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To do

[edit]
Streets in Seattle category
Other notable streets
SDOT-Classified Principal Arterials with names
  • Airport Way South
  • Aurora Avenue North – SR 99, BRT corridor
  • Battery Street
  • Broad Street
  • Boren Avenue
  • California Avenue Southwest – BRT corridor
  • East Dearborn Street – former US 10/temporary I-90
  • Delridge Way Southwest
  • Dexter Avenue – former US 99, former streetcar; 1926 viaduct proposal to connect to 2nd & Stewart
    • "$100,000 Project Is Suggested to Achieve Same Result as $3,000,000 Viaduct Plan". The Seattle Times. June 6, 1926. p. 10.
  • Elliott Avenue – BRT corridor
  • Fairview Avenue
  • Fauntleroy Way Southwest – connection from ferry to freeway
  • Delridge Way Southwest – BRT corridor
  • Denny Way – grid-defining
  • South Jackson Street
  • James Street
  • Northwest Market Street
  • Northeast Northgate Way
    • Name rejected in 1961 (Times, March 21, 1961: Council Bars New Name For Arterial, web page 15)
  • Pike Street
  • Pine Street – transit tunnel
  • South Royal Brougham Way (former Connecticut Street, renamed in 1979) – proposed as Connecticut Street Viaduct
  • Westlake Avenue – streetcar
Numbered avenues in Downtown
Numbered streets and avenues
Alternative titles: Olmsted Boulevard System, Olmsted Boulevard System (Seattle)

The 14 Olmsted boulevards are a 22-mile-long (35 km) system of parkways and scenic routes in Seattle, Washington designed by the Olmsted Brothers between 1903 and 1936 along with 17 parks.[1][2]

History

[edit]
  • 1892: Superintendent of Parks Edward Otto Schwagerl proposes citywide park system linked by parkways
  • 1900: Assistant City Engineer George Cotterill proposes 25 miles of bicycle paths
  • 1903-10-19: Seattle City Council approves Olmsted Brothers' park system plan[3]
    • Centerpiece to be a 20-mile parkway from Seward Park to Discovery Park
    • Spur roads to Mount Baker Park/Beacon Hill (Jefferson Park); Interlaken Park; Kinnear Park to Magnolia
  • 1911: Virgil Bogue's Plan for Seattle includes significant expansion of the boulevard system, failed to pass in municipal election
  • 2009: SDOT begins using brown street signs to denote Olmsted boulevards[4]
Resources

Preserved boulevards

[edit]
Name[5] Length (mi) Length (km) Classification[6][7] Southern or western terminus Northern or eastern terminus Completed Notes
Cheasty Boulevard 1.3 2.1 Class I Beacon Avenue South / South Alaska Street in Beacon Hill Martin Luther King Jr. Way South in Mount Baker 1910 Originally named Jefferson Boulevard;[8] designated as Seattle Landmark on January 15, 2003[9]
Green Lake Boulevard Class I Loop around Green Lake 1912[10]
Hunter Boulevard 0.3 0.48 Class II South Spokane Street in Mount Baker South Hanford Street in Mount Baker 1909[11]
Interlaken Boulevard 3.0 4.8 Class I Delmar Drive East in Portage Bay Lake Washington Boulevard in Washington Park Arboretum 1908[12]
Lake Washington Boulevard 9.2 14.8 Class I South Juneau Street at Seward Park Montlake Boulevard in Montlake 1917[13]
Magnolia Boulevard 2.4 3.9 Class I West Galer Street / 29th Avenue West in Magnolia West Emerson Street at Discovery Park 1910
Montlake Boulevard 1.2 1.9 SR 520 / East Montlake Place East in Montlake SR 513 / Northeast 45th Street in University Village 1914[14] Signed as State Route 513
Mount Baker Boulevard 0.8 1.3 Class II Rainier Avenue South in Mount Baker Lake Washington Boulevard at Mount Baker Beach 1908[15][16]
Puget Boulevard 26th Avenue Southwest in Delridge 23rd Avenue Southwest in Delridge 1912[17] Segment under Delridge Way demolished
Queen Anne Boulevard 3.7 6.0 Class II Loop around Queen Anne Hill 1916[18] Designated as Seattle Landmark on April 4, 1979[19]
Ravenna Boulevard 1.4 2.3 Class II Green Lake Boulevard in Green Lake Ravenna Avenue Northeast at Ravenna Park 1925[20][21]
Schmitz Boulevard 0.38 0.61 Southwest Admiral Way at Schmitz Park Alki Avenue Southwest in Alki 1910[22]
University Parkway 0.6 0.97 Class II (non-Olmsted) Northeast 45th Street in University District Ravenna Boulevard in Ravenna Signed as 17th Avenue Northeast
Washington Park Boulevard Class I 1904[23] Concurrent with Lake Washington Boulevard

Demolished boulevards

[edit]

Unbuilt boulevards

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Easton, Valerie (April 27, 2003). "Masters of Green: From Street to Shore, a Living Legacy of Distinctive Public Places". Pacific Northwest Magazine. The Seattle Times. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ Park Playgrounds and Boulevards of Seattle, Washington. Seattle Department of Parks. 1909 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ Seattle Board of Park Commissioners (1909). Parks Playgrounds and Boulevards of Seattle, Washington. Pacific Press. OCLC 3094098 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ "A New Color for Olmsted Boulevard Signs". SDOT Blog. Seattle Department of Transportation. November 2, 2009.
  5. ^ "Park History — Olmsted Parks". Seattle Parks and Recreation.
  6. ^ "Boulevard Classification Legend Definitions" (PDF). Seattle Department of Transportation.
  7. ^ Seattle Boulevard Classifications (PDF) (Map). Cartography by Seattle Public Utilities Geographic Systems Section. Seattle Department of Transportation. 2003.
  8. ^ Sherwood, Donald N. "Cheasty Boulevard" (PDF). Sherwood Park History Files. Seattle Parks and Recreation.
  9. ^ "Report on Designation: Cheasty Boulevard South" (PDF). City of Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board. January 15, 2003.
  10. ^ "Project Details Page #02714: Green Lake Boulevard, Seattle WA". Olmsted Online. National Association for Olmsted Parks.
  11. ^ Sherwood, Donald N. "Hunter Boulevard" (PDF). Sherwood Park History Files. Seattle Parks and Recreation.
  12. ^ "Project Details Page #02713: Interlaken Boulevard, Seattle WA". Olmsted Online. National Association for Olmsted Parks.
  13. ^ Ott, Jennifer (February 8, 2013). "Lake Washington Boulevard (Seattle)". HistoryLink.
  14. ^ "Project Details Page #02722: Montlake Boulevard, Seattle WA". Olmsted Online. National Association for Olmsted Parks.
  15. ^ Sherwood, Donald N. "Mount Baker Boulevard" (PDF). Sherwood Park History Files. Seattle Parks and Recreation.
  16. ^ "Project Details Page #03209: Mount Baker, Seattle WA". Olmsted Online. National Association for Olmsted Parks.
  17. ^ Sherwood, Donald N. "Puget Boulevard" (PDF). Sherwood Park History Files. Seattle Parks and Recreation.
  18. ^ Sherwood, Donald N. (July 12, 1973). "Queen Anne Boulevard" (PDF). Sherwood Park History Files. Seattle Parks and Recreation.
  19. ^ "Report on Designation: Queen Anne Boulevard" (PDF). City of Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board. April 5, 1979.
  20. ^ Sherwood, Donald N. "Ravenna Boulevard" (PDF). Sherwood Park History Files. Seattle Parks and Recreation.
  21. ^ "Ravenna Boulevard". Seattle Parks and Recreation.
  22. ^ Sherwood, Donald N. "Schmitz Boulevard" (PDF). Sherwood Park History Files. Seattle Parks and Recreation.
  23. ^ Sherwood, Donald N. "Washington Park" (PDF). Sherwood Park History Files. Seattle Parks and Recreation.
[edit]

Seattle, Washington was founded in 1851 and has grown into a city of nearly 700,000 people, at the center of a metropolitan area of 4 million, the largest in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The city's streets are mostly maintained by the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) and are organized into several street grids that are oriented relative to different fixed points.

History

[edit]
  • Platting of roads
  • Annexation of other grids
  • Establishment of county street grid
  • 1955: Downtown streets (23 miles) switched to one-way[1]
  • Freeway proposals of 1960s
    • Arterial network expanded[2]
  • Modern-day controversy over etymology and street names (MLK, Jackson, etc.)
  • Steep streets[3]

Etymology

[edit]

Most of the streets in Downtown Seattle were named by early pioneers after themselves, their families, and their hometowns.[4][5] The Low family were briefly honored with the renaming of 63rd Avenue Southwest to Low Avenue in 1925, but it was reverted 18 months later.[6]

Roads and pathways on the campus of the University of Washington in Seattle are named for Washington's 39 counties.[citation needed]

Grids and orders

[edit]

North–south roads

[edit]

Named roads

[edit]
Name Length
mi (km)
Southern
terminus
Northern
terminus
Direction Neighborhoods Etymology Notes
Aurora Avenue Named for Aurora, Illinois[4]
Beacon Avenue
Bellevue Avenue
Boren Avenue Named for Carson Boren[5]
Broadway
California Avenue
Eastlake Avenue
Fairview Avenue
Fremont Avenue Named for Fremont, Nebraska[4]
Greenwood Avenue
Lake City Way 4.22 (6.79) I-5 in Roosevelt Shoreline city limit at NE 145th Street Bidirectional Maple Lef, Lake City Named for Lake City neighborhood Named "Bothell Way" until 1967[7]
Lakeview Boulevard
Martin Luther King Jr. Way 11.3 (18.2) I-5 / SR 900 at Tukwila city limit Madison Street Bidirectional Rainier Valley, Mount Baker, Central District Named for Martin Luther King Jr. Named "Empire Way" until 1983
Meridian Avenue
Minor Avenue Named for Thomas Taylor Minor[4]
Montlake Boulevard
Rainier Avenue
Roosevelt Way Named for Theodore Roosevelt[4]
Sand Point Way
Terry Avenue Named for Charles C. Terry[4]
Wallingford Avenue
Westlake Avenue

Numbered roads

[edit]
Name Length
mi (km)
Southern
terminus
Northern
terminus
Direction Neighborhoods Notes
1st Avenue Pioneer Square, Downtown Seattle, Belltown
2nd Avenue Pioneer Square, Downtown Seattle, Belltown
3rd Avenue Pioneer Square, Downtown Seattle, Belltown Restricted to transit-only during peak hours
4th Avenue Pioneer Square, Downtown Seattle, Belltown
5th Avenue Southbound; Northbound bus lane Pioneer Square, Downtown Seattle, Belltown
15th Avenue Northwest
23rd Avenue Mount Baker, Central District, Capitol Hill
25th Avenue Northeast
35th Avenue Northeast
35th Avenue Southwest

East–west roads

[edit]

Named roads

[edit]
Name Length
mi (km)
Western
terminus
Eastern
terminus
Direction Neighborhoods Etymology Notes
Battery Street
Bell Street Named for William Nathaniel Bell[4]
Blanchard Street Named for John M. Blanchard[5]
Broad Street
Cedar Street
Cherry Street Named for Cherry Grove, Illinois[4]
Columbia Street
Dearborn Street
Denny Way Named for David Denny[4] Originally known as Depot Street[5]
Harrison Street
Howell Street Named for Jefferson D. Howell[4]
Jackson Street Named for Andrew Jackson
James Street Named for James Marion Denny[4]
Jefferson Street Named for Thomas Jefferson[4]
John Street Named for John Denny[4]
Lenora Street Named for Lenora Denny[5]
Madison Street 3.8 (6.1) Alaskan Way Madison Park Westbound (from Alaskan Way to 6th Avenue)
Bidirectional (6th Avenue to Madison Park)
Downtown, First Hill, Capitol Hill, Madison Valley, Madison Park Named for James Madison[4]
Marion Street Named for James Marion Denny[4]
Mercer Street Named for Thomas Mercer[5]
Northgate Way Formerly "Mineral Springs Way"
Olive Way Named for Olive Julia Stewart (née Bell)[4]
Pine Street
Pike Street 1st Avenue & Pike Place Grand Avenue Eastbound (Downtown to Convention Place/9th Avenue)
Bidirectional (9th Avenue to Grand Avenue)
Downtown, Capitol Hill, Madrona Named for John Henry Pike
Republican Street
Seneca Street Named for Seneca Falls, New York[4]
Spring Street
Stewart Street 0.9 (1.4) Pike Place Interstate 5 Westbound Downtown Named for Joseph H. Stewart[5]
Thomas Street
Union Street
University Street Named for University of Washington's original campus
Vine Street
Virginia Street Named for Mary Virginia Bell[4]
Wall Street
Yesler Way Colman Dock Lakeside Avenue Named for Henry Yesler Originally "Mill Street"

Numbered roads

[edit]
Name Length
mi (km)
Western
terminus
Eastern
terminus
Direction Neighborhoods Notes
North 45th Street
Northeast 65th Street
North 145th Street

Boulevards

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "One-Way Grid Rules Traffic Downtown". The Seattle Times. March 28, 1962. p. 16.
  2. ^ Seibert, Paul W. (November 24, 1963). "Arterials Make Travel To Downtown Easy". The Seattle Times. p. C2.
  3. ^ Godden, Jean (September 5, 1994). "The steepest streets may be in Seattle". The Seattle Times.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Case, Frederick (September 3, 1986). "Avenues to the Past: Behind the Street Signs Are the Personalities Who Helped Make a City". The Seattle Times. p. C1.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Conover, C. T. (February 18, 1950). "Seattle Street Names Honor City's Founders". The Seattle Times. p. 11.
  6. ^ Eskenazi, Stuart (June 17, 2001). "Denny Party progeny live quietly among us". The Seattle Times.
  7. ^ "It's Lake City Way N.E.". The Seattle Times. October 27, 1967. p. 23.

History

[edit]
  • 1891: Electric streetcar service begins on Broadway, the first such line on Capitol Hill[1]
  • 1901: Developer James Moore renames Broadway Hill to Capitol Hill[1]
  • 1903: Broadway paved[1][2]
  • 1913: Street officially designated as "Broadway"
  • 1915: Auto row develops on Broadway and Pike[3]
  • 1983: New traffic signals installed with horizontal layout and "trombone" design; from Central College to Roy Street[4]
    • Several signals south of John Street later removed for light rail and streetcar construction, replaced with wire signals
  • 1999-11-30 to 12-02: WTO riots move from Downtown to Broadway
    • 1999-11-28: 500 protesters march up Broadway in "rehearsal" for next day's demonstrations[5]
    • 1999-11-30: King County Sheriff and Washington State Police directs protesters from Downtown away from I-5 and to Broadway on Capitol Hill[6][7]
Historic streetcar service, 1891 to 1941
  • Maps
    • 1896, Union Trunk Line: Broadway Division (F), following James Street from 1st to Broadway and Broadway/10th from James to Lynne; Beacon Hill Division (G), following Broadway from James to Yesler[8]
    • 1915, Puget Sound Traction, Light and Power Company: following Broadway/10th from Jefferson to Roanoke[9]
    • 1933, Seattle Municipal Street Railway Route 15(?): following Broadway/10th from Jefferson to Roanoke[10]
    • 1939, Seattle Municipal Street Railway Route 9: following 2nd from Main to Pine, Pine to Broadway, Broadway/10th/Harvard to Eastlake[11]
    • 1941, Seattle Municipal Street Railway Route 9: following 2nd from Main to Pine, Pine to Broadway, Broadway/10th/Harvard to Eastlake[12]
  • 1891: Electric streetcar service begins on Broadway, from Yesler to Prospect, on the Union Trunk Line F Division[1]
  • 1919: City of Seattle purchases Puget Sound Traction, Light and Power Company, Seattle Division streetcar lines to form municipal railway
  • 1941: Streetcars dismantled in favor of electric trolleybuses
First Hill Streetcar
  • 2012-04: FHSC utility relocation begins
  • 2014-01: FHSC construction on Broadway finishes
  • 2015: FHSC service begins
Light rail stations
  • 2005-07-28: First Hill Station (on Madison) removed from North Link route
  • 2016-03: Capitol Hill Station opens to revenue service

Culture

[edit]
Art
LGBT community
  • Seattle Pride Parade held on Broadway from 1982 to 2006

Transit service

[edit]
Future service
  • First Hill Streetcar (Yelser to Denny, with extension to Roy planned), 2015: Pioneer Square, King Street Station, ID/Chinatown Station, International District, Little Saigon, First Hill, Capitol Hill, Capitol Hill Station
  • Capitol Hill Station (At John Street), March 2016: University of Washington, Downtown, Rainier Valley, SeaTac Airport

Protected bike lane

[edit]
  • Two-way, 10 foot wide protected bike lane on the east side of Broadway for 1.2 miles (from Yesler to Denny)
  • Has own set of signals
  • Built to prevent replacement of water main on Broadway for FHSC
  • 21 "art bollards" made by Seattle artist Claudia Fitch installed in 2 foot buffer, made of molded plastic and filled with sand[13]
  • Ridership (weekday average, June 2014): 562, heaviest use during afternoon commute (5 pm to 6 pm), highest single day count on June 30 (660 bicycles counted)[14]
History
  • 2013-10-21: First section opens, between Union and Denny[15]
  • 2014-05-07: Entire bike lane opens[16]
Extensions
  • Broadway Streetcar Extension to Roy includes protected bike lane to Roy Street[17]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d Dorpat, Paul (May 7, 2001). "Seattle Neighborhoods: Capitol Hill, Part 1 -- Thumbnail History". HistoryLink.
  2. ^ "One Million in Street Work on Hand". The Seattle Daily Times. September 10, 1903. p. 7.
  3. ^ Dorpat, Paul (October 11, 2009). "Now & Then: Seattle's first 'Auto Row' thrived on Broadway and Pike". The Seattle Times.
  4. ^ McNerthney, Casey (August 12, 2009). "Why are traffic lights on Broadway horizontal?". Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
  5. ^ Rahner, Mark (November 29, 1999). "`Festive' First Big March Against WTO -- High-Energy Protests Promised Tomorrow". The Seattle Times.
  6. ^ Tizon, Alex (December 5, 1999). "Monday, Nov. 29". The Seattle Times.
  7. ^ Ith, Ian; Burkitt, Janet (December 3, 1999). "Rally Protests Police Actions -- Some Question Use Of Rubber Bullets, Tear Gas On Bystanders In Residential Neighborhood". The Seattle Times.
  8. ^ Seattle Street Railways, 1896 (Map). Cartography by Harry Foesig. Seattle Public Library. 1968 – via Flickr.
  9. ^ Puget Sound Traction, Light & Power Seattle Division (Map). Puget Sound Traction, Light and Power Company. 1915 – via Flickr.
  10. ^ Seattle Municipal Street Railway (Map). City of Seattle Department of Public Works Division of Municipal Railways. 1933 – via Flickr.
  11. ^ Proposed Routes, Seattle Municipal Street Railway (Map). Cartography by John C. Beeler Organization. Seattle Municipal Street Railway. July 1939 – via Seattle Municipal Archives.
  12. ^ Seattle Municipal Street Railway (Map). City of Seattle. January 26, 1941 – via Flickr.
  13. ^ "Broadway's Artful Bike Bollards and Power Poles". SDOT Blog. Seattle Department of Transportation. May 15, 2014.
  14. ^ "More Cyclists Using the Broadway Protected Bike Lane Each Day". SDOT Blog. Seattle Department of Transportation. July 17, 2014.
  15. ^ "The First Hill Streetcar's Other Track". SDOT Blog. Seattle Department of Transportation. October 23, 2013.
  16. ^ "Broadway Protected Bike Lane Expected to Open Next Week". SDOT Blog. Seattle Department of Transportation. May 1, 2014.
  17. ^ Seattle Department of Transportation (June 17, 2014). "Broadway Streetcar: Protected Bike Lanes" (PDF). Seattle Streetcar.
Madison Street
NamesakeJames Madison
Maintained bySeattle Department of Transportation
Length3.7 mi (6.0 km)[1]
LocationSeattle
West endAlaskan Way in Central Waterfront
Major
junctions
I-5 in Downtown
East endMadison Park
Construction
Completion1865

Madison Street is a major east–west thoroughfare in Seattle, connecting Downtown to the neighborhoods of First Hill, Central District and Madison Park. The road runs northeasterly for 3.7 miles (6.0 km) between Elliott Bay and Lake Washington, the only street in Seattle to do so uninterrupted. Madison Street begins at the Colman Dock ferry terminal on the Seattle waterfront, continuing through Downtown and climbing First Hill after an interchange with Interstate 5 (I-5). At Broadway, it becomes East Madison Street, continuing through the Central District to end at Madison Park.

Street description

[edit]

Madison Street begins at an intersection with Alaskan Way on the Seattle Waterfront, adjacent to a Seattle Fire Department fireboat slip[2] located between Colman Dock at Pier 52[3] and Ivar's Acres of Clams and the Ye Olde Curiosity Shop at Pier 54.[4][5] Within Downtown Seattle, Madison Street is a one-way street that carries westbound traffic between 6th Avenue and its terminus at Alaskan Way.

  • SDOT Classifications: Principal Arterial (2nd to 23rd), Minor Arterial (23rd to 40th, Alaskan to 2nd), Collector Arterial (40th to 43rd);[6] Major Transit Street (I-5/6th to 19th) and Minor Transit Street (Alaskan to I-5/6th, 19th to 43rd)[7]
  • Steepest street in CBD, 19% grade between 3rd and 4th[8]
  • Weekday AADT, 2013: 27,400 between 5th and Broadway, 12,700 from Lake Washington Boulevard to 43rd[9]

Notable buildings and landmarks

[edit]
Downtown
First Hill
Central District/Madison Park landmarks

History

[edit]
  • CityStream segment
  • 1864-1865: John J. McGilvra constructs straight-line road from Downtown Seattle to his property at Madison Park for $1,500, naming it after President James Madison[17][18][19]
  • 1957: City of Seattle adopts Comprehensive Plan, which includes a Madison Street freeway from Pike/Pine to Empire Expressway (later R. H. Thomson Expressway) at 23rd Avenue[20]
  • 2005-07-28: ST Board removes First Hill station, planned to be located 210 feet under Madison & Boylston[21][22][23][24]
  • 2014-01: Western terminus moved under viaduct for seawall replacement
State designations
  • 1937: SSH 1J created, carried by Madison Street from PSH 2 (4th Avenue) to 23rd Avenue[25][26]
  • 1964: SSH 1J renumbered to SR 513[27]
  • 1970: SR 513 codified,[28] SSH 1J repealed[29]
  • 1971: SR 513 truncated to SR 520 in Montlake[30]

Public transportation

[edit]

Cable car

[edit]
Cable car

Buses

[edit]
  • Metro Route 11 (Pine to 42nd): Downtown, Madison Park[31]
    • Electric trolleybuses from April 1940 to 1965
  • Metro Route 12 (1st to 19th, frequent trolleybus): Downtown, First Hill, Interlaken Park[32]
    • Originally Route 13 until 1984
  • City of Seattle Transit Master Plan (adopted 2012) identifies Madison Street as a bus rapid transit corridor, from Alaskan Way to 23rd Avenue E;[33] concept to be finished in June 2015[34]

Major intersections

[edit]

The entire highway is in Seattle, King County.

mi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
0.00.0Alaskan Way
0.50.80
I-5 south / 6th Avenue – Portland
Interchange
1.01.6Broadway
2.74.3Lake Washington Boulevard
3.76.0Madison Park
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Madison Street" (Map). Google Maps.
  2. ^ Podesta, Fred. "Station 5 - Seattle Waterfront". Seattle Fire Department.
  3. ^ "Seattle Ferry Terminal". Washington State Department of Transportation.
  4. ^ Dorpat, Paul (June 20, 2000). "Haglund, Ivar (1905-1985)". HistoryLink.
  5. ^ Broom, Jack (July 17, 1999). "Oh, Come All Ye Curious -- 100-Year-Olde Shop A Big Success, Definitely Not A Dowdy Centenarian". The Seattle Times.
  6. ^ Seattle Arterial Classifications Planning Map (PDF) (Map). Cartography by Seattle Public Utilities Geographic Systems Section. Seattle Department of Transportation. December 11, 2003.
  7. ^ Seattle Transit Classifications (PDF) (Map). Seattle Department of Transportation. 2006.
  8. ^ "Steep Streets in Seattle". Seattle Department of Transportation. 1969.
  9. ^ 2013 Seattle Traffic Flow Map (PDF) (Map). Seattle Department of Transportation. June 2014.
  10. ^ Burrows, Alyssa (May 26, 2004). "Central Library, 2002-present, The Seattle Public Library". HistoryLink.
  11. ^ Crowley, Walt; Burrows, Alyssa (May 20, 2004). "New Central Library opens in downtown Seattle on May 23, 2004". HistoryLink.
  12. ^ "Central Library, The Seattle Public Library moves into new Carnegie-funded building on December 19, 1906". HistoryLink. January 1, 2000.
  13. ^ "Seattle Public Library's new central library building is dedicated in 1960". HistoryLink. January 1, 2000.
  14. ^ "William Kenzo Nakamura U.S. Courthouse, Seattle, WA". General Services Administration.
  15. ^ DeCoster, Dotty (June 23, 2008). "Sorrento Hotel (Seattle)". HistoryLink.
  16. ^ Wilma, David (April 28, 2001). "Seattle Landmarks: Samuel Hyde Residence (1910)". HistoryLink.
  17. ^ Rochester, Junius (November 16, 2000). "Seattle Neighborhoods: Madison Park -- Thumbnail History". HistoryLink.
  18. ^ Hines, Harvey K. (1893). "Biographical Sketches". An Illustrated History of the State of Washington. Chicago, Illinois: The Lewis Publishing Co. p. 285. OCLC 29101681 – via Internet Archive.
  19. ^ Kim, Gina (November 21, 2001). "Seattle History: Madison memoirs". The Seattle Times.
  20. ^ Willix, Douglas (August 25, 1957). "Seattle's Plan For Tomorrow". The Seattle Sunday Times Magazine. pp. 12–13.
  21. ^ "Sound Transit Resolution No. R2005-20" (PDF). Sound Transit. July 28, 2005.
  22. ^ Fazel, Ahmad (July 28, 2005). "Sound Transit Staff Report - Resolution No. R2005-20: Modify North Link Preferred Route and Identify "University Link" Segment for purposes of obtaining a New Starts Rating" (PDF). Sound Transit.
  23. ^ Pryne, Eric (July 29, 2005). "Board cuts First Hill rail station". The Seattle Times.
  24. ^ Hadley, Jane (July 28, 2005). "Sound Transit board leaves First Hill out of loop". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Hearst Corporation.
  25. ^ Hamilton, G.W., ed. (March 18, 1937). "Chapter 207 (S. B. 119): Classification of Public Highways". Session Laws of the State of Washington, Twenty-Fifth Session (PDF). Session Laws of the State of Washington (1937 ed.). Olympia, Washington: Washington State Legislature. p. 996. OCLC 42336168. Secondary State Highway No. 1J; beginning at a junction with Primary State Highway No. 1 in the vicinity north of Seattle, thence in an easterly direction by the most feasible route to the vicinity of Lake Washington, thence in a southeasterly direction by the most feasible route to Seattle in the vicinity of the Naval Air Station at Sandpoint.
  26. ^ "Annual Traffic Report, 1960" (PDF). Washington State Highway Commission, Department of Highways. 1960. p. 143.
  27. ^ Prahl, C. G. (December 1, 1965). "Identification of State Highways" (PDF). Washington State Highway Commission, Department of Highways.
  28. ^ "47.17.695: State route No. 513". Revised Code of Washington. Washington State Legislature. 1970; revised 1971, 1991. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  29. ^ White, Richard O., ed. (February 24, 1970). "Chapter 51 (Substitute Senate Bill No. 266): State Highways—Route Numbers". 1970 Session Laws of the State of Washington - Second Extraordinary Session, Forty-First Legislature (PDF). Session Laws of the State of Washington (1970 ed.). Olympia, Washington: Washington State Legislature. pp. 342–400. OCLC 42336168.
  30. ^ White, Richard O., ed. (May 18, 1971). "Chapter 73 (Senate Bill No. 291): State Highway Routes". 1971 Session Laws of the State of Washington - Regular Session, Forty-Second Legislature (PDF). Session Laws of the State of Washington (1971 ed.). Olympia, Washington: Washington State Legislature. p. 527. OCLC 42336168. Sec. 16. Section 140, chapter 51, Laws of 1970 ex. sess. and RCW 47.17.695 are each amended to read as follows: A state highway to be known as state route number 513 is established as follows: Beginning at a junction with state route number 520 in Seattle, thence northerly and easterly to ((in)) the vicinity of ((the Naval Air Station at)) Sand Point, thence northwesterly ((in the vicinity of Lake Washington thence easterly)) to a junction with state route number 5 in the vicinity north of Seattle.
  31. ^ "Route 11: Downtown Seattle–Madison Park". King County Metro. June 7, 2014.
  32. ^ "Route 12: Downtown Seattle–First Hill, Interlaken Park". King County Metro. June 7, 2014.
  33. ^ Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates (April 2012). "Chapter 3: Corridors". Transit Master Plan: Final Summary Report (PDF) (Report). Seattle Department of Transportation. p. 3-9.
  34. ^ "Madison Street Corridor Bus Rapid Transit". Seattle Department of Transportation. July 1, 2014.
[edit]
Mercer Street
Mercer Place
NamesakeThomas Mercer
Maintained bySeattle Department of Transportation
Length1.9 mi (3.1 km)[1]
LocationSeattle
West endElliot Avenue West in Interbay
Major
junctions
SR 99 in Lower Queen Anne
East end I-5 in Cascade

Mercer Street is a major east–west thoroughfare in the Lower Queen Anne and South Lake Union neighborhoods of Seattle, Washington.

Street description

[edit]
  • SDOT Classifications: Principal Arterial;[2] Major/Minor Transit Street[3]
  • Weekday AADT, 2013: 49,200 between Aurora and Fairview[4]
Other segments
  • West Mercer Street (282 ft, in western Uptown): Elliott Avenue West to 6th Avenue West (connected by stairs), continues south as 6th Avenue West
  • Mercer Street (0.2 mi, in Cascade): Fairview Avenue to Eastlake Avenue
  • East Mercer Street (0.8 mi, on Capitol Hill): Melrose Avenue East to 17th Avenue East
  • East Mercer Street (0.6 mi, in Central District): 18th Avenue East to 28th Avenue East
  • East Mercer Street (230 ft, as a continuation of Dewey Place East in Denny-Blaine): Dewey Place East to 30th Avenue East
  • East Mercer Street (0.2 mi, in Washington Park): 31st Avenue East to 36th Avenue East
  • East Mercer Street (253 ft, in Washington Park): 39th Avenue East to Lake Washington

History

[edit]
  • 1954–72: Bay Freeway[5][6]
  • 1991–96: Seattle Commons[7]
  • 2010–2016: Mercer Corridor Project
    • Two-way operation restored in 2012, bike lane added, pedestrian improvements, more lanes added
    • "2 seconds faster"[8]
  • Future: SR 99 tunnel portal

Traffic and congestion

[edit]
  • Nicknamed the "Mercer Mess"

Bus service

[edit]
  • RapidRide D Line (Elliot to Queen Anne/1st N, also known as Metro Route 674): Downtown, Uptown, Interbay, Ballard, Crown Hill[9]
  • Metro Route 1 (2nd W to Queen Anne/1st N): Queen Anne, Uptown, Belltown, Downtown[10]
  • Metro Route 8 (1st N to Queen Anne, only westbound/inbound to terminus): South Lake Union, Capitol Hill, Madison Valley, Central District, Rainier Valley, Mount Baker, Columbia City, Rainier Beach[11]
  • Metro Route 32 (Elliot to Queen Anne/1st N): Seattle Center, Interbay, Fremont, Wallingford, University District[12]

Major intersections

[edit]

The entire highway is in Seattle, King County.

mi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
0.00.0West Elliot Avenue
1.93.1

I-5 to SR 520 / I-90
Interchange
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Mercer Street" (Map). Google Maps.
  2. ^ Seattle Arterial Classifications Planning Map (PDF) (Map). Cartography by Seattle Public Utilities Geographic Systems Section. Seattle Department of Transportation. 2003.
  3. ^ Seattle Transit Classifications (PDF) (Map). Seattle Department of Transportation. 2006.
  4. ^ 2013 Seattle Traffic Flow Map (PDF) (Map). Seattle Department of Transportation. June 2014.
  5. ^ Lane, Bob (December 14, 1969). "The Bay Freeway...It's Unlike Any Other". The Seattle Times. p. D1.
  6. ^ City of Seattle Engineering Department (April 8, 1970). "Bay Freeway: Questions & Answers". The Seattle Times. p. D7 – via Seattle Municipal Archives.
  7. ^ Becker, Paula (August 8, 2007). "Seattle voters reject the Seattle Commons levy on September 19, 1995". HistoryLink.
  8. ^ Markovich, Matt (October 17, 2016). "$74 million later, Mercer Mess is 2 seconds faster". KOMO.
  9. ^ "RapidRide D Line". King County Metro. September 27, 2014.
  10. ^ "Route 1: Downtown Seattle–Kinnear". King County Metro. September 27, 2014.
  11. ^ "Route 8: Seattle Center–Capitol Hill, Rainier Beach". King County Metro. September 27, 2014.
  12. ^ "Route 31, 32 (includes partial service on 65 & 75): Seattle Center, Central Magnolia–University District". King County Metro. September 27, 2014.
[edit]
Rainier Avenue
Rainier Avenue South
NamesakeMount Rainier
Maintained bySeattle Department of Transportation
Length11.0 mi (17.7 km)[1]
LocationRainier Valley, Seattle
South end SR 167 / SW Grady Way in Renton
Major
junctions
SR 900 in Renton
I-90 in Atlantic
North endSouth Boren Avenue / South Jackson Street / 14th Avenue South in Central District

Rainier Avenue South is a major north–south thoroughfare in the Rainier Valley neighborhood of Seattle, Washington.

Street description

[edit]

Rainier Avenue begins in Renton as a continuation of SR 167, a freeway traversing the Green River Valley, after its interchange with Interstate 405. The street travels northeast through Renton's auto row, crossing under an elevated railroad, and intersects Sunsey Boulevard (SR 900). Rainier Avenue continues north along the west side of Renton Municipal Airport to the shores of Lake Washington, which it follows in a northwesterly direction into the Skyway area.

  • SDOT Classifications: Principal Arterial;[2] Principal Transit Street (Dearborn to Winthrop), Major Transit Street (Jackson to Dearborn, Winthrop to Renton)[3]
  • Weekday AADT, 2013: 35,000 from McClellan to I-90, 18,000 from Waters to Renton city limits[4]

History

[edit]
Rainier Avenue Electric Railway[5][6][7]
  • 1891-07-21: RAER, founded by banker J. K. Edmiston, issued franchise by Seattle to operate interurban service on city streets on 7-mile line to Columbia City
  • 1893: RAER given to W. J. Grambs during the Panic of 1893 and extended to Rainier Beach
    • 45-minute frequencies
    • Experimental zone fars: five cents from Rainier Beach to Columbia City, ten cents from Rainier Beach to Seattle
  • 1895: Frank Osgood takes over RAER after it neared bankruptcy
  • 1896: RAER renamed to Seattle Renton & Southern Railway (SR&S) and extended to Renton
  • 1937-01-01: Final SR&S run, replaced by wider and paved Rainier Avenue and bus service
  • 1937-06: Rainier Avenue center strip paved over, celebrations held in Columbia City
State designations
  • 1991: SR 167 truncated to SR 900 in Renton, SR 900 truncated to I-5 in Tukwila

Safety improvements

[edit]
  • AADT: 19,700 to 26,600 vehicles per weekday
  • 2011 to 2014: 1243 total collisions, 630 injuries and 2 fatalities
  • 2015-08-03: Work on Rainier Avenue South Road Safety Corridor Project begins[8]
    • Reducing speed limit to 25 mph
    • Re-channelizing streets and reducing lanes from 4 to 3 in some areas (road diet)[9][10]
  • KCTS-TV coverage

Bus service

[edit]
  • Metro Route 7 (57th Ave to Jackson, frequent trolleybus): Downtown, Rainier Valley, Rainier Beach[11]

Major intersections

[edit]

The entire highway is in King County.

Locationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
Renton0.00.0

SR 167 south to Southwest Grady Way / I-405
South end of SR 167 concurrency; continues south as SR 167
0.71.1
SR 900 east (South 3rd Street)
South end of SR 900 concurrency; north end of SR 167 concurrency
0.81.3
SR 900 west (South 2nd Street / Southwest Sunset Boulevard)
North end of SR 900 concurrency
Seattle9.214.8Martin Luther King Jr. Way South
10.316.6
I-90 east – Spokane
Interchange
11.017.7South Jackson Street, 14th Avenue SouthContinues as South Boren Avenue
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Rainier Avenue South" (Map). Google Maps.
  2. ^ Seattle Arterial Classifications Planning Map (PDF) (Map). Cartography by Seattle Public Utilities Geographic Systems Section. Seattle Department of Transportation. 2003.
  3. ^ Seattle Transit Classifications (PDF) (Map). Seattle Department of Transportation. 2006.
  4. ^ 2013 Seattle Traffic Flow Map (PDF) (Map). Seattle Department of Transportation. June 2014.
  5. ^ Crowley, Walt (October 17, 1999). "Seattle Renton & Southern Railway -- King County's First True Interurban". HistoryLink.
  6. ^ Wilma, David (March 13, 2001). "Rainier Valley -- Thumbnail History". HistoryLink.
  7. ^ McNerthney, Casey (November 9, 2010). "P-I archive: The railway that used to be on Rainier?". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Hearst Corporation.
  8. ^ "Rainier Avenue South Road Safety Corridor". Seattle Department of Transportation.
  9. ^ Lindblom, Mike (March 8, 2015). "'Road diet' aims to make Rainier Ave. slimmer, slower, safer". The Seattle Times.
  10. ^ "Rainier Avenue S Road Safety Corridor Project" (PDF). Seattle Department of Transportation. February 2015.
  11. ^ "Route 7: Downtown Seattle–Rainier Beach". King County Metro. June 7, 2014.
[edit]
Royal Brougham Way
South Royal Brougham Way
Former name(s)South Connecticut Street
NamesakeRoyal Brougham
Maintained bySeattle Department of Transportation
Length0.7 mi (1.1 km)[1]
LocationSODO, Seattle
West end SR 99
East endAirport Way South

South Royal Brougham Way is an east–west street in the SODO neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, serving CenturyLink Field and Safeco Field.

Street description

[edit]
  • SDOT Classifications: Principal Arterial;[2] Minor Transit Street[3]
Buildings and structures

History

[edit]
  • 1979-04-02: Seattle City Council passes ordinance changing the name of Connecticut Street to Royal Brougham Way[4][5]

Connecticut Street Viaduct proposal

[edit]
  • 1960: Planned double-decked elevated freeway between Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seattle Freeway and Lake Washington Floating Bridge (drawing)

Transit service

[edit]

Major intersections

[edit]

The entire highway is in Seattle, King County.

mi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
0.00.0
SR 99 north (Alaskan Way Viaduct)
Northbound ramp only
0.71.1Airport Way South
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "South Royal Brougham Way" (Map). Google Maps.
  2. ^ Seattle Arterial Classifications Planning Map (PDF) (Map). Cartography by Seattle Public Utilities Geographic Systems Section. Seattle Department of Transportation. 2003.
  3. ^ Seattle Transit Classifications (PDF) (Map). Seattle Department of Transportation. 2006.
  4. ^ Seattle City Council (April 6, 1979). "City of Seattle Ordinance 108099". City of Seattle Legislative Information Service. Office of the City Clerk.
  5. ^ Fancher, Michael R. (April 3, 1979). "Wire-undergrounding project dies". The Seattle Times. p. A14.
[edit]
  • Four lanes for most of its length
  • AADT and street classification
  • NHS route

History

[edit]

A military road was built along the west side of Lake Union in the early 1860s to connect the lake to the modern settlement of Seattle, following the general path of an older trail used by Native Americans.[1][2] Lake Union became a landing point for coal shipments that were hauled by boat and wagon from modern-day Newcastle and Renton and were bound for ships on Elliott Bay. A narrow gauge railroad was constructed in 1872 through the valley on the east side of Denny Hill, following the modern-day route of Westlake Avenue.[1] The railroad was abandoned five years later and replaced in 1890 with a streetcar line that was built in less than a week by the Seattle Electric Railway and Power Company.[3][4][5] Between Depot Street (now Denny Way) and the southern shore of Lake Union, the streetcar followed Rollin Avenue.[5]

  • 1888 Sandborn shows Rollin Avenue north of Depot (Denny)[6]
  • November 1906: Westlake Avenue completed through street grid as "Westlake Boulevard", measuring 90 feet wide.[7][8]
    • Straightened through regrade[9]
  • Regrades began in 1910, completed west in 1912 and east 1929–31[10]
  • 1941: Streetcar service on Westlake ends
  • Old uses in area: triangular streetcar rest stop?[11]
  • 1950s: Westlake Avenue between Olive and Pike closed ocassionally for civic events[12]
  • 1960s: Monorail terminal built from Pike to Pine
  • 1965: Westlake Square park at 5th/Stewart is constructed
  • 1980s: Westlake Center construction truncates street to Olive Way/5th Avenue
  • 1990s: Office development in Westlake proper
  • Seattle Commons plan (rejected in 1995): turn 9th into Westlake Boulevard, leaving original street as a large green space from Denny to Lake Union; large landscaped roundabout south of Denny
  • 2002: SPU consolidates drain systems along street[13]
  • 2006-07: Streetcar construction begins[14]
  • 2007-09-09: Westlake converted to two-way operation (previously one-way northbound, forming pair with 9th from Denny to Mercer)[15]
  • 2007-12: SLU Streetcar opens
  • 2011: McGraw Square expansion, closing segment from Stewart to Olive
  • 2016: Curbside transit lanes between Stewart/Lenora and Valley for streetcar, RapidRide C and Metro
  • 2016: Westlake Avenue North cycle track construction, $3.6 million to build a protected bike lane from Aloha Street to Fremont Bridge[18]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Krafft, Katheryn H.; Meisner, Jennifer (August 2014). Historic Resources Survey Report: South Lake Union & Cascade Neighborhoods, Seattle, Washington (PDF) (Report). Seattle Department of Neighborhoods. pp. 6–13.
  2. ^ https://web6.seattle.gov/DPD/HistoricalSite/QueryResult.aspx?ID=2147012402
  3. ^ https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/south-lake-union-streetcar-on-the-past-track/
  4. ^ http://www.historylink.org/File/7303
  5. ^ a b Thomas Street History Services (August 2005). "South Lake Union Historic Survey and Inventory – Context Statement" (PDF). Seattle Department of Neighborhoods. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 7, 2006.
  6. ^ https://www.loc.gov/resource/g4284sm.g4284sm_g093151888/?sp=1&r=0.378,0.077,0.423,0.331,0
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Dorpat2016 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Dorpat, Paul (November 13, 1983). "Westlake: Seattle's 5-star intersection held promise even at the turn of the century". The Seattle Times. pp. 26–27.
  9. ^ https://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-magazine/tracking-clues-to-locate-the-photographer-behind-this-1890s-lake-union-image/
  10. ^ http://historylink.org/Content/cybertour/pdf/LUwalkingtour.pdf
  11. ^ http://courses.washington.edu/ordinary/DennyTriangles.pdf
  12. ^ "Elusive dream: A history of Westlake plans". The Seattle Times. May 3, 1987. p. B2.
  13. ^ Zabel, Russ (April 3, 2002). "Westlake corridor sprucing up moves forward". Queen Anne and Magnolia News.
  14. ^ Lindblom, Mike (July 7, 2006). "Seattle breaking ground today for South Lake Union streetcar". The Seattle Times. p. A1.
  15. ^ "Here & Now: Portion of Westlake to get 2-way traffic". The Seattle Times. September 5, 2007. p. B2.
  16. ^ "Westlake Avenue North Lane Closures and South Lake Union Streetcar Service Reductions through March 2016". SDOT On the Move. Seattle Department of Transportation. December 30, 2015.
  17. ^ Bush, Evan (January 1, 2016). "South Lake Union streetcar goes on reduced schedule through March". The Seattle Times.
  18. ^ Bush, Evan (January 3, 2015). "Work to begin on controversial cycle track along Lake Union". The Seattle Times.
2nd Avenue
Maintained bySeattle Department of Transportation
LocationSeattle, Washington, US
South endSouth Jackson Street
North endDenny Way

2nd Avenue is a major street in Downtown Seattle, Washington, United States, which runs one way from south to north. It carries the main cycletrack through downtown Seattle, which runs bidirecitonally.

Street description

[edit]
  • 2nd Avenue Extension to 4th/Jackson

History

[edit]

Cycletrack

[edit]
  • "Scarier than Manhattan" before PBL[1]
  • 2014: Death of Sher Kung at University Street just prior to construction[2]
  • 2014: Pine to James section built[3]
  • September 2017 to April 2018: Extended to Denny Way via Belltown
    • Best new bike lane in America[4]

Transit service

[edit]
  • Commuter buses

Major intersections

[edit]

References

[edit]
3rd Avenue
Third Avenue
Former name(s)3rd Street
Maintained bySeattle Department of Transportation
Length1.7 mi (2.7 km)[1]
LocationSeattle, Washington, US
South endSouth Jackson Street
North endDenny Way
Construction
CommissionedMay 23, 1853

3rd Avenue (Third Avenue) is a major street and public transit corridor in Seattle, Washington, United States. It travels north–south and carries mostly bidirectional traffic in Downtown Seattle from Main Street in Pioneer Square to Denny Way at the Seattle Center. The street carried an average of 3,300 to 9,700 vehicles per day in downtown in 2019, including over 2,500 buses as part of the city's main transit corridor. The surface stops on 3rd Avenue served over 100,000 bus riders each weekday in 2019, while three Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel stations serve Link light rail passengers. Since 2018, the southern section of the street has been restricted to buses and bicycles only with some exceptions.

Street description

[edit]

The downtown section of 3rd Avenue begins at South Jackson Street at the plaza adjacent to King Street Station, the city's main intercity train station.[citation needed] Its southernmost block is southbound-only, providing right-turn access from 2nd Avenue Extension South to South Jackson Street, and forms the western boundary of Union Station Square, a small park. After intersecting 2nd and South Main Street, 3rd Avenue South continues north as a two-way street through a section of Pioneer Square's arts district, passing several galleries and the headquarters of 4Culture.[2] At Yesler Way,[3] 3rd Avenue turns northwest to follow the downtown street grid and travels over the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel's Pioneer Square station as it passes the King County Courthouse.[1][4]

3rd Avenue continues northwest through the financial district of Downtown Seattle, with several sets of bus stops and entrances to the transit tunnel at Pioneer Square and University Street stations.[4] The street passes several of the city's tallest office towers, including the DocuSign Tower, the Fourth and Madison Building, 1201 Third Avenue, and Safeco Plaza;[5] these buildings also include privately owned public spaces in the form of plazas and hillclimbs.[6] It serves Benaroya Hall and the Midtown Post Office at University Street and passes near Pike Place Market and Westlake Park, both accessible via Pike and Pine streets.[1][7]

The street passes under a skybridge connecting the former Bon Marché Building and its parking garage between Pine and Stewart streets.[8] 3rd Avenue then turns more northwesterly at Stewart and enters Belltown, where it passes over the State Route 99 tunnel. The street passes the Antioch University campus, the studios of KIRO-TV, and several residential high-rises before it reaches Broad Street, where northbound traffic turns away.[9][10] The northernmost block is a southbound-only connector between Denny Way and Broad Street in front of the Pacific Science Center, part of the Seattle Center complex.[1][4] 3rd Avenue continues from downtown as part of the city street grid, with major sections to the south in SODO and to the north in Queen Anne. It does not have a continuation on the north side of the Lake Washington Ship Canal.[citation needed]

  • AADT (2019): 9,700 between Union and University; 3,300 at Broad and Wall[11]
  • AADT (2016): 10,800 at Union/Seneca, 3,300 at Broad/Wall[12]
Buildings and landmarks

History

[edit]

On May 23, 1853, the first plats for the Town of Seattle were filed by Arthur Deny, Carson Boren, and David S. Maynard, establishing two street grids in modern-day Pioneer Square and Downtown Seattle.[13] The plats included several 66-foot (20 m) streets that went as far east as 3rd Street.

3rd Street was renamed to 3rd Avenue on December 23, 1895.[14][15]

  • 1853: Plats for Seattle include downtown street grid and thus 3rd Avenue[16]: 91 
  • 1863: Original UW campus built, over disconnected 3rd Avenue?
  • Seattle Underground (after 1889 fire)
    • Expanded to 90 feet wide in replatting[17]
  • 1900 to 1920s: Theater district heyday; Opera House
  • Denny Regrade
  • 1906: Pike to Denny widening(?) approved by city council (Ord. 13776)[18]
    • Streetcars extended into regraded area
    • First building on regraded 3rd Ave (Kelley-Gorham) opened in 1910[19]
  • 1980s: Tunnel construction
    • Busway system
    • Earlier proposals for full transit mall (in lieu of tunnel) rejected
  • September 24, 2005: New traffic restrictions due to bus tunnel closure (AM & PM peak bus-only)[20]
  • 2017: Belltown reconstruction
  • 2014 concepts for rest of corridor[21]
  • August 2018: All-day restrictions for non-buses/bikes
  • March 2019: All-door boarding implemented after transit tunnel change
  • 2019: DSA proposal to rebuild street[22]
Crime
  • Notoriety[23]
  • 2011: Cleanup proposal to address crime[24]
  • January 2020 shooting: 1 killed, 7 wounded[25]
  • Post-pandemic woes[26][27][28]
  • 2022 crackdown on "The Blade" (Pine to Pike)[29]
  • 2024: Outdoor string lights installed above Virginia-to-Stewart section to deter night "issues"[30]
Future
  • 2022 proposals: Narrow transit lanes with wider sidewalks[31]
    • Passed by council[32]
  • 2024 plan: extend transit zone north to Blanchard; improve bus stop at Main Street; realign Yesler intersection[33]

Transit service

[edit]
History
  • Historic streetcars?
  • 1911: Bogue Plan
  • 1918: Thompson report
  • 1926: Another subway on 3rd proposed
  • 1968/1970: Forward Thrust
  • Bus tunnel
    • Transit mall concept initially endorsed in 1979
    • Construction from 1987 to 1990 causes decline in business
Description
  • "Transit spine"
    • Staggered stops,[34] formerly marked with colors
    • RapidRide, tunnel below
    • Busiest transit street in North America (self-proclaimed)
  • As of 2018: 2,500 bus trips and 100,000 riders each weekday[35]
    • 290 PM peak trips, 52,400 daily riders;[31] 3rd busiest in the country[16] or 2nd busiest[31]
  • All-door boarding implemented in phases[36]

Major intersections

[edit]

The entire street is in Seattle, King County.

mi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
0.00.0South Jackson StreetSouthbound access only
0.10.162nd Avenue Extension South, South Main Street
0.20.32Yesler Way, Prefontaine Place South
Restricted access begins
Transit-only during daytime hours
0.50.80Madison Street
0.81.3Pike Street eastbound
0.91.4Pine Street westbound
1.01.6Stewart Street
Restricted access ends
Transit-only during daytime hours
1.32.1Bell Street
1.72.7Broad Street
1.72.7Denny WaySouthbound entrance only
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e "Walking directions for 3rd Avenue in Downtown Seattle" (Map). Google Maps.
  2. ^ Hinshaw, Mark (August 11, 2016). "Goodbye, art: Seattle is a tech town now". Crosscut.com.
  3. ^ Corley, Margaret A. (January 28, 1970). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form: Pioneer Square – Skid Row District". National Park Service. p. 16.
  4. ^ a b c Downtown Metro Service: Frequent Routes to Help You Get Around Downtown (PDF) (Map). King County Metro. September 2022.
  5. ^ Monk, Becky (March 18, 2016). "Tech tenants had an insatiable appetite in 2015". Puget Sound Business Journal.
  6. ^ "Plazas for People: Assessment of Privately Owned Publci Spaces in Greater Downtown" (PDF). Seattle Office of Planning and Community Development. November 2018. pp. 4–5.
  7. ^ Transit Tunnel: University Street Station (PDF) (Map). King County Metro Transit. September 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 12, 2015.
  8. ^ Heffter, Emily (June 7, 2010). "Macy's rethinks downtown Seattle skybridge as fee soars". The Seattle Times.
  9. ^ Beever, Meaghan; Moore, Kathryn (March 24, 2016). "How sharing sit-stand desks will help Antioch be smaller and greener". Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce.
  10. ^ Peterson, Jon (February 12, 2021). "Private Group Plans Sale of KIRO 7 Third & Broad Asset in Seattle with $60MM Pricing Guidance". The Registry.
  11. ^ "2019 Seattle Traffic Flow Map" (Map). 2020 Traffic Report (PDF). Seattle Department of Transportation. October 2020. p. 13.
  12. ^ https://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/SDOT/About/DocumentLibrary/Reports/TrafficFlowMap2016.pdf
  13. ^ Crowley, Walt (January 1, 2000). "Plats filed for Town of Seattle on May 23, 1853". HistoryLink.
  14. ^ Seattle City Council (December 23, 1895). "Seattle Ordinance No. 4044". Seattle City Clerk.
  15. ^ https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112727365/order-out-of-chaos-systematic-plan-of/
  16. ^ a b "Third Avenue Vision: A Road of Possibilities" (PDF). Downtown Seattle Association. April 2019.
  17. ^ https://www.seattle.gov/documents/Departments/CityArchive/DDL/GreatSeattleFire/1889Jun10.pdf
  18. ^ http://clerk.seattle.gov/~scripts/nph-brs.exe?s3=&s4=13776&s5=&s1=&s2=&S6=&Sect4=AND&l=0&Sect2=THESON&Sect3=PLURON&Sect5=CBORY&Sect6=HITOFF&d=ORDF&p=1&u=%2F~public%2Fcbor1.htm&r=1&f=G
  19. ^ https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/third-avenue-in-1959/
  20. ^ https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/negotiating-third-avenue-in-a-car/
  21. ^ http://metro.kingcounty.gov/programs-projects/third-avenue-corridor/pdf/3rd-ave-briefing-10-6-14.pdf
  22. ^ https://downtownseattle.org/advocacy-initiatives/third-avenue-vision/
  23. ^ https://komonews.com/news/local/3rd-ave-and-pine-street-in-downtown-seattle-has-notorious-crime-history
  24. ^ https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/seattle-looks-to-clean-up-third-avenue-transit-corridor/
  25. ^ Green, Sara Jean; Takahama, Elise (January 22, 2020). "1 dead and 7 injured, including 9-year-old boy, in mass shooting on downtown Seattle sidewalk". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  26. ^ https://www.postalley.org/2022/01/27/seattles-third-avenue-raw-and-suffering/
  27. ^ https://www.seattletimes.com/business/third-avenue-is-seattles-endangered-lifeblood/
  28. ^ https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/law-justice/new-drug-fuels-street-crime-at-3rd-pine-but-seattle-police-patrols-help-neighbors-say/
  29. ^ https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/harrell-postpones-seattle-police-plan-to-crack-down-on-disorderly-conduct-at-third-avenue-bus-stops/
  30. ^ Yoon-Hendricks, Alexandra (September 24, 2024). "New lights crisscross Third Avenue as Seattle looks to revitalize downtown". The Seattle Times.
  31. ^ a b c https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/seattle-looks-to-transform-third-avenue-from-transit-only-to-inviting-front-door/
  32. ^ https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/proposal-transform-third-avenue-corridor-passes/2BWREK4ANFECVAOA5NS4CQIFUQ/
  33. ^ https://sdotblog.seattle.gov/2024/03/27/3rd-ave-projects-downtown-seattle-travel/
  34. ^ https://kingcounty.gov/depts/transportation/metro/schedules-maps/maps/seattle/3rd-ave.aspx
  35. ^ https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/driver-alert-third-avenue-now-bus-only-from-6-a-m-to-7-p-m-every-day/
  36. ^ https://kingcounty.gov/depts/transportation/metro/programs-projects/transit-corridors-parking-and-facilities/third-ave-improvements.aspx

Street description

[edit]

History

[edit]
  • 1910: Bridge between Seattle Blvd and Jackson Street built
  • 1979: Bridge rehab
  • 2015: Seismic retrofit[1]
Railyard bridge
  • Constructed in 1933 and shrunk to 4 lanes in 1985[2]
  • 2017: 1 NB lane removed, truck restrictions due to cracking[3]
Bike lanes
  • 2018: SDOT under Durkan announces delay in plans for PBL through downtown, citing traffic concerns for buses; would be delayed until Northgate Link opens[4]
  • September 2020: First section opens, Madison to Pine
  • November 2020: Second section opens, Pine to Bell[5]
  • October 2021: Final sections open from Yesler to Madison and Bell to Vine[6]
Other projects
  • 2022: Proposed changes to SODO section due to unsafe conditions and fatal crashes[7]

Transit service

[edit]
SODO section
  • Routes 131/132
  • Trunk lines that can't fit on busway
Downtown
  • Sound Transit and Community Transit buses
    • Mostly reduced after Northgate Link opened in 2021
Belltown
  • None

Major intersections

[edit]
  • I-90 terminus at SR 519

References

[edit]
35th Avenue Northeast
Maintained bySeattle Department of Transportation
Length5.1 mi (8.2 km)[1]
LocationSeattle, Washington, US
South endNortheast 45th Street at University Village
North endNortheast 145th Street in Lake City

35th Avenue Northeast is a north–south street in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is one of the primary streets serving the Bryant, Ravenna, and Wedgwood neighborhoods of northeastern Seattle. The street has two lanes and is also served by King County Metro bus routes.

Street description

[edit]
  • Street width?

History

[edit]
  • 2016: Repaving project planning begins[2]
    • 2.3-mile section between 47th and 85th; design included curb cuts, sidewalk repairs, left turn pockets, potential protected bike lane
    • Funded by Move Seattle (2015), cost $7.9 million and to be completed in late 2018[3]
    • Parallel greenway on 39th Avenue used as example by "Save 35th Ave"
  • June 2018: Repaving begins, with temporary markings while final design is debated[4]
  • August–October 2018: Incidents with residents (fireworks, death threats), meditation begins[5][6]
  • March 2019: SDOT announces cancellation of bike lanes[7]
    • Parking also removed[8]
    • Crashes increase (including fatal turn-crash at 75th), activists nickname it "Durkan Speedway"[9][10]

Transit service

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  • Routes 64 and 65

References

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