Northgate Ped/Bike Bridge
Northgate Ped/Bike Bridge
Connecting people to transit and the neighborhood to the region
Connecting people to transit and the neighborhood to the region
Location:
Seattle, WA
Client:
SDOT
Services:
Project Description:
The Northgate neighborhood of Seattle is one of Puget Sound’s growth centers, and with the arrival of light rail in 2021, the neighborhood is poised to become one of the region’s most active transit hubs. To strengthen connections between the future light rail station, existing bus transit center, North Seattle College, and area businesses and residents, SDOT (in partnership with WSDOT, Sound Transit, and King County) is building a new pedestrian and bike bridge over I-5. In early 2020, the project began construction, which is anticipated to be complete by the opening of the light rail station in fall 2021.
Results:
S&A has provided communications and outreach services for this large multi-phase, multi-agency, multi-year bridge project for more than six years. Since 2014, we’ve worked with SDOT to raise awareness of the project among area residents, businesses, and institutions, and to support a community-centered design process. Our work has helped SDOT hear from thousands of people in North Seattle neighborhoods through public meetings, in-person and online open houses, drop-in sessions and surveys, community briefings, and tabling events. Now, the project is in construction, and S&A is leading the charge to keep the community apprised of activities and impacts. When complete, the bridge will knit together a historically divided area, reduce travel time for people walking and biking, and connect the neighborhood’s thriving job and retail centers with the rest of the city and region. By the numbers, the project has included:
- 10 community events with 750+ face-to-face interactions
- 50+ community briefings
- 17 community tabling events
- 9 drop-in events attended by 500+ people
- Project email listserv of 950+ people
- Mobile display at 12 different community gathering areas
- Materials translated into 5 languages
- 75+ public-facing documents
- 1 successful project groundbreaking with Mayor Jenny Durkan, Councilmember Juarez and other prominent leaders and elected officials
