Thursday, October 1, 2026
Olympia Transportation Engineer Joey Jones unveiled plans for a pedestrian and bicycle safety improvement project along State and Pacific avenues, promising significant upgrades to infrastructure between Sawyer and Fir streets.
At a meeting on Wednesday, May 21, Jones presented detailed plans to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) that will introduce separated bike lanes, new sidewalks and enhanced street crossings. The project is designed to improve safety for all road users, with particular attention to vulnerable pedestrians and cyclists.
As part of the pedestrian island updates, westbound vehicles traveling on Pacific Avenue and intending to stay on State Avenue must turn left onto Wilson Street. This redesign aims to improve safety by reducing potential conflicts between vehicles, bikes and pedestrians.
"This new configuration of the intersection allows vehicles to be more at a right angle when making their turn on the State for Pacific Avenue, improving site distance and safety of the intersection," Jones said.
In addition to changes in traffic flow, Jones also highlighted a new street design aimed at improving safety for cyclists.
He said the parking-separated bike lane is a new design for Olympia, but common in other cities. It uses parking stalls and pavement markings to create more space between traffic and the bike lane.
In this configuration, vehicles drive in their lanes, parked cars serve as a buffer, and cyclists travel between the parked cars and the sidewalk. This design offers protection and makes cycling more appealing to a broader range of riders. Some on-street parking will be removed to implement this design.
Jones emphasized the benefits of the project, including improving safety for pedestrians and bicyclists, which he said are the most vulnerable street users.
The project will boost mobility for people, especially individuals using mobility aids or less experienced cyclists. It will also support public transit by allowing buses to board passengers without leaving the travel lane, helping buses maintain their schedules. Lastly, coordinating bicycle and pedestrian improvements with street resurfacing can help reduce the project costs overall.
The project will be completed in two phases. The first phase, scheduled to begin this year, will include the construction of new sidewalks, the installation of pedestrian islands and ramps, and the application of temporary paint striping to outline the final layout. It is expected to be completed by the summer or fall of 2026.
Phase 2, planned for spring or summer next year, will involve chip seal street resurfacing, installing permanent striping and finalizing the separated bike lane.
The entire project is expected to be completed by fall 2027.
8 comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here
JulesJames
Buckets of taxpayer money shoveled into unused bike lanes for a self-proclaimed and stagnated 3% portion of the commuting public. Someday such special interest pandering will subside in Olympia. But it won't be this day.
Monday, May 26, 2025 Report this
HappyOlympian
Bike lanes a farce. Few people able to use them, most folks just not able to ride a bike, especially if there is a hill involved.
Tuesday, May 27, 2025 Report this
bobkat
Ummm. . . how about a map insert so those of us "non-Olympians" who travel these roads can get an idea of the streets that are impacted?
Tuesday, May 27, 2025 Report this
ddttwo2
So apparently there is a problem with the "Karen Frazier" Trail from downtown Oly to Lacey??
Tuesday, May 27, 2025 Report this
staynavytom
How about fixing the roads...like filling potholes and cracks?
Tuesday, May 27, 2025 Report this
MrCommonSense
It would be great if the article included a map that showed the location of the improvements. I didn't see in the article the estimated cost of these improvements so readers could assess whether these improvements based on the cost is worthwhile compared to other projects? There was no discussion of the reasons other than to improve safety. Have there been accidents, injuries, etc. that have prompted these improvements? If so, has there been any traffic enforcement to prevent them? A big part of making bikes and pedestrians safe is to slow traffic, either by better street design or enforcement. Our local police should be enforcing speed limits and ticketing unsafe driving. Drivers constantly speed on Pacific Ave, State Street, 4th Ave and Martin Way. Where is the enforcement? I drive that area quite frequently and haven't seen a stopped motorist in a very, very, very long time.
Tuesday, May 27, 2025 Report this
cvandaalen
I am a mobility challenged person using a wheelchair. I often travel this area and related intersections in my wheelchair, and it is very difficult and dangerous. I am really glad to see the City is attentive to this issue and is planning to fix the area for bike and mobility devices. All the naysayers commenting here need to "walk" a mile in my wheels. Then they may understand. Kudos to Joey Jones, Public works and the BPAC for prioritizing these improvements.
Tuesday, May 27, 2025 Report this
HotTractor
Looks like it should be safer for people not using motorized vehicles. I don't know what those people are talking about people not using bike lanes. I don't even live in town and in my infrequent trips in, i see people riding bikes. One thing about the cars parking on the traffic side is they can obscure bike traffic so one needs to be extra vigilant to not pull right in front of a bike as the vehicle turns right.
Tuesday, June 3, 2025 Report this