Seattle transportation officials are restarting work on the next phase of safety improvements along Beacon Avenue South, where 242 traffic crashes were reported between 2021 and 2025, including one fatality and 11 serious injuries. The city is beginning preliminary design work on the central and southern portions of the corridor and is inviting Beacon Hill residents to review early concepts and help shape the plans.
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) says the project is intended to address speeding, reduce traffic-related injuries and improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders and motorists along one of the city’s designated high-injury corridors.
According to city data, drivers on Beacon Avenue South travel at an average speed of 34 mph, well above the posted 25 mph speed limit. The corridor is included in Seattle’s High Injury Network, which identifies streets with significant concentrations of serious and fatal crashes.
The proposed improvements are part of Seattle’s Vision Zero initiative, which aims to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries on city streets. The effort follows an August 2026 executive order from Mayor Katie Wilson directing city departments to accelerate and strengthen traffic safety work.
The next phase of the Beacon Avenue South Safety Project will focus on the corridor’s central and southern segments. Preliminary plans include extending bicycle facilities from South Spokane Street and connecting them with protected bike lanes along South Columbian Way and South Myrtle Street, creating additional east-west connections.
City transportation officials say changes to street design can encourage drivers to slow down and make the corridor safer for people traveling by different modes of transportation. Specific design elements remain under development, and the city is seeking public feedback before advancing more detailed plans.
The work builds on safety improvements completed in 2025 along portions of Beacon Avenue South and 15th Avenue South in North Beacon Hill. Those earlier upgrades were intended to improve conditions for people walking, biking and driving through the neighborhood.
Beacon Hill is home to a diverse mix of residential neighborhoods, schools, parks, medical facilities and commercial districts. The corridor serves families traveling to schools, commuters accessing public transportation and residents visiting neighborhood businesses and community facilities.
Nearby schools include Mercer International Middle School, which serves approximately 850 students, and Aki Kurose Middle School, which serves approximately 900 students and is temporarily operating at the former Van Asselt Elementary School facility. Wing Luke Elementary School, with approximately 350 students, is another neighborhood destination.
Residents also use Beacon Avenue South to reach businesses such as Fou Lee and Seattle Supermarket, medical facilities including Pacific Medical Centers and the Seattle VA Medical Center, the Beacon Hill light rail station and recreational areas such as Jefferson Park.
For families with school-age children, pedestrians traveling to transit stops and people biking through the neighborhood, the proposed improvements could affect how they navigate the corridor.
SDOT says community priorities will help guide the project as preliminary designs are developed. Residents will have several opportunities this month to review information, ask questions and share concerns about traffic safety, street design and neighborhood access.
An online survey is available through Oct. 31 at https://us.maptionnaire.com/q/7ka6abw8van3.
The department will host a pop-up information table Saturday, Oct. 17, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. along the median pathway on Beacon Avenue South near South Myrtle Street.
An in-person open house is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 19, from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at Van Asselt Community Center, 2820 S. Myrtle St. Spanish, Mandarin and Cantonese interpretation will be available.
A virtual community meeting will take place Thursday, Oct. 29, from 6 to 7 p.m. on Zoom. The meeting will include breakout rooms in Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese and Tagalog. Participation details will be posted on the city’s project website.
As the city develops plans for the next phase of improvements, residents’ feedback will help shape decisions about speeding, street design and access throughout the Beacon Hill corridor.
Residents can also submit questions or comments by emailing BeaconAveCentral@seattle.gov or BeaconAveSouth@seattle.gov, or by calling 206-900-8728.
