beach Dr SW just west of the intersection at 63rd Ave SW and on the west side of Beach Dr SW just south of the intersection at 63rd Ave SW.
-An extension of the walking and rolling path on Beach Dr SW to 63rd Ave SW that will include wheel stops and a painted edge to match the existing path.

We expect to begin installing these upgrades as soon as later this year. During installation you can expect some temporary parking restrictions, sidewalk and travel lane closures, and construction equipment staged in the work area. We expect work to occur during daytime hours. Design details are subject to change as we finalize design and prepare for construction. We’ll share more information about what you can expect once the work is scheduled.

As also mentioned in the previous update, a painted mural will be installed in the walking/rolling lane – here’s the design concept:

As previously announced, the artist will be Angelina Villalobos, who’s created other murals in the area, including this one.

P.S. One thing mentioned early this year but not mentioned in either today’s announcement or on the project webpage – consideration of possibly making the Beach Drive stretch one way. We’ll follow up to see if that idea is still under review or permanently scrapped.

Lara November 12, 2025 (5:13 pm)

Finally! How exciting!

Ve November 12, 2025 (7:05 pm)

Not neededWaste of money

Frog November 12, 2025 (7:57 pm)

Worse than that, confusing and nonsensical. There is no such thing as a walking/biking lane. Bicycles (especially electric) and walkers are in no way compatible. What are they thinking, if anything? (Except to keep tourist traffic away from the rich people on Beach Dr.)
- poultine November 13, 2025 (11:20 am)
  
  I’ve been riding through there as part of my bike commute for over a decade now, and I think it’s worse now than it was before. I can’t ride in the walking/biking lane because pedestrians are simply not aware of their lane position and passing them over 10mph is a hazard for everyone. And riding in the main part of the road means sharing the single non-parking lane with oncoming traffic.
  
  Maybe it works great for people on a relaxing Sunday ride? I’ve never seen enough traffic there to think some slow bikes, scooters, etc. would be out of place in the road.
  
  Widening the existing sidewalk and keeping rolling traffic in the road would have been better for everyone, at least from what I’ve seen.
  - Kyle November 14, 2025 (3:44 pm)
    
    Neighbors advocated for a closed street because of car clubs that would park on weekends play their radios loud and smoke. This is what we got. My family doesn’t go down anymore, and we’re not taking a 2 bus hour long one-way route to go here from white center.

Aaron G November 12, 2025 (7:11 pm)

This is great!

wetone November 12, 2025 (8:42 pm)

How much money, engineering and labor is to be spent on this small section of roadway? Going on 5 years of redesigns that truly has led to what ? and for who ? There has to be more important issues needing addressed in this city and better ways to spend tax dollars. People wonder why the cost to live here is getting so expensive…..well it’s SDOT and Seattle government choices of implementing projects such as this and many others in area. Total incompetence and or to much money being budgeted to SDOT….

Cal November 13, 2025 (1:49 pm)

I totally agree: What if SDOT put these kinds of resources into a busy intersection lots of people use?

The intersection at Fauntleroy and Oregon is disaster for everyone, especially pedestrians. I truly don’t see a single reason they’re spending on this program when the need is so much greater elsewhere.

I propose the kid who made the Curby swag create “SDOT: Zero Vision” t-shirts, because at this point all we can do is laugh about this.

Melinda November 12, 2025 (8:57 pm)

What they really need to do is add some speed bumps to 63rd! There are too many people speeding recklessly down that road. It’s ironic how they put a healthy street off of one of the most commonly sped streets

tenlow November 12, 2025 (10:21 pm)

If they do that, they need to add them on 64th as well. Already too many people use 64th to loop back to cruise on Alki, as someone who lives on 64th I desperately want speed humps installed before summer.

Craig November 12, 2025 (10:30 pm)

So much for so little. At the least it should have been made one way to ease traffic flow. All this was for a problem that never was a problem when actual problems with streets are still waiting for their first attempt at basic repairs, and not the 3rd attempt at whatever this is.

Rob November 13, 2025 (12:05 am)

Before they start all this new work, why don’t they finish previous work they started. The section of California ave in morgan junction they repaved this summer (great) has never been re-striped (not great). Shouldn’t be hard to have a punchlist for this kind of thing.

Neighbor November 13, 2025 (12:59 am)

Was the bike lane constructed as designed? I can’t understand why the north entrance/exit narrows so dramatically.

Jenna S November 13, 2025 (1:41 am)

Great to see this work is finally getting completed as promised. That last block definitely needed to be finished to make it safer! Thanks SDOT!

North Admiral Cyclist November 13, 2025 (5:53 am)

Glad to see this moving forward, although the info SDOT puts out is so cryptic as to be almost useless to anyone that is interested in what they are actually doing. SDOT’s evaluation study from a year ago (Sept. 2024), shows a total of over 200 pedestrians and bicyclists per hour use the Alki Ave end of the “Healthy” street, and about 150 per hour at the Beach Drive end. So this “healthy street” is certainly well used. The high use is the justification for the expense. Many people use the area (it was crammed with people a week ago when local Orca whales passed by, as it is during extreme low tides during the summer). Unfortunately, the healthy street is not well designed and it’s too bad SDOT did not take the initiative to correct some awkward design elements instituted previously. As pointed out by others, the narrowing of the “shared-use” area at the Alki Ave end awkwardly “traps” cyclists and makes the portion cordoned off with concrete barriers dangerous to ride for bicyclists. Therefore, cyclists aware of the design flaws ride on the “street” with the cars.

Greystreet November 13, 2025 (7:35 am)

I’m so glad to hear this, particularly while Roxbury remains a nightmare of uneven concrete and holes and before anyone comes at me with the “that’s unincorporated” BS, yea I get it, it’s a still a roadway into West Seattle that needs WAY more attention than this Healthy Street initiative BS.

DRW November 13, 2025 (9:29 am)

A big ol waste. Totally unnecessary.

Bill November 13, 2025 (9:33 am)

It’s a one lane road now so make it one way only. Enter from 63rd.

Walkerws November 13, 2025 (9:47 am)

This is awesome. When it’s done, they need to work on narrowing Beach Drive between constellation and Lincoln Park. The sidewalks are a mobility disaster – incredibly narrow, forcing walkers, runners, and wheelchair users onto the road to pass each other in many spots. They don’t need on street parking on both sides. Get rid of on street parking on the east side of Beach Drive, and from west to east have a pedestrian/bike lane, a parking lane, and then finally a travel lane in each direction.

Foop November 13, 2025 (9:56 am)

I love that we’re finishing this, it’s felt incomplete. This stretch of road is a major influence on how I choose to get to Alki by bike. If only beach drive felt safer I’d be able to bring the dogs and the partner with me! Currently we take the long way around the north end of the peninsula because my partner is too nervous with cars constantly bullying us when we try to bike down there to enjoy the beach and the businesses.

Alkistu November 13, 2025 (10:51 am)

It gets very awkward at 63rd and Beach Dr. when cars are turning into the narrow entrance and on a bicycle I am exiting. It would be easy and wise to make it a one way street from 63rd and Alki and exiting at 63rd and Beach Dr. I ride through the Alki Healthy Street on the way to work even though it is not direct. Such a variety of people using that beautiful point now.

poultine November 13, 2025 (11:26 am)

As a cyclist, I’ve had more awkward interactions at that intersection than anywhere else outside of downtown. There’s no way to get far enough into the intersection to be see traffic on 63rd without also blocking cars trying to turn left onto Beach Drive.

Vlad November 13, 2025 (1:43 pm)

This is so unfortunate, the perfectly functional multi use street that existed before SDOT got their hands on it is gone. The irony is that it has been done in the name of improvement, but it is quite the opposite. Urban design isn’t about slapping on out of the box engineering gizmos but recognizing that cities are complex and require an understanding of the cultural significance of special places like Alki Point. Lots of money wasted that was truly destructive and certainly not healthy for all to those who were regulars at Constellation Park.

Progress November 13, 2025 (1:44 pm)

One step closer to the Alki goal – gated entry for residents only from 8:00 pm to 8:00 am. 20 years ago it was complaining about the sidewalk and losing parking spots … has continued since, closing it off more and more.

Fish Sticks November 13, 2025 (5:27 pm)

Can the signage and markings be improved enough so the MAMIL brigade riding in the road section stop yelling “BIKE LANE!” at every car they see? It really puts a damper on visits to the beach witnessing them shout at folks taking their kids to the park, unloading kayaks, etc.

Hope November 13, 2025 (11:06 pm)

Finally! This street being closed for construction this summer was the best thing that could have happened. The street was full of people and not parked cars. There were views and dogs and families, not people camped out in their cars blasting music. This is my spot! Huge upgrade for anyone who enjoys this park. Parking is super easy on 63rd even with my paddle board. Love the loading zone idea. Looking forward to this!!!

carol November 14, 2025 (9:15 pm)

Since the conversion of Beach drive from Alki to 63rd, the street has become dangerous for bikers trying to navigate around parked and moving vehicles. The water side is also unsafe with all the walkers. A terrible so called upgrade.

Sorry, comment time is over.