Rainier Valley Neighborhood Greenway

Updated: January 20, 2021

What's happening now?

Like the rest of the world, here in Seattle, we're rethinking how we live and move around our city during the COVID 19 crisis and beyond. Mayor Jenny Durkan and SDOT Director Sam Zimbabwe announced Safe Healthy Streets in support of Governor Inslee's "Stay Home, Stay Safe" order and the City's #KeepItMoving campaign. If people go outside, we need them to keep moving and avoid gatherings.

To maintain at least 6 feet of space while passing a neighbor, people are walking in the street or crossing to the other side. Even though traffic volume is down 60%, there is still risk when people are walking in the streets where there are cars. To support people enjoying outdoor exercise safely, we converted some neighborhood greenways, which are calm residential streets, into Stay Healthy Streets.
Map of Rainier Valley Stay Healthy Streets running along different streets between South Holly Street and South Barton Place

PDF of Rainier Valley Stay Healthy Street Map

Project Overview

The first phase of the Rainier Valley Neighborhood Greenway is complete! Check out this interactive map of the improvements along the full route!

The Rainier Valley Neighborhood Greenway is a route over 6 miles long stretching all the way from Mount Baker to Rainier Beach. The route includes small improvements like crosswalks, curb ramps, speed humps, stop signs, and pavement repairs that go a long way to make walking and biking around the neighborhood easier.

Since 2014, we've been gathering community input on the greenway route to select streets that aren't too steep and connect people to neighborhood destinations like light rail, parks, grocery stores, schools, and more. 

During the second phase, we will build a pathway to better connect the neighborhood greenway to the I-90 trail and continue the improvements north of S College St.

More about neighborhood greenways

Neighborhood greenways are safer, calmer residential streets for you, your family, and neighbors. We make people walking and biking the priority.

Neighborhood greenways can include:

  • 20 mph speed limit signs
  • Speed humps to calm traffic
  • Stop signs for side streets crossing the greenway signs and pavement markings to help people find their way
  • Easier crossings of busy streets with crosswalks,
  • Flashing beacons, or traffic signals

Once built, neighborhood greenways can:

  • Create safe pathways for students to walk to school
  • Strengthen communities around safer streets
  • Create neighborhood placemaking
  • Connect you and your neighbors to popular destinations such as schools, parks, business districts, and the city-wide bicycle network
  • Provide alternative options of getting around your neighborhood by walking or biking

Visit our neighborhood greenways home page or a language to learn more about neighborhood greenways.

English | Amharic | 中文 | 한국어 | Oromiffa | af Soomaali
Español | Tagalog | Tigrinya | Tiếng Việt

Art along the route

In coordination with the Office of Arts & Culture, we commissioned 7 emerging public artists to create temporary art installations along the Rainier Valley Neighborhood Greenway as part of Art Interruptions 2018. Look for the art between Rainier Beach Playfield and Othello Park. View the specific art locations.

Example of art on the greenway
Example of public art along the neighborhood greenway

Schedule

  • Spring/Summer 2017: Filled potholes and patched streets to prepare for microsurfacing
  • Mid-May to mid-July 2017: Tree pruning along whole neighborhood greenway route
  • Mid-August 2017: Microsurfacing work
  • Late summer 2017 to summer 2018: Neighborhood greenway construction - phase 1
  • 2018/2019: Curb ramps installed along microsurfaced streets and phase 2 of greenway construction

Funding

This project is funded by the 9-year Levy to Move Seattle, approved by voters in 2015. Learn more about the levy.

Materials

Stay Healthy Street materials (2020)

Event materials

Construction materials (2017-2018)

Design materials (2015-2017)

Transportation

Greg Spotts, Director
Address: 700 5th Ave, Suite 3800, Seattle, WA, 98104
Mailing Address: PO Box 34996, Seattle, WA, 98124-4996
Phone: (206) 684-7623
684-Road@seattle.gov

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The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is on a mission to deliver a transportation system that provides safe and affordable access to places and opportunities for everyone as we work to achieve our vision of Seattle as a thriving, equitable community powered by dependable transportation.