Shilshole Avenue NW is slated for safety upgrades, including shoulder improvements, pothole repairs, and new striping aimed at better defining parking, driveways, and walkways.
Councilmember Dan Strauss announced the improvement plans in his newsletter, which would affect Shilshole Avenue NW between the Ballard Bridge and NW Market Street.
According to Strauss, he worked with the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) to secure funding for improvements on the corridor. Planned work includes expanding the shoulder on the southwest side of the street, filling in grooves and potholes, and painting lines better to identify existing driveways, parking areas, and walkways.
Strauss said the changes are intended to improve access and safety for people walking, biking, parking, and driving along the roadway.
Funding for the project comes from the District Project Fund, a transportation funding program Strauss said he helped create several years ago. He said the fund allows councilmembers to identify and address transportation improvements within their districts, and that these projects are the first to receive funding through the program.
Strauss also announced three additional projects that will move forward with funding:
- NW Locks Place from NW 54th Street to NW Market Street: New trees and improvements designed to better define sidewalk and driveway areas and improve separation between vehicles and pedestrians on the existing Burke-Gilman Trail.
- NW 62nd Street and 2nd Avenue NW: Installation of a new traffic circle with landscaping intended to encourage slower vehicle speeds.
- NW 83rd Street and 18th Avenue NW: Installation of a new traffic circle with landscaping intended to encourage slower vehicle speeds.
Strauss said he is continuing to work with community members to identify additional neighborhood transportation needs for future rounds of funding.
The announcement comes shortly after SDOT released updated plans for completing the Burke-Gilman Trail Missing Link along Leary Avenue NW. The city had previously pursued a trail alignment along Shilshole Avenue NW, but years of litigation delayed the project, prompting SDOT to advance the Leary Avenue route to complete the 1.4-mile gap.
Photo: Google Image Capture Sept 2025