Fix the L8: Redesigning Denny Way

By JASON LI

This is part 2 of a 3-part series on route 8. Part 1.

As the only arterial connecting Seattle's second and third densest neighborhoods, Denny Way is one of the most important streets in the city. But as all locals know, it doesn't work well for anybody right now, including drivers. It's clear that something needs to change. That's why the Fix the L8 campaign has been pushing for bus lanes in both directions along it since 2023 to ensure that this vital east-west connector can move as many people as possible. And it would help more than just Route 8 - Routes 1, 3, 13, 17, 24, 33, and RapidRide D also share Route 8's headaches at Denny and 2nd.

Any bus lane in Seattle - especially on Denny Way - should include red paint and should be 24/7 to reduce confusion, boost compliance, and maximize effectiveness. Furthermore, while the bus lane would need to allow right turns for general traffic at most intersections, there are many redundant eastbound right turns at signalized intersections with high pedestrian volumes which should be restricted to minimize the impact of turning traffic. Specifically, 2nd Ave, Warren Pl, Broad St, Taylor Ave, Vine St, Bell St, Westlake Ave, Lenora St, and Fairview Ave can all be served by a turn immediately before those intersections. Denny and Westlake is especially problematic as extremely high pedestrian volumes mean each right turning car can delay the bus multiple light cycles.

Eastbound Denny Way has several redundant right turns like at Westlake Ave

Similarly, the right turn from southbound Queen Anne Ave to westbound Denny Way can easily be served by John St and should be restricted as it causes backups that impede the left turn lanes. We would also encourage SDOT to consider blocking the right turn from northbound Westlake Ave onto eastbound Denny Way. This turn has a dedicated phase, reducing time for other traffic movements, and drivers making the turn consistently block the intersection. This would surely impede a new bus lane on Denny and already mires the existing transit lane for Route 40, RapidRide C, and the SLU Streetcar, so restricting this turn would result in widespread speed and reliability improvements.

Finally, there's one more right turn that would have the biggest impact of all if restricted: the turn towards the I-5 on-ramp. Blocking this would solve the root cause of most of eastbound Denny's traffic woes while still leaving drivers with viable alternatives in the form of Mercer Street or the 99 tunnel to the north and Howell to the south. In fact, there is even a signed alternative route to I-5 from Denny Way at 5th Ave. Better yet, just close the Yale ramp entirely to move towards a city designed for people over cars, which would also greatly simplify efforts to Lid I-5. Who knows, traffic may even improve, just as it did when Seoul tore down a highway and restored the river that used to be there.

Alternate Routes from Denny in SLU to I-5 S

These changes are more important than ever as the FIFA 2026 World Cup approaches and pushes Seattle's transportation infrastructure to its limits. For Route 8, this is especially true with Seattle Center hosting the World Cup's Seattle Fan Celebration. This is Seattle's chance to show that US cities can get transit right and leave visitors from around the country with a desire for their own cities to follow our lead. Instead, we risk embarrassing the city, confirming biases that America needs to be designed around the private automobile, and pushing visitors away from using transit at all in the city. It is imperative that SDOT install bus lanes on Denny Way before the World Cup, even if as a pilot program. Upcoming Revive I-5 work demands similar urgency as eventual closures of the Mercer Street on-ramps are sure to overwhelm Denny Way.

The Harrison Herring

SDOT has pointed at the Harrison and Mercer Transit Access Project as a potential solution for Route 8, with construction beginning as soon as next year. However, King County Metro has indicated that the route will remain on Denny and any service on Harrison would be new currently unfunded service hours. There is also a much larger project holding back transit in the area whose delays rivals that of Route 8: Ballard Link. Construction of the SLU Link Station at Harrison and 7th would render the transitway at least partially unusable until 2038. With Aurora Ave splitting the neighborhood in half, a protected bike intersection on Thomas, and a cliff separating John at Terry, the only east-west options available would be Denny, Mercer, or a lengthy zig-zag through SLU. King County Metro has indicated that this is prompting the agency to avoid significant service investments there, especially when combined with its upcoming fiscal cliff. This also makes the case for bus lanes on Denny even more compelling to handle the increased traffic this would bring while also serving as an effective detour for impacted routes on Harrison.

The SLU Ballard Link Station falls in the middle of the new Harrison corridor

Furthermore, the Mercer-Harrison corridor would skip Belltown, the second-densest neighborhood in Seattle, while also moving away from many of the employment centers in the Denny Triangle. This loss of catchment area is significant, and Metro has emphasized to us that it is committed to maintaining service on Denny even after Harrison and Mercer is fully up and running. In fact, the Seattle Transportation Plan's Frequent Transit Network even prioritizes Denny Way over this new corridor.

Seattle's Frequent Transit Network calls for the highest tier of frequency along Denny Way

Finally, meeting the high level of service called for by the Frequent Transit Network would be unrealistically costly if transit priority is not implemented along the corridor. In fact, Metro's 2024 System Evaluation already calls for three thousand additional service hours just to maintain a scheduled headway and prevent bus bunching.

Denny Way causes Route 8 to require thousands of reliability service hours

It's clear that bus lanes on Denny Way would not only solve Route 8's headaches today, but would continue to serve as a vital long-term transit corridor for the city. If you want to help the Fix the L8 campaign to push Seattle to make this vital investment, send an email to our local leaders and consider joining the campaign! We are also hosting a Race the L8 event on July 10th at 5 PM to highlight the issues that Route 8 is facing, more details coming soon!