Metro and City partner on upgrades to Third Avenue in downtown Seattle

Cross-posted from the Seattle Department of Transportation blog

At-a-glance:

• We’ve got multiple projects coming up this year to make bus travel more reliable and maintain the street, sidewalks, bus stops, and utilities on Third Avenue in downtown Seattle:
  • Third Avenue transit corridor extension
  • Third Avenue South and South Main St bus stop improvements
  • Third Avenue repaving and water main replacement
  • Third Avenue South & Yesler Way pedestrian and bike improvements
• Investing in downtown Seattle is a big priority for the City of Seattle. To learn more about other aspects of Seattle’s Downtown Activation Plan, please visit downtownisyou.com.
• You can find more details about the upcoming work described in this blog post on our Third Avenue Improvements website.
• These Third Avenue improvements include funding from the voter-approved Levy to Move Seattle. Thank you, Seattle!

If downtown is the heart of the city, then Third Avenue is our main artery. This street is one of North America’s most productive transit corridors, used by hundreds of buses carrying tens of thousands of people every weekday.

This year, we will work alongside King County Metro, other City of Seattle departments, and our downtown partners to build improvements on Third Avenue. These include expanding the transit corridor, upgrades around bus stops, improving sidewalks and lighting to make it easier to walk, repaving the street to give buses a smoother ride, and maintaining utility systems.

These investments in Seattle’s infrastructure will help make Belltown, Pioneer Square, and downtown more accessible and easier to navigate for commuters, residents, and visitors alike.

Extending the Third Ave transit corridor

The existing Third Avenue transit corridor helps ensure faster and more reliable travel times for people riding the bus. This supports an environmentally sustainable urban environment and is the most efficient way to move the most people and reduce congestion as our region’s population continues to grow.

The transit corridor currently stretches from Yesler Way to Stewart St, and we plan to extend it three blocks further north to Blanchard St to help create a more efficient public transportation network. Construction of the extension is scheduled to begin this summer.

Map of the planned extension of the Third Avenue transit corridor from Stewart St north to Blanchard St in Belltown. Graphic: SDOT

Third Avenue transit corridor rules (which apply seven days a week):

• This corridor is only for buses or emergency vehicles between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. (Note: school buses, private work shuttles, and charter buses are not exempted from these rules).
• People driving vehicles with commercial load zone permits may use designated loading zones on Third Avenue from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
• People driving can travel on Third Avenue for up to one block to enter or exit driveways or garages (Note: left turns are not allowed).

Third Avenue South and South Main Street bus stop area improvements

We and Metro are also partnering on a variety of projects around the Third Avenue South and South Main Street bus stop, which is a major transit hub located next to several art galleries, non-profit organizations, and other vital services and destinations that make Pioneer Square such an important area. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is providing significant funding for the project.

To make the area more accessible for people who are walking and rolling, we will widen the sidewalk, plant two new street trees, install new pedestrian-level lighting, and replace the ADA-accessible curb ramps on the west side of Third Avenue South. The bus zone will also receive an upgrade with new covered shelters, benches, and rails to lean on, real-time information signs, and other amenities. This will create more room for people who are waiting for their bus, so people walking by will not have to squeeze through or step into the street. We also plan to repave a section of the street in this area to support a smoother trip for bus riders.

4Culture (King County’s cultural funding agency) is funding an art installation as part of the project by artists Preston Singletary and David Franklin. It will showcase Pioneer Square’s beloved art scene and highlight the stories and history of indigenous people and Tlingit culture.

Third Avenue South will become a southbound one-way street between South Washington Street and South Main Street, with no loss of parking or loading areas.

Third Avenue repaving and water main replacement

This year, we will repave Third Avenue in several areas to help preserve and maintain our street infrastructure. This repaving work is primarily located between Virginia and Pine streets. The street pavement has seen better days, leading to frequent cracks, potholes, and uneven surfaces. Restoring and revitalizing the street will mean a smoother and more reliable ride for bus riders.

We will coordinate with Seattle Public Utilities to replace an old underground water main while the paving is happening. This coordination helps reduce the cost of both of these necessary projects and avoids the need for another set of street closures in the future.

Third Avenue South and Yesler Way pedestrian and bike improvements

The Third Avenue South and Yesler Way intersection in Pioneer Square is a major bus thoroughfare and transfer point for Pioneer Square Link light rail riders.

In 2022, we began trying out improvements to make this space easier for people to navigate by removing a northbound vehicle lane and right turn lane on Third Avenue across Yesler Way to create a safer connection for people on bikes using Dilling Way to cross this intersection and get to and from the Fourth Avenue protected bike lane. The traffic signal was reconfigured to provide more green time for buses and crossing pedestrians. We used paint and flexible plastic posts to indicate the additional space for people to walk, roll, and bike.

These changes were generally successful, and we are now making these improvements permanent, with some adjustments made based on lessons learned during the trial period. This spring, we plan to permanently replace the former vehicle lanes and temporary plastic posts with a new, wider concrete sidewalk. We will also plant new street trees, add more pedestrian lighting, and install directional signs for pedestrians.

We will also install new bike traffic signals, build permanent bike lane protection along Yesler Way west of Third Avenue, repave the bike lane on Dilling Way, and redesign the bike crossing at Third Avenue to separate people on bikes from people walking. Meanwhile, a separate project to build a concrete buffer for the 4th Avenue protected bike lane is also beginning this spring.

The path ahead

Collectively, these Third Avenue projects reflect our vision to embrace innovative and forward-thinking approaches to transportation. These projects will create a better-connected and more sustainable transit network for everyone coming downtown and support Seattle’s larger downtown revitalization effort.

Stay informed:

• Visit our web page to find more project details.
• Sign up for email updates to stay up to speed.
• Questions? Email us at ThirdAveImprovements@seattle.gov or call (206) 900-8729.

Thank you for your interest as this important work moves forward.