City of Sammamish

Senior Project Engineer

Jed Ireland

Project Update

The City of Sammamish is committed to enhancing the Sahalee Way corridor to better serve all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, and drivers. In early 2024, we initiated a comprehensive outreach effort to gather community input on desired improvements for this vital roadway. Over 350 residents shared their ideas and concerns by participating at our April 24, 2024 open house and through an online survey.

Building on this feedback, we developed three alternatives that address both community preferences and technical requirements. This collaborative effort ensures that the proposed solutions are not only practical but also reflective of the community's vision for Sahalee Way. These alternatives shown below were shared with the public at a public Open House on April 24, 2025 and via an online survey.

All alternatives end at NE 37th Way at the north end of the project area. No widening is needed north of NE 37th Way to SR 202 and significant slope stability challenges would make it cost prohibitive to do so.

The images below provide examples of what some of the proposed improvements will look like.

A HAWK beacon (high-intensity activated crosswalk beacon) is a traffic control device used to stop road traffic and allow pedestrians to cross with a pedestrian signal. The HAWK beacon is activated by pedestrians when approaching the crosswalk and stops vehicular traffic only as needed. A red stop light over the roadway indicates vehicles are to stop when the HAWK is activated. The city is proposing five of these in areas with a speed limit of 45 mph in Alternatives A and B.

A RRFB (rectangular rapid flashing beacon) is a traffic control device used to alert drivers of a crossing pedestrian with flashing yellow lights. The RRFB is activated by pedestrians when approaching the crosswalk and flashes only as needed. Yellow flashing lights at each side of the roadway indicate that pedestrians are present when lights are activated. The city is proposing one of these in areas in with a speed limit of 35 mph in all alternatives.

A roundabout is a circular intersection that allows traffic to flow in one direction around an island. Vehicles entering roundabouts yield to vehicles already in the roundabout. Roundabouts are typically safer and move traffic more efficiently than signaled intersections. The city is proposing one roundabout in Alternatives A and B and six in Alternative C.

Next Steps: The project team will present its preferred alternative to City Council in June.

Project Overview

The City of Sammamish is developing potential design alternatives to address non-motorized facilities and roadway improvements along 228^th Avenue NE/Sahalee Way NE between NE 8th Street/NE Inglewood Hill Road and State Route (SR) 202.

Purpose and Need

Purpose: To establish the near- and long-term vision for the 228^th Avenue NE/Sahalee Way NE corridor that is beneficial, actionable, and supported by the Council and public.
Need: Improve 228th Avenue NE/Sahalee Way NE to safely accommodate pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit users in Sammamish through changes to the intersections and corridor between NE 8th Street/NE Inglewood Hill Road and the north city limit.

Project Benefits

Increased safety for bikes, transit riders, and pedestrians
Roadway upgrades, potentially including paving improvements
Improved connections to local trails/amenities, State Route 202, the Sammamish city center, and Redmond’s upcoming light rail transit service
Promotes equitable transportation options for those without access to a personal vehicle
Aligns with Sammamish's climate goals, which aim to close the non-motorized infrastructure gap between Sammamish and Redmond and reduce single-occupancy vehicle usage

Previous Public Involvement

Staff reported to Council at the Study Session on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025 at 6:30 PM. Copies of materials are shown below:

In early 2024, the public was asked for input on potential improvements they would like to see on the Sahalee Way Corridor.

We had a good turnout by the community at our public meeting held at City Hall on April 24, 2024 from 6-8 PM. Materials from that meeting are found below: