SDOT Advances Upgrades for SoDo's Fourth Avenue To Handle Busway Closure

Seattle Department of Transportation is upgrading Fourth Avenue in SoDo to handle increased bus traffic when Sound Transit builds the West Seattle light rail line. SDOT received nearly $3 million in state grant funding to add traffic signals at S Walker and S Forest streets, expand sidewalks, and improve lighting and landscaping. Bus traffic on Fourth Avenue is expected to jump from 12 buses per hour to 60 once the current SoDo busway closes for light rail construction, potentially starting fall 2026.