Seattle to get its first protected intersection

After years of delays due to budget cuts, the city of Seattle has started the bidding process for its very first protected intersection.

Imagine an intersection with a floating island at every corner. The floating islands create a physical separation between people in the street and vehicles, providing safety for both. This is what the new protected intersection, planned for Thomas Street and Dexter Avenue in South Lake Union will look like.

Francisca Stefan, senior deputy director at the Seattle Department of Transportation, said the Thomas and Dexter intersection was chosen because it’s a growing part of town.

"We've got the busy Seattle Center just to the west, we have many employers in this area and it's quite a busy pedestrian area," Stefan said. "So, this is a great spot."

Stefan explained that each corner is a protected space for cyclists. She said the design provides greater separation between pedestrian and vehicle traffic, which makes it safer for everyone, especially at the intersection of Thomas and Dexter.

"Protected intersections [are] becoming a really preferred treatment when we have these crossing bike lanes and we have busy pedestrian locations," Stefan said, adding that protected intersection designs "are becoming more common in cities throughout the United States."

In Santa Monica, California, Stefan personally worked on the installation of protected intersections. She said these types of intersections can be found in cities of all sizes throughout the U.S.

According to The Urbanist, Seattle's impending protected intersection would be the first of its kind for the city, but not the first in the region. The city of Bellevue has had a protected intersection since late 2020, located at NE Spring Boulevard and 120th Avenue NE.

A spokesperson for the City of Bellevue said the Spring and 120th intersection was chosen in part due to its proximity to light rail and the new multipurpose path along NE Spring Boulevard. "The protected intersection makes crossing safer for people walking and rolling, which is particularly important as this area of BelRed transforms into a vibrant, mixed-use urban village."

The Seattle location is the same intersection where a Seattle Police SUV responding to an emergency call fatally struck a 23-year-old grad student in January 2023. The student, Jaahnavi Kandula, was in the crosswalk when she was struck.

But Stefan said the intersection was not selected in response to that fatal crash.

"The vision for [the] protected intersection at this location goes back many years," she said. "So, it did precede the very sad incident that occurred at this intersection."

The city of Seattle is in the bidding process. Once a builder is selected, they hope to see work on the intersection before the end of the year.