Seattle Transportation Levy Passes
On November 5th, Seattle voters passed the $1.55 billion 2024 Seattle Transportation Levy.
Transportation Levy Project ExamplesTransportation Levy OverviewThe transportation levy spends money in the following 10 categories (with some subcategories highlighted):
2024 Seattle Transportation Levy breakdown- Street Maintenance & Modernization $403M
- Arterial Roadway Maintenance $330M
- Paving Spots $67M
- Markings $6M
- Bridges & Structures $221M
- Pedestrian Safety $193M
- Vision Zero, School & Neighborhood Safety $160.5M
- Transit Corridors & Connections $151M
- Transit Improvements and Access to Light Rail $115M
- Transit Spot Improvements $27M
- Transit Passenger Safety $9M
- Bicycle Safety $133.5M
- Signals & Operations $100M
- Climate & Resiliency $69M
- People Streets & Public Spaces $66.5
- Freight & Goods Movement $45M
- Good Governance and Oversight $7.5M
Below will provide a bit more detailed analysis of transit corridors listed in order from major to moderate to minor (this designation was self-created and not part of the levy). To provide a clearer picture of the levy's impact, projects have been grouped by corridor, regardless of specific funding category.
Please note, the categories are somewhat vague about the actual spending per project and the project descriptions are not concrete enough. The below project cost estimates require some guesswork and the project descriptions require combining possible plans both from the Seattle Transportation Plan (STP) and King County Metro's Improvement Studies.
Transit Projects
Seattle Transportation Levy: Transit Corridors and Connections Map
Seattle Transportation Levy - Transit Corridors and Connections$151 million was allocated to transit corridors and connections, with $115 million for (major) transit improvements and access to light rail connections, $27 million for transit spot improvements, and $9 million for transit passenger safety.
The $115 million dollars will be spent mostly on 4 high-ridership bus corridors of Rainier Ave S, Beacon Ave S, Aurora Ave N and Denny Way/ Olive Way as well as light rail connection improvement projects.
Light Rail connection improvementsSDOT will implement 11 light rail station access projects by improving bus stops, pedestrian crossings, bike lanes and lighting.
| Station Name | Street Improvement Documentation | Brief Description |
| Shoreline South Station | NE 145th St | Road widening |
| Infill NE 130th St Station | N 130th St | Protected bike lanes |
| SLU Station | East-West SLU Transit Connections | Transit street |
| Judkins Park Station | Judkins Park Connections | Bike trail |
| SODO Station | 4th Ave S (Urbanist article) | BAT lanes |
| Future Alaskan Junction Station | SW Alaska St (Urbanist article) | Pedestrianized street |
| Columbia City Station | S Graham St | (bike lanes?) |
| Rainier Beach Station | S Henderson St | Protected bike lanes |
This section will discuss major' transit improvements, particularly those adding bus lanes and high-ridership routes. Assuming an even distribution of funds, each of the four high-ridership bus projects could receive approximately $15 million after allocating $55 million to the 10 light rail connection projects. There's also state and federal grants that provide more money beyond what is listed, but this analysis only considers confirmed funding sources.
Aurora Ave N / RapidRide E
Aurora Avenue N is currently under study for major transit improvements from South Lake Union (Roy Street) to the northern Seattle limits (N 145th St). RapidRide E currently runs along the corridor from Shoreline to downtown Seattle.
Previously Aurora Ave N was expanded by WSDOT to seven lanes with the outer lanes serving as BAT lanes.!
Walkable Boulevard Alternative on Aurora Avenue
Center Running Bus Lane Alternative on Aurora Avenue Potential improvements involve continuing the right-side bus lanes with possibly widened sidewalks and additional intersections for better pedestrian access across Aurora Avenue.
Or alternatively converting the transit corridor to have center median bus lanes, with the lanes veering for right-side bus stations. More signalized intersections would be added for walkability (and also to access the median bus stations).
| Category / Project | Amount |
| Vision Zero School & Neighbor Safety / Aurora Avenue N Safety | $30 million |
| (Major) Transit Improvements | $15? million |
| Move Ahead Washington transportation | $50 million (state funded not city, also delayed to 2029) |
Aurora Avenue N improvements has $50 million dollars from WSDOT as well as another $30 million allocated from the Vision Zero category totaling around $95 million dollars to revamp the corridor.
Rainier Ave S / Route 7The second major transit corridor for improvements is Rainier Avenue S. Route 7 runs along the corridor from downtown Seattle to Rainier Beach. After the recent 2023 Route 7 transit plus improvements and currently under construction Rainier Ave S northbound bus lanes, there are plans to continue those improvements with the conversion to RapidRide R in 2030.
| Category / Project | Amount |
| Arterial Roadway Maintenance / Rainier Ave S from S Walden St to S Jackson St | $22? million (naive estimate) |
| Arterial Roadway Maintenance / S Henderson St from MLK Jr Way S to Seward Park Ave S | $22? million |
| Vision Zero / Rainer Ave S | $6? million (naive estimate) |
| (Major) Transit Improvements | $15? million |
Similar to Aurora Ave N above, Rainier Ave S improvements receives funding from other categories as well. Unfortunately it is much harder to estimate how much will actually be spent given the only cost breakdown is the larger category. Nevertheless SDOT might spend around $65? million dollars along the path of route 7 and is prioritizing the repaving as an initial project.
Seattle Transportation Plan project 67The Seattle Transportation Plan described the northern Rainier Ave S project as possibly adding freight-and-bus lanes. The levy renewal proposal stated the two arterial projects as:
- Rainier Ave S from S Walden St to S Jackson St: Street reconstruction and paving to support RapidRide R Line. Includes bus lanes, improved crossings, sidewalk expansion and repair, trees, pedestrian lighting, safety updates, better access to the Judkins Park Station, and evaluation of protected bike lanes.
- S Henderson St from MLK Jr Way S to Seward Park Ave S: Street reconstruction to support RapidRide R Line and better connect Rainier Beach Station with the community, schools, and Be'er Sheva Park. Includes protected bike lanes, crossing improvements, and sidewalk repair, as well as elements from the Recreating Henderson Street plan.
Further potential improvements to Route 7 beyond what the transportation levy funds are described in https://seattletransitblog.com/2024/10/25/route-7-transit-plus-recap/.
Beacon Ave S / Route 36The third major transit corridor improvement is Beacon Ave S. Route 36 runs along the corridor from Downtown Seattle via Beacon Hill to Othello Station.
The arterial maintenance project specified:
- Beacon Ave S from 39th Ave S to Jose Rizal Bridge: Street redesign for more reliable Route 36 service and to extend protected bike lanes and trails. Includes paving, sidewalk repairs, and crossing improvements to improve safety and accessibility.
SDOT will likely add BAT lanes at major intersections for Beacon Ave S as referenced in previous KCM studies.
| Category / Project | Amount |
| (Major) Transit Improvements | $15? million |
| Arterial Roadway Maintenance / Beacon Ave S to support Route 36 improvements | $22? million |
| Bicycle Safety / Beacon Ave S Middle and South Segment | Couple million but for bike improvements |
The corridor's bike improvements will be discussed in a separate article.
Denny Way, Olive Way, and Harrison Street / Route 8The fourth major transit corridor improvement is Denny Way which acts as the major (and only) east-west route from Uptown through South Lake Union to Capitol Hill. Route 8 runs from Uptown to Capitol Hill Station along Denny Way then eventually continuing south to Mt Baker.
Denny Way Multimodal Improvements from Seattle Transportation PlanThere aren't many details in the levy, so assumed information from the STP. Considering the narrow width of the corridor with only 4 lanes and redesigning the street to better support transit and freight vehicles" perhaps a freight-and-bus lane might be added/extended on Denny Way. The other transit project is the South Lake Union East-West Transit Connections" likely referring to the Harrison and Mercer Transit Access Project.
Harrison and Mercer Transit Access ProjectThe Transit Access project would convert Harrison Street to a new transit-only street across South Lake Union. Currently the project is in the 10% design phase and plans to finish construction in 2026. Originally King County Metro planned to reroute Route 8 along this corridor to avoid the I-5 bound drivers on Denny Way, however after some local opposition it is unknown if KCM will continue with modifying Route 8's alignment.
4th Ave / Routes 131+132, 101, 150, 59Xs
4th Avenue S Multimodal improvements map from Seattle Transportation PlanThe fifth major transit corridor improvement is 4th avenue. Currently serving as the north-south connection from downtown Seattle to SODO and Georgetown, it'll also serve as the replacement busway if the SODO busway is removed as part of the West Seattle Link Extension. Routes 131 and 132 to White Center and South Park already run on 4th Avenue, while Route 101 to Renton and Route 150 to Kent will likely relocate to 4th Avenue as well.
4th Avenue Looking north: Existing Conditions, Sound Transit Proposal, SDOT Recommendation lSound Transit proposed southbound bus queue jumps at targeted intersections and a northbound FAB (freight-and-bus) lane while SDOT has recommended a larger revamp of the corridor with continuous northbound and southbound BAT lanes. The Urbanist article about 4th Avenue Transit Street discusses it more.
Moderate Transit Improvements
Map of Street Maintenance & Modernization, Bridges & Structures projectsThese moderate transit projects were described in the Transit Corridors' light rail connection projects or in the Street Maintenance & Modernization Projects that consisted of some transit related elements. Above is a map showing all of Street Maintenance Modernization projects, while below is a smaller subset list of transit-related projects
- N 130th from 1st Ave NW to I-5: Paving with a safety redesign to better connect people to the future 130th St Station. Includes protected bike lanes, crossing improvements, trees, sidewalk reconstruction, and transit priority.
- 23rd Ave E / 24th Ave E from E John St to E Lake Washington Blvd: Reconstruction and paving, including a corridor safety analysis, additional transit investment, and crossing improvements, sidewalk repair, and neighborhood greenway upgrades.
- James St from 3rd Ave to Broadway: Street reconstruction to support high-volume traffic and bus service. Includes upgrades to sidewalks and traffic signals, pedestrian safety redesigns, and landscaping and trees.
The rest of the Arterial Roadway Maintenance projects were already discussed in the major" transit corridors or alternatively did not include any transit elements.
N 130th St / (Future) Route 77
N 130th St Project AreaFuture Route 77 Map
- Paving with a safety redesign to better connect people to the future 130th St Station. Includes protected bike lanes, crossing improvements, trees, sidewalk reconstruction, and transit priority.
The related project on N 130th St from 1st Ave NW to I-5 consists of the Bitter Lake to Haller Lake Mobility Improvements project. The project proposes to add protected bike lanes along the corridor and floating bus stops.
Future bus Route 77 will run along the corridor, connecting Bitter Lake and Lake City neighborhoods to the NE 130th St Station. Currently no buses run from Bitter Lake to Lake City directly.
23rd Ave E & 24th Ave E / Route 48
23rd Avenue Corridor Improvements and Vision Zero mapThe second moderate transit project is improving 23rd Ave & 24th Ave E north of E Madison Street. The 23rd avenue corridor is currently used by Route 48 traveling between U District and Mt Baker. Previous projects by SDOT already converted the southern half of the road with road diets from 4 general lanes to usually 3 general lanes with center left turn lanes. The 23rd Ave Corridor Improvements phase 1 and 2 rebuilt 23rd avenue south of E Madison Street, while phase 3 only added some minor intersection treatments.
The arterial roadway maintenance project 23rd Ave & 24th Ave E will rebuild the northern segment and possibly add BAT lanes along the corridor.
James St / Routes 3 + 4
The third moderate transit project is James Street. A key east-west corridor for high bus-ridership Routes 3 and 4, James Street faces limitations due to its narrow width of only 4 lanes and proximity to I-5 ramps. SDOT is exploring adding BAT lanes on James Street though likely faces high opposition from WSDOT, while adding just transit signal priority will be hampered by I-5 freeway traffic.
Minor Transit ImprovementsThe other projects have more minor transit improvements.
- 35th Ave SW from SW Morgan St to SW Holden St: Street reconstruction with a corridor safety analysis and evaluation of transit improvements. Includes sidewalk repair, crossing improvements, and evaluation of bike routes.
- 15th Ave NE & Roosevelt Way Ne from NE 92nd St to NE 145th St: Paving with redesign for safer speeds, including upgraded and expanded protected bike lanes and bus stops, pedestrian lighting, sidewalks, and crossings.
- S Albro Pl, Corson Ave S, & Ellis Ave S: East Marginal Way S to I-5: Pavement preservation project with improved crossings, sidewalk repair, and an enhanced pedestrian environment. Includes evaluation for safety and transit improvements.
- E Marginal Way S from 1st Ave S to 16th Ave S: Leverages grant funding to restore pavement, evaluate safety improvements, and make sidewalk repairs and small upgrades to transit
SDOT will implement 160 transit spot improvements focusing on pinch points". Starting off with four transit spot improvement projects at:
- SW Oregon St between 44th Ave SW and California Ave SW along Route 50 and Route 128
- MLK Jr Way S between S Myrtle St and S Othello St along Route 106
- E Jefferson St between 9th Ave and 12th Ave along Route 3 and Route 4
- W Nickerson St between 3rd Ave W and 4th Ave N along Route 31 and Route 32
These will generally improve two to three blocks and probably entail minor BAT lanes and transit signal priority.
ConclusionThe Seattle Transportation Levy will improve Seattleites' transit reliability, pedestrian mobility and bike-ability. The new bus lanes on the four major transit improvement corridors as well as others will improve both transit speed and reliability. The 360 improved blocks of sidewalks and ramps will improve pedestrian mobility. And the new bike protected bike lanes in South Seattle and other areas will improve bike-ability. Hopefully SDOT will continue the great progress they have already made and potentially improve the city's transportation even beyond what is listed here.
DocumentsFeel free to read more about the levy and transportation plan, or associated transit plans.
- 2024 Seattle Transportation Levy (August 2024) The official levy voted in
- Transportation Levy Renewal Proposal (May 2024) Previous proposed levy with more detailed descriptions
- Seattle Transportation Plan Appendix A Large Capital Projects Longer list of projects, but many were not included in the transportation levy
- Seattle Transportation Levy Legislation
- Major transit projects
- Aurora Ave: Aurora Ave Project
- Rainier Ave: STP Appendix A Project 67
- Beacon Ave: KCM Route 36 Speed and Reliability Corridor Improvement Project
- Denny Way: Harrison and Mercer Transit Access Project
- 4th Ave: 4th Avenue Transit Street
- Moderate transit projects
- N 130th: NE 130th St & NE 125th St Mobility and Safety Project
- 23rd Ave E / 24th Ave E: 23rd Ave E Vision Zero Project (2023)
- James St: STP Appendix A Project 54
- Minor transit project
- 35th Ave SW: 35th Ave SW Road Safety Corridor Project (2018)
- 15th Ave NE & Roosevelt Way Ne
- S Albro Pl, Corson Ave S, & Ellis Ave S
- E Marginal Way S: East Marginal Way Corridor Improvement Project