This project, located on Northwest Bliss Road/Northwest Hathaway Road/Northwest 139th Street between Northwest 11th and Northwest 21st Avenues, will…

• Restripe the road for one vehicle travel lane in each direction
• Add wide buffered bike lanes 
• Include dedicated turn lanes at school entrances
• Enhanced pedestrian crossings and install pedestrian refuge islands between the two travel lanes 

Click here for a map of the project location.

In recent years, the community has contacted Public Works with concerns about the safety of the school zone corridor and crosswalks in this area, particularly near Chinook Elementary and Alki Middle School. Community members have voiced concerns about narrow bike lanes, speeding motorists, motorists failing to yield to pedestrians, long crossing distances over multiple lanes, and distracted driving.

To address some of these concerns, Public Works installed "Stop Here for Pedestrians" signage and stop lines in summer 2023. This safety project will incorporate Complete Streets design features that enhance pedestrian and cyclist safety, and reduce vehicle travel lanes to a single travel lane in each direction. These improvements will help protect students, families, and others who walk, bike or drive in this corridor.

Plan set after receiving and incorporating community feedback (PDF)

Previous plan set before the information session (PDF)

June 2025: Updates to the Northwest Bliss Road/139th Street School Zone Safety Improvement Project incorporate community feedback

Following valuable input from the community, we made several significant changes to the project design. These changes help the project better align with neighborhood priorities while supporting the project goal of increased safety for students, pedestrians, and cyclists.

Changes to the project design include: 

• No lane modifications in front of Skyview High School: The existing lane configuration will be maintained to ensure predictable traffic flow and minimize disruptions for students walking or biking near the school entrance. Westbound traffic will be reduced from two lanes to one just west of the school, maintaining safe access near the entrance.
• Tapered merge before lane reduction: Instead of a sudden drop to one lane, the transition will be a gradual merge taper, allowing vehicles more time to maneuver. This reduces abrupt stops and improves safety for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists navigating the area.
• Bike lanes remain adjacent to the curb: By keeping bike lanes next to the curb, cyclists will have a dedicated space separated from vehicle traffic. Removing proposed right-turn lanes (except at Northwest 21st Avenue) reduces conflict points between turning vehicles and cyclists, improving safety at transition zones where bikes and vehicles interact.
• Wider right-turn lane at Northwest 21st Avenue: Expanding this turn lane helps accommodate larger vehicles, including school buses, ensuring smoother turns and reducing the risk of congestion that would impact pedestrian crossings.
• "Do Not Block Intersection" markings at Northwest 11th Avenue: These markings will help keep the intersection clear during peak congestion times, discouraging vehicles from blocking crosswalks and allowing pedestrians and side-road traffic to move safely through the intersection.
• Relocating C-TRAN bus stops: Moving the location of bus stops improves visibility at school crossings, ensuring students and pedestrians have clearer sightlines when crossing the street. This reduces the risk of collisions between buses, vehicles, and pedestrians.
• Parking lot striping updates at Alki Middle School: We are partnering with Vancouver Public Schools to revise the parking lot striping layout at Alki, which will increase on-site vehicle storage and reduce backups on Northwest 139th Street. This will reduce congestion and improve pedestrian safety by maintaining a more controlled traffic flow near school entrances.

We are currently applying for a grant to fund these additional future improvements:

• Additional flashing 20 mph school zone speed signs: Installing more flashing speed signs in a future project will reinforce reduced speed limits in school zones, reminding drivers to slow down and prioritizing student safety.
• Improved roadway lighting in the school zone corridor: Enhancing lighting in a future project will increase visibility for pedestrians and cyclists, making crosswalks and bike lanes safer, especially during early morning and evening hours.

These updates reflect a strong commitment to student, pedestrian, and bike safety while balancing neighborhood priorities. We thank community members who provided their thoughtful feedback and insights.