Should Seattle get an award for this paved park?

While the Seattle region takes a lot of heat for its transit woes and traffic messes, some are taking note of one project the city did well.

StreetsBlog USA, a website geared toward livable communities and sustainable transit, has put Seattle in the running for an award after the city transformed two difficult First Hill intersections in to paved parks.

Related: Rantz says incompetence makes traffic and closures even worse

StreetsBlog USA reached out to its readers to nominate cities that turned dangerous streets into safe, efficient passageways. It’s all part of the blog’s annual Streetsies awards. Seattle is in the running for Best American Street Redesign of the Year.

Of the six top nominated cities for the award, Seattle is in the running for two projects that turned portions of the roadway into paved parks: one at University, Union and Boylston; and another at University Street and 9th Avenue. Both are in the First Hill neighborhood.

The projects involved taking away part of the right of way for cars, and converting it into a pavement park.

One intersection poses an awkward positioning of Union Street turning into Boylston Avenue, and butting up against University Street at the curve. If that sounds confusing, imagine driving it.

Voting is currently underway on the blog’s page. Seattle is up against street projects in Salt Lake City, New York, Los Angeles, Columbus, and Chicago.

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