Status 

As of January 2026

Phase: Design

DOWL submitted 60% engineering plans to the City in November. The City is currently reviewing the plans and will submit comments back to DOWL in January 2026. Construction is expected in 2026.

Project Overview 

This project will construct a new sidewalk on the west side of Dayton Avenue N, between NW Richmond Beach Road and N 178th Court.

Project improvements include:

  • Sidewalks with curbs and gutters
  • Curb ramps and other Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) improvements
  • Crosswalks
  • Drainage improvements

Project location map:

The project is located on Dayton Avenue N between N 178th Court and Richmond Beach Road

Design

The City's design consultants, DOWL, provided six preliminary design alternatives to us to review. We eliminated three of those and presented the remaining three to the community for input. Based on an engineering analysis of the corridor, input from the community, and the City's engineering team review, we have selected West Alternative 2.This alternative provides a 12-4 foot shared use path along the west side of the street.

City staff and DOWL agreed to move forward with West Alternative 2 for the following reasons:

  • Community Outreach: Based on the community input we received, West Alternative 2 seems to be the best fit for the community and the most frequent anticipated users of the facility, which would include many young children walking or biking to school.
  • Storm Drainage: West Alternative 2 may allow for portions of the existing conveyance system to be preserved.
  • Tree Impacts: West Alternative 2 has the lowest number of trees to be removed.
  • Construction Cost: West Alternative 1a had the highest estimated construction cost and minimal additional benefits. Alternative 1B and 2 are within 7% in cost.
  • Sidewalk Continuity: This alternative completes a missing gap in existing sidewalk on Richmond Beach Road and on the west side of Dayton Avenue N just north of St. Lukes School.

West Alternative 2 includes a 12 to 14 foot shared use path. The lanes for car travel will be 11 feet wide. The east side of the pavement edge will not change.

Community Engagement

We invited the community to participate in open house opportunities in May 2025 - an in-person house and an online open house. 240 people provided input through the open houses. View the documents and links below to review the information we presented and a summary of the feedback we received:

Background

Located on and near key east-west transit routes, new sidewalks on Dayton Avenue N will provide a safer and more accessible path to bus service serving Shoreline Community College, Link Light Rail, and east to Kenmore. Children and families traveling to St. Luke’s School will benefit from safer separation from Dayton’s vehicle traffic.
Selecting this project for construction is based on previous work that included a significant level of input from the community, including a citizen advisory committee and voter approval:

Dayton Avenue N was identified as a high priority for sidewalk improvements in the 2018 Pedestrian Improvements Prioritization Matrix. Learn more about how sidewalk improvements are prioritized on the Sidewalks Prioritization Plan webpage.

Improving the City’s sidewalk network also meets goals set for the City and for the state in:

Before design for a project like this begins, the City completed studies of the area. This work included:

  • Topographic survey (map of the natural and man-made features in the area)
  • Geotechnical investigation (examining the soil and rock below the surface)
  • Wetland identification and mapping
  • Arborist investigation
  • Stormwater design and mapping
  • Utility research

Project Timeline

  • Preliminary Design: Spring 2025
  • Final Design: Fall/Winter 2025
  • Construction: Spring/Summer 2026

Tree Impacts 

This project will require the removal of trees and shrubs on Dayton. We estimate the 31 trees will be removed to build  the selected design alternative, West Alternative 2. This design requires the fewest trees to be removed of all the possible alternatives. However, it does not provide an amenity zone to plant new trees in the project area. We will continue to work to protect trees throughout the design process.

The preliminary Arborist Memo is available to review. Please note that it includes information on tree impacts for the design alternatives that are no longer under consideration.