Shaping the future of how people walk, bike, and move through Downtown Lakewood, together. Your input helps us build a safer, more connected city center.
Planning for Safer, more Connected Streets
The Lakewood Downtown Transportation Feasibility Study is an implementation-focused effort to evaluate multimodal transportation options within the downtown core. Building directly on the City’s adopted Downtown Subarea Plan, associated environmental review, and prior community engagement, this study advances the transition from long-range vision to evaluating actionable infrastructure strategies.
The Downtown Subarea Plan established the framework for a vibrant, mixed-use urban center and identified the need for a safer, more connected transportation network. This study represents the next step by identifying priority corridors, assessing existing conditions, and developing feasible alternatives to improve safety and accessibility for people walking, biking, driving and using transit.
The study is not intended to revisit the broader land use vision, recently updated in 2025. It is also not final design or authorization to construct improvements. Our goal is to identify safety concerns, evaluate transportation gaps, and develop actionable, conceptual designs that prioritize multimodal safety and walkability.
This effort is funded through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program and administered by WSDOT Local Programs.
Downtown Lakewood is home to diverse residents, small businesses, and regional transit connections. This study will help the City make informed, community-driven investments that reduce crashes, close gaps in the bike and pedestrian network, and support a vibrant downtown for everyone.
As Lakewood grows, our downtown street grid must serve a wide variety of users safely and efficiently. This study will focus on:
- Multimodal Safety: Enhancing pedestrian safety, walkability, and ADA accessibility.
- Connectivity: Identifying gaps and barriers to active transportation (walking, biking, rolling) and transit use.
- The “Green Street Loop”: Evaluating the feasibility of conceptual designs (like the Green Street Loop) to make our commercial core more inviting.
- Implementation Strategy: Developing a prioritized Local Road Safety Plan (LRSP) and exploring funding options to turn these concepts into reality over time.
This feasibility study is anticipated to be completed by August 2027 and is broken into four phases:
Phase 1:
Project Initiation & Existing Conditions
Complete
Phase 2:
Community Engagement — Alternatives Development
In Progress
Phase 3:
Concept Design & Analysis
Upcoming
Phase 4:
Implementation Plan & Final Report
Upcoming
Community input is essential to understanding the daily realities of traveling through downtown Lakewood. We want to hear from residents, local business owners, commuters, and visitors.
Community Survey
An online survey was conducted between June 3-23, 2026. The project team received valuable feedback on how people travel through downtown today, where they experience safety concerns and which improvements matter most. Thank you to everyone who took the time to participate. Survey results are informing the next phase of the project, including the development of draft alternatives for future public input at upcoming Open House. A summary of the survey results is included in the July 20, 2026 City Council Meeting presentation linked below under Study Documents.
Public Open House
Attend an in-person or online open house to learn about alternatives being considered. Review concepts, ask questions, and provide feedback before a preferred alternative is selected.
Live Open House October 13th from 6:00 – 8:00 pm at Lakewood City Hall
Online Open House from October 12 – 18. Return here for link!
Ad hoc Taskforces
Ad-hoc taskforces of community members, business owners, and civic organizations will assist in this effort.Ad-hoc taskforces of community members, business owners, and civic organizations will assist in this effort. Three groups have been formed and are meeting to learn about the project, provide targeted input, and advise the project team as recommendations are brought forward. Specific focus areas for each group are listed below:
- Community & Cultural Integration: Engage respective youth and ethnic groups within the city and provide input on Local Road Safety Plan recommendations and street design alternatives to ensure the study reflects the diverse identity of Lakewood.
- Multimodal & Active Transportation: Provide input on the benefits, needs, and options for the Green Street Loop, ADA accessibility, transit integration, and pedestrian safety elements identified in the Local Road Safety Plan.
- Economic & Strategic Implementation: Focus on property and business owner impacts from right-of-way changes, explore alternative funding options, and provide input on the Strategic Implementation Plan.
Request a Presentation
Staff are available to meet with residents, stakeholders, interested parties and agencies. Please reach out to Angie Silva at [email protected] to schedule.
July 20, 2026 City Council Meeting: Survey Results, Preliminary Crash Data & Alternative Bookends
July 29, 2026 Planning Commission Meeting: Project Overview & Status Update
Do you have questions about the feasibility study? Reach out to the project team:
- Angie Silva, Assistant Director, Planning & Public Works
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: 253-983-7839
The City of Lakewood, Washington, in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. § 2000d et seq.) and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s implementing regulations (49 CFR Part 21), hereby gives assurance that no person shall, on the grounds of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. Consistent with Title VI requirements, the City will take reasonable steps to ensure meaningful access to participation for individuals with Limited English Proficiency (LEP), as well as for persons with disabilities. Reasonable accommodation, translation, and interpretation services will be made available upon request. Please contact Angie Silva at [email protected] or 253-983-7839.
The City of Lakewood is committed to ensuring that this project and all associated public engagement activities are accessible to people with disabilities, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. As a recipient of federal funding, the City and its consultants are required to ensure non-discrimination in all programs and activities.
Requesting accommodation:
To request accommodation, please contact the project team:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 253-983-7839
Mailing address: City of Lakewood Planning & Public Works, 6000 Main Street SW, Lakewood, WA 98499