By: Zack Howard
When we asked for feedback on improvements to State Route 99 between South 272nd and SR 516, the community responded in a big way. Your input helped shape the long-term vision for this project. We are grateful for your ideas and excited to share how they are influencing our work.
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| Project Vicinity Map |
Establishing the long-term vision while pushing for near-term change
Our goal is to build “Complete Streets.” These are roads designed for everyone, including pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit users. While the lack of available funding means we can’t build the SR 99 long-term vision preferred by the community, we do have funding for some bicycle and pedestrian improvements. These improvements will help make the road feel less stressful and more welcoming while we wait for the opportunity and funding to put the bigger vision in place.
Below, we’ll discuss both the deferred long-term vision and the near-term improvements we plan to implement, as well as the role the community played in helping us make these decisions.
Reaching the Community
Our online open house and survey ran from September 30 through November 8, 2025. Here is how we connected.
- 763 people visited the project website.
- 179 people completed the survey.
- 19,000 postcards were mailed to residents and businesses.
- Multiple Languages: The survey was available in English, Punjabi, Somali, Spanish, and Ukrainian.
What we heard and how it informs the corridor vision
How People Travel Today
Most people who took our survey said they don’t regularly walk, bike, or roll along this part of SR 99. About half said they rarely or never do. However, many people said they would walk or bike more often if the roads were improved.
This matches common travel patterns. People are more likely to use active transportation like biking if there are sidewalks and bike lanes. People feel more comfortable when those features are easy to access.
Why This Corridor Matters
People use this stretch of SR 99 in their everyday lives. Many respondents live nearby and travel along the corridor to shop, visit restaurants, attend appointments, commute to work or school, recreate and visit friends and family. The corridor functions as both a destination and a key regional route.
Safety Is the Top Priority
When we asked about long-term goals, one theme stood out: people want to move through this area with greater confidence.
The most common priorities included:
- Better lighting and visibility
- Support for drivers
- Improvements for people walking, biking, and rolling
- Safety and visibility in crosswalks
What Improvements People Want to See
When it comes to specific features, high-visibility crossings were the clear favorite. Other commonly supported improvements included:
- Separated paths and bike lanes
- Pedestrian refuge islands
- Wider sidewalks
Some community members also suggested additional lighting, speed-control measures, and other safety-focused upgrades.
Where Improvements Are Needed Most
Respondents highlighted several key locations for improvement, including:
- The intersection at South 272nd Street and SR 99
- Kent Des Moines Road/SR 516 and SR 99
- Areas between South 240th Street and South 252nd Street
Some people said the entire corridor could benefit from improvements, while others pointed to specific intersections, bus stops or businesses.
Everyday Destinations Along the Corridor
Many of the places people visit most often are everyday spots like grocery stores, shops, restaurants, the library, and Highline College. This shows how important it is to have reliable ways to get around on foot or by bike for daily needs.
How community feedback informed the recommended corridor vision
Your feedback on what you need and what you prefer directly guided our team’s decisions. Based on what we heard, we chose Alternative 2 as the preferred long-term vision for this area.
Right now, we have enough funding to pave the road and make some immediate improvements, but we do not yet have enough for the full Alternative 2 design. We will need to wait for additional funding before we can implement this design. When that time comes, we will return to the community. We want to make sure the plan still meets the needs of everyone who relies on SR 99. We are committed to keeping you informed every step of the way.
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| The selected preferred alternative, Alternative 2. |
In the meantime, WSDOT has worked with the City of Kent to identify near-term improvements – additions that include:
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| Truck aprons – mountable curbs that let trucks execute wider turns but give pedestrians visibility as they approach the crosswalk |
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| Enhanced driveways – breaking up wider driveways to decrease crossing time for pedestrians and reduce conflicts with turning vehicles |
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| Speed cushions – slowing turning traffic to increase awareness of crossing movements. |
If you’d like to learn more about the online open house, the feedback we received, and how these decisions were made, read the full summary on our project webpage: Online Open House Summary
Next steps
Construction is currently scheduled to begin in summer 2026 to pave SR 99, upgrade ADA ramps, and construct improvements that can be implemented during the paving and ADA construction. These improvements include lane narrowing, speed cushions, truck aprons and enhanced driveways. Right now, funding is available for the near-term work. Additional funding will be needed before the full preferred long-term vision can be built.
As we move into construction, we’ll continue engaging with the community and coordinating closely with our agency partners. Your input remains an important part of how this project moves forward.
Learn more and stay informed
We are committed to transparency throughout this process, and your feedback and voice make a difference. Thanks for helping to make this community-driven.
Project webpage
Visit the project page for the latest updates, detailed information and recordings/presentations from our Advisory Group meetings.
Email updates: Sign up for news and study updates.
Contact Info
Amber Stanley - Community Engagement Lead
Phone: 206-817-8833
Email: amber.stanley@wsdot.wa.gov
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