Pedestrian and transit improvements are coming

This week crews working for the Seattle Department of Transportation began constructing transit and sidewalk improvements on the east side of Third Avenue between Pine and Stewart streets, next to Macy’s.  The construction, which is expected to last through mid-May, requires the closure of the sidewalk, the bus stop, and one northbound lane on this block of Third Avenue. The second northbound lane remains open.

SDOT and King County Metro Transit plan to make improvements at additional bus stops along the Third Avenue Transit Corridor through downtown Seattle during the next few years. The improvements now being made at Pine Street will serve as a prototype for the work at other bus stops, all with the goal of making this critical bus corridor more inviting and appealing to commuters, while also making bus operations faster and more efficient.

The improvements at Pine Street will include widening the sidewalk by six feet to better accommodate bus commuters and pedestrians, the installation of High Pressure Sodium (HPS) pedestrian lighting, replacement of concrete roadway panels, the addition of new street trees at the north end of the block, and a new “street elements zone” to organize trash cans and bike racks. There will also be a number of transit stop enhancements, such as a transit information kiosk, ticket vending machine, and a new canopy.

This project is funded in part by the Bridging the Gap transportation levy approved by Seattle voters in 2006.  Other funding sources are King County Metro and a federal grant. Additional information on the project can be found at www.seattle.gov/transportation/3rdAve.htm.

 

 

 

                       

 

 

Marybeth Turner

Public Relations Supervisor

City of Seattle Department of Transportation

O: 206.684.8548 | Media Line: 206.684-3151| F: 206.684.3238 |marybeth.turner@seattle.gov