City of Olympia, WA

09/08/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/08/2025 11:12

09/08/2025 - 4th Avenue and Plum Street Pedestrian and Bike Improvements

4th Avenue and Plum Street Pedestrian and Bike Improvements
Starting this fall, we will change 4th Avenue between Chestnut and Pear Streets, which was identified as an area of concern in the City's Street Safety Plan. This project will change the intersection of 4th Avenue and Plum Street to make it safer for everyone who uses it, including pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers.

To stay informed about the project, visit olympiawa.gov/news to subscribe to our Construction & Traffic Alerts. Visit olympiawa.gov/4thPlum to learn more.

Planned changes
The graphic above is a conceptual representation of the planned changes. The changes include:
  1. Parking-separated bike lane: The bike lane is separated from traffic by on-street parking stalls and a painted buffer.
  2. Green bike lane: Highlights the zone dedicated to bicyclists and raises awareness of a potential conflict area between drivers and bicyclists.
  3. Fix sidewalks: Repair or replace damaged sidewalks.
  4. Remove turn lane: Remove the dedicated right turn lane to make room for the separated bike lane and curb bulb-outs.
  5. Curb bulb-outs: Reduces pedestrians' crossing distance and their exposure to vehicles.
  6. Signal changes: Add accessible pedestrian signals and prohibit right turns on red.
  7. Green bike crossing: Markings raise driver awareness of a potential conflict area.
  8. Curb ramps: All curb ramps will meet current standards. Upgraded curb ramps make the intersection more accessible for people with disabilities.
Project benefits
  • Makes it safer for pedestrians and bicyclists.
  • Reduces the time pedestrians are exposed to oncoming traffic while crossing 4th Avenue.
  • Raises awareness and visibility of conflicts between drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians.
  • Improves mobility for people who have a wider range of abilities, such as people using wheelchairs.
Project costs
The estimated cost is $1,628,100. We received a $1,269,000 Pedestrian and Bicycle Program grant from the Washington State Department of Transportation for the project.

The 4th Avenue and Plum Street Pedestrian and Bike Improvements Project is supported with funding from Washington's Climate Commitment Act. The CCA supports Washington's climate action efforts by putting cap-and-invest dollars to work reducing climate pollution, creating jobs, and improving public health. Information about the CCA is available at climate.wa.gov.
Contact
Randy Wesselman, Project Manager
Public Works
360.753.8477
[email protected]
City of Olympia, WA published this content on September 08, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 08, 2025 at 17:12 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]