Georgetown to South Park Connection project breaks ground, expands protected bike & scooter route through Georgetown | LEVY DOLLARS AT WORK

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At-a-glance:

• Construction is now underway on the Georgetown to South Park Connection project creating better access for people biking, scooting, walking, and rolling between South Park and Georgetown.
• Today we held a groundbreaking event in Georgetown alongside project partners and community stakeholders to mark the milestone.
• By adding approximately 1.2 miles of new bike and pedestrian shared path, this project will make biking a safe and preferred transportation option for many people as they head from South Park into Georgetown, SODO, Downtown, and beyond.
• We encourage you to visit our website and sign up for email updates to stay informed during construction.
• This project is the final project in a series of bike and safety projects to begin construction in South Seattle funded by the Levy to Move Seattle.
• Nearby, we're also working closely with Seattle Parks and Recreation to develop a new off-leash area at a former industrial site, for people to enjoy with their dogs.

Construction has officially begun on the Georgetown to South Park Connection project. We're building a better connection for people biking, scooting, walking, and rolling between the central areas of South Park and Georgetown. The neighborhoods are next to each other but it's currently not easy to walk and bike between the two. The new path we're building will improve travel between the two neighborhoods while enhancing travel safety for everyone.

The Georgetown to South Park Connection project will help keep everyone safe by adding a multi-use trail on busy arterial streets to keep people biking, scooting, walking, or rolling separated from cars and trucks. In addition to the trail, the project will install a wide range of safety features including new bike markings on the street, bike crossing improvements, and new ADA-accessible curb ramps.

A community-centered design

The design was developed in partnership with community members and local organizations every step of the way. We worked to ensure the project design improves safety for people biking, scooting, walking, and rolling, while maintaining freight and business access during and after construction.

During outreach in 2017 on the Georgetown Mobility Study, we heard the need for better connections between Georgetown and South Park. We heard similar themes through community advocacy and feedback (see this video developed by community members).

The new connection has also been identified as an important route within our Pedestrian Master Plan, Bike Master Plan, Freight Master Plan, Transit Master Plan, and Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Analysis. Note: our previous "modal" master plans are now in one central plan - the Seattle Transportation Plan, Seattle's 20-year vision for the future of transportation in Seattle.

In summer 2019, we collaborated with Duwamish Valley Safe Streets to get the word out about the project and gather input from neighbors on which route we should advance into early design. Approximately 400 people participated and shared feedback and 6 community groups wrote formal letters of support during this phase of community engagement.

Key features

• New multi-use path for people walking and rolling from the heart of Georgetown to the South Park Bridge
• Accessible curb ramps installed throughout the project area
• Bike "dot" markings to help people navigate the new trail
• Bike crossing improvements to safely separate cyclists from people driving and walking
• Parking changes to accommodate safety improvements for everyone

See the map below for more details on these project benefits or visit the project webpage.

Project map

[Link]Map of the Georgetown to South Park Connection project. Graphic: SDOT

How to stay informed

We encourage the public to sign up for email updates to stay up to date on upcoming construction activities.

• Visit our website
• Sign up for email updates
• Email us: [email protected]
• Call us: (206) 450-6594

The Georgetown Flume Off-Leash Dog Park will start construction in early 2025

We're working with Seattle Parks and Recreation to develop a new dog park and off-street walking and biking connection on the "Flume" property between the Aero Motel and Boeing Campus. This project will provide an acre of green space including 80 new trees, and represents a critical element in creating a safe and accessible connection between Georgetown and South Park.

This is a true One Seattle partnership between City of Seattle departments, including SDOT, Seattle Parks and Recreation, and Seattle City Light. We look forward to delivering this project and providing another high-quality off-leash area for you and your dog to enjoy!

Learn more on the Georgetown Flume Off-Leash Area Development webpage. Once construction starts, you can find construction updates on the Georgetown to South Park Safety Project webpage.

A network of bike and safety projects in South Seattle

In addition to the Georgetown to South Park Connection project, here's a brief update on other high-priority projects funded by the Levy to Move Seattle. Together, these projects will make biking, scooting, walking, and rolling safer and more comfortable in South Seattle.

• MLK Jr Way Safety Project: Construction began in fall 2023 and was completed in July 2024. The project provides many benefits including new protected bike lanes, wider sidewalks, accessible curb ramps, calmer traffic, and better visibility and predictability for all travelers. To learn more, visit our website or read this blog post.

• Beacon Ave S & 15th Ave S Safety Project: Construction began in July 2024 and is currently underway. The project will make it safer and easier to walk, bike, and roll to the many businesses, community destinations, and transit stations in the growing Beacon Hill neighborhood. To learn more, visit our website.

• Georgetown to Downtown Safety Project: Construction has officially begun on the Georgetown to Downtown Safety Project. This project is expected to bring safer streets and trails for all travelers and better connect existing trails in South Seattle. We're excited to get to work and keep you informed as construction ramps up on this 3-mile route through areas where we've seen concerning patterns of crashes and injuries. To learn more, visit our website or read this blog post.

• East Marginal Way Corridor Improvement Project: Construction began in April 2024 and work continues to move forward. This project will upgrade streets to support the weight of heavy freight loads and include protected biking facilities, better serving our industrial businesses and enhancing safety for all travelers. To learn more, visit our website or read this blog post.

• West Marginal Way SW Safety Corridor Project: This project extends a protected bike lane along West Marginal Way SW, south of the West Seattle Bridge, alongside other key safety and mobility upgrades on an important freight and travel route. The protected bike lane extension was installed in spring 2023. In addition, we're making improvements to enhance the pedestrian space near the Duwamish Longhouse. To learn more, visit our website or read this blog post.

[Link]Map of bike lanes and multi-use trails in South Seattle. Four projects currently in construction are highlighted in orange. Graphic: SDOT

The Levy to Move Seattle

This project is made possible by the 9-year Levy to Move Seattle, passed by Seattle voters in 2015. Thank you, Seattle.

These projects support Seattle's Vision Zero plan

Our work on safety and the projects detailed in this blog post are guided by the USDOT's Safe System Approach. Our Vision Zero goals and comprehensive safety framework focus on responsive safety, proactive safety, and capital project partnerships. We look forward to building more infrastructure upgrades to help keep everyone safe when traveling throughout Seattle, both today and in the future.

Thank you for your interest as we work to deliver more projects to maintain and modernize Seattle's streets.

What people are saying

"We're thrilled to begin construction of the Georgetown to South Park Connection, bringing a high-quality travel route for people to bike, scoot, walk, and roll between these essential South Seattle neighborhoods with greater comfort and ease." - Greg Spotts, SDOT Director

"Seattle Parks and Recreation is thrilled to collaborate with SDOT and SCL to deliver this new public space and connection to the Georgetown and South Park communities. The new off-leash area and trail at the former SCL Flume parcel will include planting over 80 trees and represents a true "One-City" project. We extend our gratitude to the community for their input, advocacy and patience, to SDOT for being the leads agency for construction and to SCL for their contribution of funding as a part of a public benefit for a property transfer." - Mike Schwindeller, Seattle Parks & Recreation

"This new protected route will grow the south-end bike network, making biking safer and more accessible for everyone. It's an exciting step forward, but there's more we need to do to connect South Park to Downtown. With the recently approved transportation levy, we'll continue building a connected bike network in South Seattle, prioritizing key gaps in our network. This will result in a bike network that is safer and accessible for all. Let's keep the momentum going and ride on!" - Lee Lambert, Executive Director, Cascade Bicycle Club

"I am so excited to see these long time projects realized. Georgetown & South Park are neighborhood family. And our two unique neighborhoods have shared goals and interests, this better brings us together. The off-leash park will give a safe and accessible community space for dogs and owners alike." - Jason Clackley, Chair, Georgetown Open Space Committee

"We're excited to see construction start on this critical project that will connect residents in South Park and Georgetown to essential services, schools, and community hubs that exist in one neighborhood but not the other! The community has envisioned this connection for 25 years. In 2016 neighbors in Georgetown and South Parked formed Duwamish Valley Safe Streets, and spent countless volunteer hours working to make this connection between the two neighborhoods a reality. Seattle Neighborhood Greenways supported these efforts, and we are thrilled to finally see this project under construction, and can't wait for the myriad of community benefits it will provide!" - Gordon Padelford, Executive Director, Seattle Neighborhood Greenways

"As a mom who lives and works in the Duwamish Valley, I am so grateful to SDOT for pushing this project through. My kids and I have walked and biked this route a handful of times and it has felt scary and dangerous each time. South Park and Georgetown have so many challenges-health disparities, lack of investment, infrequent public transit, geographical isolation, and more. Connecting our two neighborhoods doubles our opportunities to share what we have to offer, so we can all benefit. This wouldn't be possible without a huge lift by community-based organizations like Duwamish Valley Safe Streets, as well as individual efforts to make our neighborhoods healthier and more livable. We can't wait to ride to Georgetown and hope to see folks from there here in South Park!" - Robin Schwartz, Duwamish River Community Coalition staffer and neighbor

"This project is a longtime community need, connecting South Park and Georgetown residents to essential services, schools, and community hubs that exist in one neighborhood but not the other. Duwamish Valley Safe Streets neighborhood advocates have been pushing since 2016 through multiple setbacks and delays, and we're so excited to see it finally beginning construction.
This project will not only serve neighborhood residents and workers, but also represents a significant response from the city to historic inequitable land use practices that have divided communities across the Duwamish Valley since the straightening of the Duwamish river and the industrialization of this area." - Erica Bush, Duwamish Valley Safe Streets

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