FOLLOWUP: Admiral Way bike-lane upgrade work under way

| Safety | Transportation | West Seattle news

11:59 AM: Thanks to Gregg for the report – the Admiral Way protected-bike-lane upgrade work on the hill north of the West Seattle Bridge is under way today. Less than a week ago, we reported SDOT‘s confirmation of what’s being done here:

The existing bike lanes on Admiral Way between Spokane and Lander will be upgraded with concrete pre-cast curbs to provide physical separation between people biking and vehicle traffic.curbs to provide physical separation between people biking and vehicle traffic.

We are not proposing to change the current lane or curb space configurations. The upgrade is intended to improve safety for people biking uphill and reduce instances of vehicles parking in the bike lane.

We’ll check in on the progress later this afternoon.

2:59 PM: WSB’s Macey Wurm went to the work zone for photographs, and reports that the crew wasn’t expected to finish the work today (above, see the pre-cast curbs that are being installed) but is likely to finish up this weekend. In the meantime, while they’re there, be aware of temporary lane reduction in the work zone.

CarDriver February 19, 2026 (12:26 pm)

Have there been bike riders hit by, or had a close call with cars on this section? How many riders a day go up the hill there? Assumeing SDOT has those facts and figures?

Erik February 19, 2026 (7:39 pm)

While I’m not against this upgrade. I almost never seen cyclists on that stretch. I’m up and down multiple times a day most days and can’t remember seeing anyone in the last year. Also didn’t know it was a bike lane until just now. I suppose SDOT is up to its usual “waste taxpayer dollars by finding a solution in search of a problem”. Business as usual.
- Sure Jan February 19, 2026 (9:09 pm)
  
  Huh, sure sounds like you have a problem with this upgrade that improves safety for riders and drivers.
- Book February 19, 2026 (9:52 pm)
  
  As someone who gets around largely by bike, I avoid streets where I’m likely to be killed by a careless car driver. Not seeing cyclists on a street with inadequate infrastructure gives you no info at all about whether there will be riders after the infrastructure is installed.
- Rob a February 19, 2026 (9:56 pm)
  
  Hey! You don’t see bikers there because it feels unsafeI actively avoid that stretch when I’m baking because it’s a 25 mph zone that people only go 45 on. Now that it’s protected, I will use it and so will my neighbor who has been going all the way around to get to the west side of North Admiralsmall sample size, but this is how progress happens
- Foop February 19, 2026 (10:10 pm)
  
  When I lived in admiral I rode it daily because it’s the only way to get home that way… Just because you don’t see us does not mean we are not there. Also – this bike lane already existed, this just prevents you from parking for driving in it – is that such a big deal? If you don’t see people riding it more often it’s likely because it does not feel safe for many to use. As marginal way has taught us, induced demands works all ways. Projects like these are exactly what these transportation levys are for. The real waste of money is installing more signs because people are spinning out while driving twice the speed limit exiting the bridge. Just obey the law and you won’t have a problem.
- TC February 19, 2026 (10:11 pm)
  
  I’m a fairly active cyclist in West Seattle and while I occasionally climb Admiral Way, I typically avoid it because of the near highway speed of the cars. From my anecdotal perspective, yes the barriers will increase bike traffic as it’s still the most direct and gradual way to commute to the Admiral neighborhood. According to Strava, there have only been 28 (non-e-bike) riders on it this year, but making it safer will likely make this a more common route for cyclists. Build it and they will come if you will.
- Elton February 20, 2026 (8:20 am)
  
  I bike it on a weekly basis and I see a lot of families, with kids, using it, too. If you’re not noticing them, you either rarely use Admiral Way or you’re not watching the road, take your pick. I drive on Admiral Way multiple times a day and see bicyclists regularly out there.
- SoLongDelridge February 20, 2026 (12:04 pm)
  
  The lack of critical thinking and self-reflection in this comment should concern every good person. It should offend you and scare you.It is dangerous to ride a bike on that stretch of road. People avoid danger. You were correct on one thing, albeit by mistake, slapping some paint on the ground doesn’t make a bike lane.
bill February 19, 2026 (9:23 pm)

Do you guys seriously need people dead to prove danger?

Gregg Hersholt February 19, 2026 (1:28 pm)

Traffic reduced to one lane going up the hill.

Lauren February 20, 2026 (11:48 am)

Good.

DRW February 19, 2026 (3:04 pm)

Time to start counting all the bikers riding up Admiral.

Admiral Cyclist February 19, 2026 (3:10 pm)

There are plenty of us every day, at every time, in every type of weather. Slow down a bit and actually look and you will see us!
bolo February 19, 2026 (4:27 pm)

Each one is one less car in front of you slowing you down!
bill February 19, 2026 (5:19 pm)

DRW: What Bolo said. And note when I drive, I keep to the speed limit.
admiral February 19, 2026 (10:04 pm)

There are more bikers than you’d expect here and they are intrepid! Plus rental e-bikes and scooters and SO many dangerously speeding cars on the way up from Alki. Totally support protecting these lanes.

Ihhh February 19, 2026 (3:23 pm)

Excellent news! Love protected bike lanes as a driver and a rider!

Steve February 19, 2026 (3:30 pm)

What a waste of taxpayer money. I see maybe one rider a month and I drive up and down that section of road twice a day.

Duwamesque February 19, 2026 (6:03 pm)

While your unconfirmed, anecdotal evidence is surely compelling (I see more than “one a month” just taking the bus), let’s look at the numbers.

The 2025 Transportation Levy allocates $176.8 million to SDOT projects, within which bike lanes account for $9.8 million, roughly half of one percent overall.

It’s not about saving money. Protected lanes save lives. Some people would rather rage against cycling than make modest investments in safety.
Rob February 19, 2026 (9:56 pm)

Hey Steve, a lot of cyclists like me don’t use it because it’s super unsafe when drivers rarely go the speed limit on that roadNow that it’s protected, I will use it
Platypus February 20, 2026 (4:20 pm)

You don’t sight a bridge location by the number of swimmers.

E February 19, 2026 (3:31 pm)

Can’t wait to use these lanes! I’ve always avoided this route because of motorists flying right next to my squishy/breakable self.

Steve February 19, 2026 (3:39 pm)

Maybe a repave on SW Teig Place would be a better use of funds.

Platypus February 19, 2026 (3:44 pm)

That was quick! It will be more comfortable and bring even more people out of their cars.

wscommuter February 19, 2026 (4:21 pm)

No it won’t. I’m all for this project and I’m a bicycle commuter. Let’s not kid ourselves that these barriers on Admiral will cause anyone to choose a bike. There are so many better ways to get into W. Seattle by bike than Admiral. You undermine your own credibility saying silly things like this.
- Realwscommuter February 19, 2026 (4:54 pm)
  
  Name them.It’ll make me choose a bike more often, that stretch is sketchy to say the least, so that’s one person more than “not anyone”.
  - Duwamesque February 19, 2026 (5:07 pm)
    
    Second this. Bike lanes with protection barriers consistently have shown increased cycling traffic compared to striping. I also avoid this route because it lacks barriers and is full of speeding drivers.
    
    As an aside I find it interesting how many bike infrastructure critics online claim to be cycling commuters… I’ve never once met a cyclist who opposed them.
    - Foop February 19, 2026 (10:16 pm)
      
      My partner and I try not to drive when we are doing anything intra-peninsula or downtown, however their primary stipulation is avoiding dangerous bike lanes (admiral, sylvan way). It’s easier for us to ride downtown 8 miles with the greenway + marginal way bike lanes than it is to ride 2 miles to the WS junction because of how disconnected our bike infrastructure is. If we lived in admiral still this would unlock us being able to ride home easier, though they would still avoid riding down admiral due to grade and lack of infrastructure. It’s been so liberating since we both got ebikes (I have an analog bike I use for exercise) we don’t have to stress traffic or parking when going out for dinner or for a happy hour. It makes getting out of the house after work so much nicer because the journey becomes part of the escape, at least until one of my kind neighbors from this thread angrily honks at us or yells.
- ShermanO February 19, 2026 (5:19 pm)
  
  Yeah, as a longtime bike commuter I am likewise curious what ways are so much better. Admiral is a good slope but cars drive shockingly fast and pulling out into the car lanes to avoid parked cars is scary. A protected lane will be terrific. Yancy/Andover is punishingly steep over the pedestrian bridge, Avalon is a better slope and protected now, but puts you a fair ways south. Going north you can roll along the water but there are only two ways up: Fairmount is low traffic but very dark, and isolated. California is narrow with fast moving cars and no bike lane; You can alternatively totter on the tall sidewalk or power up Ferry if you have the legs (or battery power), but neither of these is a great option either.
  - GH February 20, 2026 (1:49 pm)
    
    Avalon also sort of… strands you at Fauntleroy/36th. You can meander through the triangle and hope the bus lane on Alaska is safe enough if you’re headed further west. You can take your life in your hands and try to cross Alaska if you’re trying to head up the hill East of Fauntleroy (the fire signal at 37th and Alaska should be a full signal or 35th should get a protected lane).The state of WS bike infrastructure is PATHETIC compared to the rest of the city.
- Eric 44 February 19, 2026 (6:07 pm)
  
  agree I’m a cyclist too hardly ever use that side of admiral Hill they should focus on the other side of admiral side that goes down to the beach That’s where the poorly maintained road conditions and speeder from one end of the hill to the other

bill February 19, 2026 (5:23 pm)

Excellent! And to head off commenters who claim never to have seen parked cars blocking this bike lane, I encountered two box trucks parked in the lane on Tuesday. I was late so I did not report them to parking enforcement.

Lagartija Nick February 19, 2026 (5:32 pm)

I’m confused why the car nuts are so upset about this curb. You’ll still have 2 lanes to leap frog each other at 50mph + just to sit at the light with the rest of us.

Mellow Kitty February 20, 2026 (8:38 am)

It’s because drivers around here believe they own every stretch of the road. Sharing the road (even with other drivers) is somehow a huge inconvenience for them. If it adds another 5 seconds to their commute, it’s viewed as a war on cars.

Tim February 19, 2026 (6:55 pm)

When I go up the hill I use the sidewalk, I’m doing 3mph at best, as cars whiz by. There’s no way I ride in the bike lane, and now I will. And yes, on the sidewalk, I dismount if pedestrians are near. I’m happy to, it’s a tough climb for me. I often see joggers in the bike lane instead of the sidewalk, not complaining, just seems strange when there’s a sidewalk.

bill February 19, 2026 (11:27 pm)

Sidewalks can be more uneven and dangerous for runners than paved streets.

David February 19, 2026 (7:14 pm)

It sounds like no dedicated down lane on Admiral is being added? Which is disappointing if so. I’m all for protection being added to the uphill portion, but having a dedicated down lane is needed. I frequently ride up the hill but refuse to go down because of the speeds drivers reach. The whole east side of Admiral should be reworked to accommodate other modes of transportation. When the Admiral bridge was under construction and reduced to single lanes each way, there were rarely backups and it made the whole neighborhood more pleasant and safe for everyone.

Kathy February 19, 2026 (11:51 pm)

Yes! SDOT counts this as infrastructure on their bike map, but it only goes one direction and does not connect to any infrastructure at either end (steep stairs with a runnel are not for all ages and abilities, nor ebikes and cargo bikes). Northern West Seattle deserves better as the other bike routes require huge detours. How about a safe crossing from where Manning dumps out onto Admiral Way? How about reducing the uphill to one lane until after the Fairmount Ravine bridge? That would make the infrastructure useful to so many more people.
Greg February 23, 2026 (9:27 pm)

Given the cracks and uneven pavement, I prefer having a shared lane while on my bike so I can navigate the hazards. Speeds of cars and bikes are fairly close on that section

Kyle February 19, 2026 (8:37 pm)

So you can protect a bike lane and keep existing lane capacity? SDOT take note for highland park way…

Noah February 20, 2026 (7:13 am)

You have it backwards. Lane reduction is the primary reason for the highland Park way change. Nutjobs keep crashing their cars there.
- Kyle February 20, 2026 (9:20 am)
  
  From SDOT data, 20,000 vehicles use Highland Park way everyday, about the same amount who use Admiral Way, and about half as many who use the West Seattle Bridge. In the past 3 years Highland Park Way saw 17 crashes, Admiral way 20. West Seattle Bridge, just the curved part from Nucor Steel to the light at 35th, 28. At 20,000 daily users over a 3 year span, that’s 21.9B vehicles and 17 crashes. Instead of lane reductions, lets add more transit (only the 131 goes down Highland parkway, ~3,000 daily users from Metro), rebuild the bike lane (From SDOT survey ~50-70 daily users), and focus on real safety improvements like a center line divider for the 20,000 daily vehicle users, bringing back the motorcycle cops that would sit mid hill, and possibly speed humps. Although the majority of crashes from the data seem related to distracted driving.
  - bill February 20, 2026 (7:14 pm)
    
    Kyle, it’s 21.9 million, not billion, cars. Speed humps would be great. Present bicycle usage of crap infrastructure is not relevant.
    - Kyle February 21, 2026 (9:26 pm)
      
      I stand corrected, you are right 21 million not 21 billion over 3 years. I think we both can agree that even after improving the bike infrastructure, which we should, the daily 70 users go to what? 1000? 2000? Let’s keep the lane capacity for the still 99% of the users, while improving the multi path.
Foop February 20, 2026 (11:00 am)

I’m quite sure this is a bad faith comment but admiral already has a bike lane, albeit pathetic with merely paint “protecting” cyclists from on distracted drivers or cars parking in it. HPW has no infrastructure and is an actively hostile road to anyone, even cars and desperately needs calming.
- Kyle February 20, 2026 (2:30 pm)
  
  Data doesn’t back up your claims. The highland park bike path can be improved (it should be and is already separated from traffic) and road capacity can be left for the 99.93% of the users of that road.
  - Foop February 20, 2026 (4:25 pm)
    
    Yeah this seems pretty bad faith but I’ll reply with one last remark: there is no bike path on the highland parkway hill, nor is there one leading to it from 9th or Holden, despite being one of 3 ways off/on the peninsula.
    - Kyle February 20, 2026 (6:41 pm)
      
      Is “bad faith” facts that counter your narrative? Please go to Highland park way, there is an existing multi-use path on the east side of the road that could be widened and repaved.
  - Platypus February 20, 2026 (4:27 pm)
    
    Any street design that requires a stationed officer is a failure. Design the street appropriate and people will go that speed. The design of the road encourages speeding. A lane reduction for that amount of traffic is appropriate and would bring the street design in line with the intended speed. The new bike lane will improve one of very few way for bikes to get in and out west seattle.
    - Kyle February 20, 2026 (5:54 pm)
      
      Glossing over the 70 daily bike lane users vs 20,000 vehicle users + 3,000 transit users is wild work. Let’s improve the bike lane, but realize that is less than 0.03% of the users.
    - Duwamesque February 20, 2026 (9:40 pm)
      
      Ya know Kyle, every cyclist is one less car / bus occupant on that stretch of road. Improve safety, decrease congestion for everyone else. It’s win-win. Once protected bike lanes go up, usage and efficiency will increase.
    - Kyle February 21, 2026 (7:32 am)
      
      Not against improving the bike path, which can be done in the existing sperated median. Against punitively halving road capacity for the 23,000 daily vehicle and transit users. Vehicle safety can be improved using speed humps, center line dividers, etc. while keeping the throughput the same. I look forward to the day that the bike path has a 100% increase in usage. However, that would still only take it to ~ 150 daily users.
K February 20, 2026 (7:53 pm)

There isn’t a bike lane on Highland Park Way.
- Kyle February 20, 2026 (9:15 pm)
  
  The multi-use path is on the east side, already separated from the road. It should be widened and repaved.

Mark H February 20, 2026 (8:44 am)

The naysayers here are some classic West Seattle schtick.It takes away nothing, adds safety and comfort, and yet the complaints fly.

E February 20, 2026 (6:31 pm)

Efforts like this are a great way to resize our cities to a more human scale. There be growing pains but what a relief it might be if cars took a backseat to actual humans. The geometrically, economically and environmentally challenging car-centric design is hopefully being phased out.

bill February 20, 2026 (7:18 pm)

Cars will continue winning the war on people for quite some time. But at least a significant number of people have realized making Seattle look like Houston or LA is not a solution.

Admiral Biker February 21, 2026 (4:45 pm)

I’ve biked this section many times and have never felt endangered. There’s a 6 foot lane between traffic and the bike lane. However, the section of Admiral from the viewpoint to California is a death wish. That is where a dedicated bike lane is needed.

David February 22, 2026 (12:43 pm)

Agree. Which is why the whole stretch of Admiral, east of California to Manning, should be reworked. The barrier will add some peace of mind, but it does little to remedy the upper portion when you have to merge into traffic. People drive far too fast to make it safe for everyone, other drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. It also doesn’t provide a safe avenue for cyclists heading down the hill either.

North Admiral Cyclist February 23, 2026 (3:01 pm)

We saw this work being finished yesterday, on Sunday. Glad to see this improvement. The improvements to the westbound bike lane on Admiral need to be taken in context with the massive improvements to the bike infrastructure on Alaskan Way and East Marginal completed a few months ago. Bike commuters, and e-bike share / e-scooter share riders going to/from Downtown and the North Admiral area now have a much improved experience. People coming to North Admiral from Downtown, the Duwamish bike trail, or SODO are faced with a choice of climbing this section of Admiral, or using California, or Fairmount, or they can go all the way around to the Alki side and use eastbound Admiral. Personally, I still take California to get up the hill because the car-brains are not speeding as much as they do on Admiral. Unfortunately, the main problem with the bike lane on this section of Admiral is the top of the hill, where the bike lane goes away at the overlook. Riding a bike westbound around the curve and over the bridge is too dangerous – that problem remains unaddressed.

Sorry, comment time is over.