News Release

Greg Nickels, Mayor

Grace Crunican, Director

Contact: Rick Sheridan, 206.684.8540

For Immediate Release
July 22, 2009

City Announces Midyear Bridging the Gap Progress

SEATTLE – The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) announced today that the city is on track
to meet 2009 goals for Bridging the Gap (BTG). SDOT Director Grace Crunican thanked Seattle
residents for the voter-approved initiative and stated, “Residents are seeing the results of their BTG
dollars. SDOT is steadily improving city streets, bridges, sidewalks and bike facilities, making it easier
and safer for everyone to travel around Seattle.”
Significant progress has been made by the city across a number of important BTG areas:
• Major asphalt and concrete paving projects are underway on some of the city’s most traveled streets
and more than 20 lane-miles of paving will be completed by the end of this year. Work is underway
in West Seattle, downtown and south of downtown.
• More than 17,575 square feet of sidewalk have been repaired and the equivalent of five new blocks
of sidewalks have been built. Additionally, 42 schools now have improved school zone signage and
32 pedestrian countdown signals have been installed. The Rainier Valley, Magnolia and the Central
District are among areas where pedestrians are already benefiting from these new enhancements.
• Eight Neighborhood Street Fund large projects have been completed and 10 Pedestrian Master Plan
projects have been installed in neighborhoods from Madison Park to First Hill to the University
District.
• Nearly six lane-miles of bike lanes and sharrows, and seven miles of bike route signs are finished,
allowing residents of Magnolia, View Ridge and Delridge to enjoy new bike facilities.
• Crews have already replaced nearly 3,000 regulatory traffic signs and 1,000 street name signs this
year. They have also remarked more than 300 crosswalks and restriped more than 500 lane-miles of
arterial streets citywide.
• Approximately 680 street trees have been planted so far this year, more than 800 street trees pruned,
and a half-acre of landscaped areas restored to good condition across Seattle.
Large projects supported by the Bridging the Gap transportation initiative have also moved forward with
designs completed for the Mercer Street Corridor, the Fourth Avenue off-ramp of the Spokane Street
Viaduct in construction, and an advertisement for bids made on widening the Spokane Street Viaduct.
(MORE)
During the first two years of the levy the city has delivered on the promises made by Bridging the Gap.
The Seattle Department of Transportation has paved more than 68 lane-miles of road, secured 20,000
new hours of transit service, constructed 28 blocks of new sidewalk, repaired 38 blocks of sidewalk,

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City Announces Midyear Bridging the Gap Progress
July 22, 2009
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remarked 1,871 crosswalks, replaced 17,135 regulatory signs, installed school zone signage at 102
schools, replaced street name signs at 2,119 intersections, striped 57 miles of bike lanes and sharrows
and planted 1,604 new street trees.
“We are happy to report that Bridging the Gap is making real progress,” added Director Crunican.
“SDOT and the city are fulfilling our promise to the public by getting the work done and creating
transportation improvements that will benefit everyone.”

The Seattle Department of Transportation builds, maintains and operates Seattle's $12 billion
transportation infrastructure. To further Mayor Nickels’ goal to get Seattle moving, the department
manages short- and long-term investments in streets, bridges, pavement and trees, that better connect
the city with the region.
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