Pedestrian improvements at 15th Ave NW and NW 83rd St delayed until 2022

The pedestrian improvement project planned for the crossing at 15th Ave NW and NW 83rd St has been pushed back until early next year.

The safety enhancement project for the pedestrian crossing was one of 15 projects selected by the Levy to Move Seattle Oversight Committee in 2019 to be funded through the Seattle Department of Transportation’s Neighborhood Street Fund Program. The project will also help connect a future neighborhood greenway planned for NW 83rd St.

The elements to be included in the redesign include:

• New pedestrian and bike signal on 15^th Ave NW at NW 83rd Street
• New pedestrian refuge island
• New marked crosswalks on north and south leg of intersection
• New crossings for east and westbound bikes

While the project was supposed to be built this year, SDOT says they needed additional time to design the project with community feedback.

The Neighborhood Street Fund is also operating differently this year: Rather than accepting new applications for the 2022-2024 funding cycle, SDOT will be choosing new projects from the list of about 300 submissions from 2019.

“Given the global pandemic, it would be challenging to run a citywide process with in-person outreach,” SDOT shared on their website “We also have many important projects not funded through the previous cycle. Rather than asking neighbors to resubmit, we’re revisiting what was already submitted and will work with applicants to determine if it still meets the intended purpose.”

SDOT has been re-reviewing 2019 applications and will reach out to applicants to discuss their perspectives on current needs and whether the project scope should change. SDOT will share updates online as the review process continues.