The "Last of the West" Project: Let's connect Montlake & Portage Bay

With the "Last of the West" phase to the SR520 Bridge Replacement Project through Montlake and Portage Bay, the city has a unique opportunity to reconnect neighborhoods and improve regional connections. This $1.5 billion project should create more safe, convenient and comfortable transportation choices for those who wish to walk, ride a bicycle, use transit or drive. By doing this, we can create both a healthy, economically vibrant and interconnected neighborhood and region.  

The SR 520 Final Concept Design is an opportunity that cannot be missed to connect Seattle to the region and reconnect neighborhoods.  Although vast improvements have been made over the past year with the inclusion of the Portage Bay Trail, the land bridge across the east side of the Montlake cut and continued improvements to straighten and improve the comfort of the Bill Dawson Trail more needs to be done to ensure comfortable, safe and convenient places to ride a bike and walk.  

Basic opportunities to increase safe, comfortable bicycle and pedestrian access still must be addressed.  Over the fall of 2014, Cascade collaborated with Feet First, Transportation Choices Coalition and the Seattle Neighborhood Greenways groups of Montlake, Madison Park, Central Seattle and University District to develop the following recommendations. These recommendations will help create a Montlake/520 project that works for all users, regardless of age or ability. 

We strongly support the following proposed design innovations:

  • Bicycle-pedestrian bridge over the Montlake Cut. A new walking and biking bridge over the Montlake Cut just east of the current bridge to connect with protected bike lanes on Montlake Boulevard.
  • Inclusion of a protected bike lane on the east side of Montlake Boulevard from the Sound Transit Station at Husky Stadium to E. Roanoke St. This is the desire line for many travelers and will create a flat, comfortable connection to the Lake Washington Loop, Central Greenway and the Montlake business district. This is already part of the Seattle Bicycle Master plan adopted in April 2014 and will be a natural connection for using the proposed bicycle-pedestrian bridge over the Montlake Cut.
  • The Portage Bay Bridge Trail. This is a critical piece of transportation infrastructure for the city and the region and will allow people to walk, run and ride all the way across the lake on SR 520.
  • 520 land bridge. The “land bridge” is a great improvement over the prior lid design and this direct connection from the arboretum is great.
  • Improved greenway crossing treatment at Roanoke & Montlake Boulevard. This will help create an all ages and abilities connection across 24th Ave E. The design should include raised crosswalks or other crossing enhancements such as raised intersections.  
  • Improve crossing of all 520 on/off ramps along Montlake Boulevard. North and south connections for pedestrians and others using the sidewalks along Montlake boulevard are not safe or comfortable.  We urge SDOT and WSDOT to continue to reduce lane width to NACTO standards (10’ with 11’ for busses).  Consider adding raised crosswalks at all the off ramps and on ramps to increase safety. 

This is a 100-year project that we must get right.  

WSDOT and the city of Seattle are hosting a public comment period to hear additional feedback on the draft design report and final concept design recommendations. The draft design report can be found online.

Comments can be submitted by Thursday, Feb.12 in the following ways:

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