E Union’s protect bike lane is getting a levy upgrade in 2026
SDOT’s 2026 levy projects
In 2024, Seattle voters approved the city’s latest transportation levy, a $1.55 billion plan focused on streets, transit, sidewalk, and bike lanes for the next eight years.
This week, officials are unveiling their plan for how the transportation levy funding will be spent in 2026 with sidewalk and repaving work, improved protected bike lanes, new “High-Collision Safety Projects,” a First Hill Streetcar safety project, and a new bus-only lane on 24th Ave among the projects slated for the neighborhoods around Capitol Hill and the Central District.
The Seattle Department of Transportation sums up the 2026 Seattle Transportation Levy Delivery Plan as an outline for how it plans to spend this year’s levy dollars, saying the plan “identifies projects for which the department plans to start building, designing, and planning in 2026.”
“Due to the complex nature of capital project delivery and unforeseen risks, adjustments to the workplan may be necessary to account for changes in project timelines,” SDOT notes.
Here is our report on SDOT’s 2025 levy plan.
While it doesn’t capture all the day to day work SDOT crews will be taking on this year, the levy delivery plan outlines the major planned work you can expect to see on Capitol Hill and Central District sidewalks, streets, bike lanes, and bus lanes this year.
TRANSIT
Some of the most significant projects planned for the Capitol Hill and CD area will be transit related. SDOT says it plans to tackle 160 projects citywide “to improve bus reliability, access, equity, and safety with a focus on performance pinch points affecting multiple routes” with some key investments here including planned “spot” construction to improve transit conditions at the busy area near Capitol Hill Station at E John and 10th.
SDOT also plans to mount a First Hill Streetcar safety project as the line marks its tenth anniversary. We’ll have more details on the work soon.
Shovels won’t dig in but design work will be funded this year to advance planning for a 24th Ave bus-only lane northbound between Boyer and Roanoke near what has become a traffic slog near the overhauled and expanded 520 interchange.
SDOT planners say there will also be levy funding to start planning and design for improved transit access to Judkins Park Station as the Central District stop and the new 2 Line light rail expansion it is part of debut in March.
SDOT says levy dollars will also go to continue to help fund King County Metro’s Transit Safety Officer program.
SAFETY AND SIGNALS
The city’s 2026 roster for planned “High-Collision Safety Projects” construction for traffic calming features includes District 3 intersections at 12th Ave & E Yesler Way and 23rd Ave & E Cherry. Similar work was planned last year at Broadway and Pike, Broadway and Union, and Harvard and Pike among dozens of other locations across the city.
51 intersections throughout the city are lined up for upgrades to “leading pedestrian intervals” that give people crossing streets a head start.
SDOT is also planning to complete 40 corridor signal timing adjustments to improve safety and traffic flow. On Capitol Hill, only Broadway E Howell St to Madison is currently lined up for signal coordinating levy work.
SIDEWALK AND CROSSING INVESTMENTS
Sidewalk users will enjoy some 2026 levy spending as SDOT says it is planning some 34,000 spot repairs to sidewalks. Major sidewalk construction projects for District 3 neighborhoods include plans on 24th Ave E, the 1500 block of 12th Ave, MLK Jr Way between E John St & E Howell St, and 30th Ave S & S Jackson St.
The ongoing push to build 10,000 new ADA-accessible curb ramps across the city will include projects at Boren Ave and Seneca and the west side of Broadway and Roy.
The stairway at 15th and Boston is also in line for 2026 levy investment.
Crossing improvement projects across the city include 2026 construction plans at 11th Ave E and E Aloha, 13th Ave and E Yesler Way, 18th Ave E and E Aloha, Cherry St between 12th Ave and 22nd Ave, E Denny Way and Harvard Ave, and Lake Washington Blvd and Madrona. Planning will move forward for a better crossing at 43rd Ave E and E Howe.
Two area schools will be part of the 2026 wave of Safe Routes to Schools projects as Leschi Elementary and Washington Middle School will see upgrades for walking and biking. In 2025, Washington was the site of a tragic accident where a runaway SUV hit and killed a student outside the school.
DRIVERS AND POTHOLES
Cars and buses need love, too. SDOT is planning millions to simply keep its streets paved with plans in 2026 to repave 15 major corridors including 23rd/24th Ave between E John and Lake Washington Blvd and James between 3rd and Broadway.
Crews will also start construction on concrete paving or panel replacement onE John from 12th Ave E to 13th Ave E and E McGilvra St & 42nd Ave E.
SDOT says crosswalks and pavement markings will be refreshed at 450 crossings in the city with updated marking “on approximately 262 lane-miles.”
One of the biggest areas of expenditure for SDOT levy work? The city’s aging bridges. SDOT says it is planning $26.8 million in bridge work and maintenance in 2026 — none of it in District 3.
BIKES
D3 bike improvements will be part of citywide levy investments with some of the more significant projects in the planning stages including early work to design Central Area Neighborhood Greenway Connections projects and planning for upgraded bike lanes along 12th Ave from E Madison to the Jose Rizal Bridge.
The city says it also expects to upgrade about 30% of its existing bike lanes with “improved barriers or buffer areas.” That work will bring improvements to E Union from 14th Ave to MLK in 2026, SDOT says. The protected bike lanes with paint and plastic posts were installed on E Union in 2021.
Other area upgrades planned for cyclists include a “Montlake/520 Trail wayfinding update.”
PEOPLE STREETS AND ELECTRIC CARS
Despite interest in pedestrianization projects in Pike/Pine, there are no planned levy projects for Capitol Hill and the Central District under SDOT’s “People Streets” initiative.
SDOT says there will be levy money spent to continue to help fund study of an I-5 lid in a project supported by the U District Partnership.
The area will see a few levy investments in electric car charging stations with new placements planned on two blocks of 13th Ave on First Hill.
SDOT says 2026 will also see planning begin on projects to add EV chargers at “parks, community centers, and libraries” and the “relaunch” of a Curbside EV Charging Program “to install community requested EV charging stations in residential neighborhoods.”
WHAT’S MISSING?
You can let city officials know about needed maintenance or repairs using the Find It Fix It app — Let District 3 Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth about any projects that should have made the list here
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