Seattle's streets are in for a major overhaul, as Mayor Bruce Harrell and SDOT Director Greg Spotts put on hard hats and joined construction crews on the latest transportation projects to give the city's infrastructure a much-needed facelift. The 11th / 12th Ave NE Paving and Safety Project, coupled with the RapidRide J Line project funded by the Levy to Move Seattle, is focused on keeping the city moving and safe.

According to a blog post by the Seattle Department of Transportation, these initiatives will not only repair and modernize roadways and utilities but also be designed to improve the safety of everyone on the road. With updated curb ramps, sidewalks, signals, and freshly paved streets, the city is pedaling toward its Vision Zero goal to end traffic deaths and serious injuries in the Emerald City.

Bringing more reliability to the bus service, the J Line will be the lifeline connecting neighborhoods like the U District, Eastlake, South Lake Union, Belltown, and Downtown Seattle. This project aims to reduce the number of personal vehicles on the road, purportedly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and getting a handle on the city's carbon footprint.

Providing some details on the benefits of the 11th/12th Ave NE project, the SDOT announcement notes that it will "improve connections to Link light rail, other bus lines, and Seattle Streetcar." Major enhancements include the installation of protected bike lanes that promise to improve the safety of all travelers, the paving of Eastlake Ave E with durable concrete designed to last more than half a century, and accommodating transit upgrades to boost overall travel time and reliability. They're coordinating construction efforts to minimize disruptions to the public, businesses, and freight operations.

To keep residents in the loop on these sweeping improvements, SDOT encourages people to sign up for email updates through their website.