City launches survey to determine which Stay Healthy Streets should be permanent

Seattle now has 27 miles of city streets closed for recreation, and the City has launched a survey to determine which streets should be permanently closed to thru-traffic.

Last month, Mayor Jenny Durkan announced that 20 miles of Seattle’s Stay Healthy Streets would be made permanent. Before determining which streets will be permanently closed to thru-traffic, the Seattle Department of Transportation is collecting feedback to see how residents are using the current closed roadways. They’ve created an online survey to gather input, which will be open until July 15.

The current Stay Healthy Street in Ballard is on 17th Ave NW between NW 58th St and NW 89th.

The streets that are chosen for permanent closure will have signs installed at each intersection. In a blog post, SDOT says they want to work with each neighborhood, “to understand how the streets could become part of the neighborhood character.”

From the survey:

“The survey will inform the public engagement process and our goal of centering equity. If we truly want Stay Healthy Streets to be welcoming for all communities, then ‘we’ must include everybody. It means understanding cultures that have existed in the neighborhood. It means valuing everyone’s voices and finding ways to include them. It means everyone feels safe traveling on our sidewalks and streets. It means recognizing racism and becoming an ally. ”

To learn more about Stay Healthy Streets in Seattle, visit SDOT’s website.

Photo: SDOT