Lid I-5

This page lists the public funding that has supported the Lid I-5 project in Seattle to-date, including for Downtown and the U District. See related information on public policies.

None of this funding has gone to the Lid I-5 organization, unless otherwise noted. This funding has supported official planning, engineering, studies, and outreach managed by public agencies.

$1,500,000 – United States Department of Transportation, 2025. The U District Partnership applied for funding and received it. The U District Partnership took advantage of unique eligibility opportunity since most federal transportation funding is not available to non-profits. The funding will support a a feasibility study of lidding I-5 in the U District between NE 45t Street and NE 50th Street. This funding comes from the $1 billion Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program, which had three funding years (2023-2025) and was created by President Biden’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. The grant requires a 20% match, which will be met using the Seattle Transportation Levy funding noted below.

$500,000 – Seattle Transportation Levy, 2025-2033. This property tax levy was approved in November 2024 and includes $500,000 for studying the private development of freeway lids in North Seattle, in the areas of NE 45th to 65th Streets and at the future 130th Street light rail station (see the levy spending breakdown, page 8). More broadly, other I-5 lid projects are eligible for levy funding under City Council Resolution 32137 (see page 8).

$2,000,000 – United States Department of Transportation, 2024. Lid I-5 wrote a planning grant application on behalf of the City of Seattle. This funding was provided to the Seattle Office of Planning and Community Development for updating and expanding the 2020 feasibility study for Downtown, including an enlargement of the study area to between Thomas Street and Main Street, updating key assumptions, revisiting economic analyses, conducting additional planning and transportation studies, and robust community engagement. This funding comes from the $3.155 billion Neighborhood Access and Equity program, which had a single funding year (2024) and was created by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. While it was anticipated this grant award would require a 20% match (using the $200,000 in state funding noted below), the match requirement was waived since USDOT concurred with our finding that the study area comprises disadvantaged communities in terms of economy and health.

$200,000 – Washington State Legislature, 2023. This funding was provided to the Seattle Office of Planning and Community Development for updating and expanding the 2020 feasibility study (see the enabling legislation here).

$300,000 – Washington State Legislature, 2023. This funding was provided for the Washington State Department of Transportation complete an I-5 Ramp Reconfiguration Study in Downtown and the U District (see the enabling legislation here). This is part of a larger I-5 Master Plan effort. Read the final report, appendix A, and appendix B.

$1,500,000 – Seattle Convention Center, 2018. This funding was provided to the Seattle Office of Planning and Community Development for a feasibility study of lidding I-5 in Downtown between Madison Street and Denny Way. The study was released in 2020 and can be reviewed here. This funding was part of the $62 million Community Package of public benefits for the Convention Center Addition project that vacated five streets and alleys.

$48,000 – Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, 2017. This supported Lid I-5’s Central Hills Triangle Collaborative program in 2018, a yearlong volunteer design effort that culminated in realistic lid designs, renderings, and a book. The funding required a 50% match that was mostly met with thousands of volunteer hours. Read more details on our website here.