SDOT finishes design on 1st Ave NE trail connecting Pinehurst Station and James Baldwin Elementary

From the project webpage.

Like many streets in the north and south ends of Seattle, 1st Ave NE does not have continuous sidewalks. Though it won't be ready before the opening of Pinehurst Station in two days (September 30), SDOT has finished design on a new 12-foot-wide biking and walking trail between NE 130th Street and James Baldwin Elementary School at NE 120th Street. City Light will be moving utility poles soon, then construction on the trail will begin in early 2027. The path should be open in late summer or fall 2027.

Aside from filling in bad gap in the city's sidewalk network, the project does double duty as both a Safe Routes to School project and an important transit connection. With a new all-way stop at 120th, kids living east of Haller Lake should have continuous and safe access to school. At 130th the new trail will connect to the under-construction walking and biking path along the north side of 130th that will connect across I-5 to Pinehurst Station. SDOT is also working on bike connections and safety improvements to the stretch of 130th west of 1st Ave, currently scheduled for construction in 2028.

Maps created using RadiusMapper.

The new trail should help more neighbors access Pinehurst Station, which is predicted to be one of the lowest-performing stations in the Link light rail station due to its lack of transit-oriented development. A safe bike route should help many more neighbors have quality access to the station, which is not within an easy walk of very many homes. One side of the station is a golf course while the other side is I-5, both elements that severely limit the number of homes within an easy walk of the station. To make things worse, most of the residential areas that are near the station are low-density houses rather than the apartment buildings and business districts that surround more successful stations. This will likely change somewhat in the years to come, though there will likely be some pushback to redeveloping parts of Jackson Park Golf Course, which could also help activate Shoreline South Station. This public golf course is in the prime walk zone of two different Link stations. If it were a park, then at least the general public could have green space access from transit, but a golf course is limited only to golfers and does not have the same community benefits as a regular park.

More features of the trail, from the project webpage.

• New 12-ft wide concrete shared-use path for people walking, biking, rolling, and scooting on the east side of 1st Ave NE from NE 130th St to NE 120th St
• Raised crossing at NE 125th St to keep people walking, biking, rolling, and scooting at path level
• New all-way stop at NE 120th St for safer access to James Baldwin Elementary (installed Spring 2025)
• A new crosswalk at NE 128th St for access to Northacres Park and to connect to the N 128th St Walkway
• Improvements to the 1st Ave NE and NE 130th St intersection to make it easier and safer to get to Sound Transit's upcoming Pinehurst Station
• Speed cushions to help calm traffic
• New curb ramps that comply with Americans with Disabilities (ADA) standards (in some locations)
• Lighting to improve visibility for path users and people entering/exiting driveways
• Public art on the shared-use path designed by students at James Baldwin Elementary (to be designed and installed after construction of the path)