One-Way to Improve The Ave
The Ave is a place for people - yet it isn't designed that way.
The Opportunity
The Ave is needlessly unsafe and congested — dominated by two lanes of through traffic that discourage walking, biking, and street life. The Ave needs a bold, people-centered street redesign.
Other business districts have already shown the way by slimming down to one lane of traffic. The Ave even operated successfully as a one-way during the pandemic, when outdoor dining became essential. It’s time to make that pilot permanent.
Everyone Benefits
- Businesses: Gain space for deliveries and the flexibility to use curbside areas for parking or outdoor seating
- Drivers: Visibility improves and head-on collision risks go away
- Bus Riders: Buses go faster as signal lights are coordinated and stopped vehicles can pull out of the way
- Pedestrians & Cyclists: Gain space on the street and only one lane of traffic to cross
Examples Elsewhere
Ballard, Washington
Ballard Avenue NW made a similar change and saw benefits to street life and public safety. The Ave needs safety improvements as it has had 73 reported crashes in the last 5 years, with 21 involving injuries.
Street life in Ballard culminates each week when Ballard Ave is closed for their weekly market, which has five times the visitors of the U District’s weekly market. Reducing traffic to one lane not only makes The Ave more pedestrian friendly, it will make it easier to close for events since northbound buses can stay on Brooklyn.
Ballard Avenue NW in Ballard, Washington. (TripAdvisor)
Kirkland, Washington
As a designated 'people street' in downtown Kirkland, Park Lane is a highly popular destination, celebrated for its inviting atmosphere, pedestrian-friendly design, and active use during special events, evenings, and weekends.
Full pedestrianization of the street would require preserving access for emergency vehicles; however, the existing fire lane conveniently provides a wide, unobstructed space that remains available to pedestrians the vast majority of the time when not in active emergency use.
Seattle, Washington
Bell Street Park is the City of Seattle’s first shared street project, establishing a new typology for streets as parks and open space. Initiated by Belltown neighborhood residents, Bell Street demonstrates how a bold vision for transformation can be realized through inclusive design and strong city/community collaboration.
Proven as a successful shared street project, its application provides cities with a model case to reimagine the right-of way as both a thriving open space and an important transit connection.
Bell Street Park in Belltown, Seattle, Washington. (Hewitt)
As reported in NACTO
Leavenworth, Washington
Leavenworth—a top tourist destination and thriving commercial district—features Front Street, a one-way corridor with ample parking adjacent to local shops and a central park.
This pedestrian-priority street serves as the heart of the town’s revitalization following the decline of the timber industry. It draws visitors year-round, especially during the festive winter holiday season and in the summer months for hiking and seasonal festivals.
Support the Proposal to Make The Ave One Lane
Supporters
"Very helpful for people without a car—for scooters, bikes, whatever—it won't be as scary."
- Nicolas, Avole Coffee
"Thumbs up."
- Anila, Chilis South Indian Cuisine
"Coming from the UK, this is how it should be."
- Sam, Lucky Vintage
36 Supporters
Ann Birnbaum
Anthony Marcheselli
Avery Thurston
Candice Andersen
Cheryl Henry
Cory Crocker
Emma Murray
Eric Fisk
Eric Nunn
George Ciardi
Jack Winterhalter
Jason Wax
Jules McEvoy
Kerry Kahl
Kevin Strohbehn
Lani Mobius
Lee Bruch
MiKaela Barker
Natalie Godfrey
Pauly Tarricone
Penelope Bennett
Rebecca
Rémi Nachtnebel
Robert McLaughlin
Roger Wagoner
Sam Gillespie
Sharon Dunn
Thomas Payne
Tom Lang
Valerie Bentivegna
Vincent Rivera
Wendy Case
plus 4 anonymous supporters
Testimonials
"The Ave has the potential to be an amazing people street, encouraging people to linger, spend money at the local stores, and foster community ... The current street configuration forces people to crowd onto the sidewalks. This means friends can't walk side-by-side, and are they are forced to dodge signs, street lights, and other people."
- Eric
"I think advocating for a completely pedestrianized street between Campus Parkway and 50th is the better move here. The vast majority of patrons of business on The Ave are students without access to a car. We deserve to have one vibrant pedestrianized place in the U District."
- Anonymous
"One way or pedestrian only. Think like a European not a suburban."
- Rebecca
"Just make it car-free for Pete's sake!!!!"
- Pauly
"The Ave needs less cars."
- Lee
Testimonials
"At a low cost and major economic and social benefit to those of us who live and work on the Ave, this is a no-brainer for an easy way to positively impact our community. Lower pollution and traffic, more pedestrian and outdoor space, this is a major winning solution!"
- MiKaela
"A kind of design to consider is in Belltown on Bell St from 1st to 4th Ave. Nice plantings, single lane winds through, sitting areas."
- Kerry
"Actually I think it should be a fully pedestrian street."
- Jules
"No reason not to do this. Seattle is a city, not a suburb or a dumpy fishing village. We are decades behind other cities in simple improvements like this."
- Derek
"Pedestrianizing The Ave would be a great improvement for everyone and would be better than just converting it to a one-way street."
- Vincent
Background
An Idea with Community Support
The product of the outreach process is a vision plan released in September 2018 to guide transportation improvement around U District Station.
One of the salient ideas from the community engagement was the proposal to make The Ave and Brooklyn Avenue a one-way couplet, much like the other three couplets already in the U District. Now is the time to reimagine The Ave as a true public space—one that serves people who live, work, shop, & connect here every day.