Thursday, October 1, 2026
The City of Olympia is going to unveil a $14 million comprehensive transportation project for Capitol Way and Capitol Boulevard, which targets a stretch between Union and Carlyon avenues to enhance safety and accessibility for users.
The Olympia Transportation Department is hosting an open house from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Dec. 4 in City Hall council chambers. Community members are invited to review project details, ask questions and provide feedback.
The proposed improvements include:
Project highlight:
Currently, the project is in the early scoping phase. The project should enter the design phase in 2026, with potential construction between 2028-30 pending grant approvals.
In a previous presentation at a Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee meeting in September, Olympia Senior Engineer Joey Jones said the project cost is estimated at $14 million.
It would be funded by $4 million in local resources and $10 million in potential grants from the National Highway System Asset Management Program and Transportation Improvement Board’s Urban Arterials and Active Transportation programs.
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JulesJames
$14 million for more empty bike lanes? Hip-hip-hurrah. When do we recognize we are no longer building to 19th Century bicycle technology? E-bikes accelerate and cruise at regular traffic speeds. Segregation is obsolete - except in the minds of the social engineers.
Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Report this
jimlazar
Nearly all of the $14 million is to pay for repaving Capitol Way, something that is needed anyway. The only real cost for the bike lane is the paint striping.
Capitol Way is dangerous because of the current design. These changes will make it safer.
There are crashes regularly at the curve near the bridge. Adding a bike lane and a center turn lane will help this problem.
There are also crashes when people are turning left onto the South Capitol streets. Adding a two-way turn lane will help this problem.
And, yes, cyclists will find Capitol Way more inviting, and it will be safer for us.
I was a regular bicycle commuter on Capitol Way from 1992 to 2021. I look forward to these safety improvements.
Wednesday, November 19, 2025 Report this
Wesley
Reducing to 3 lanes will further enable those arrogant Lesbaru drivers who get off by going the speed limit on the dot, never letting anyone pass them.
Wednesday, November 19, 2025 Report this
TheGreatAnon
I don't understand why bicycle advocates are so hot to put cyclists on arterials. Cars and bikes don't play well together with the bicyclist always losing. We should build bike routes using neighborhood streets and pedestrian paths. The 5th Ave bike corridor is a good example,
Wednesday, November 19, 2025 Report this
Southsoundguy
Just allow the whole area to be redeveloped under a better development pattern.
Wednesday, November 19, 2025 Report this
KarenM
Two responses to other comments.
Going the speed limit is fine. It is keeping everyone safe and obeying the law. We have allowed speeding to become acceptable and that is killing people. Our roadways should be respectful places for everyone including drivers, walkers, cyclists, and the people who live along them.
Low stress bike routes through neighborhoods are good, but they also typically take longer to travel. When I am in a hurry to get somewhere on a bike, I want the direct route. So bike lanes on this street make sense. The neighborhood route through the Capitol neighborhood is circuitous.
Wednesday, November 19, 2025 Report this
Daisylee
I live on Capitol Way and anything that you can do to make it safer is certainly appreciated. The curve toward the bridge is certainly one that many people...who do not follow the speed limit...like to believe they are on 101 heading toward who knows where. I cannot believe the speed on this street!
Wednesday, November 19, 2025 Report this
JoanneMc
At one time the speed limit on Capitol Way (25mph) was rigorously enforced by both OPD and WSP. This was an effective deterrent, but is apparently no longer a priority. As a South Capitol neighborhood resident for the last several decades, I've observed the steady increase of speeding vehicles, along with a lack of enforcement. IMHO, the proposed changes to Capitol Way will not increase safety; steady and regular enforcement of the speed limit would be a much more cost effective approach to solving this problem. Rather than disrupt traffic during years of construction, why not spend the time and money repairing sidewalks in the neighborhood, to allow greater safety and walkability for pedestrians?
Wednesday, November 19, 2025 Report this
BillSpencer
Most of the 14 million spent on this will go to repaving the road. The road is dangerous and noisy. The speed limit is 25 but the highway like design of the road makes it comfortable to drive along it at 40. That is, until you reach the big curve by the bridge over I-5. There have been multiple crashes in this location. The project will add buffered bike lanes, a central turn lane, and crosswalk upgrades, making it safer for people to walk to work or school. It seems to me like the only people complaining about this project are people that live outside of the area, and use Capitol to drive in to downtown. The I-5 was build almost 70 years ago for that exact purpose and there are convenient exits off of the freeway that will take you downtown quickly.
Wednesday, November 19, 2025 Report this
Wesley
I live downtown, right at the North end of the project, and definitely complaining about it.
Thursday, November 20, 2025 Report this