Pike Place Market restricts car access in new pilot
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The entrance to Pike Place Market at First Avenue and Pike Street will be closed to most cars from 8am to 6pm. Photo: Melissa Santos/Axios
Starting Wednesday, most vehicles will no longer be able to drive through the heart of Pike Place Market during the daytime — part of a temporary experiment restricting car traffic at the busy Seattle tourist attraction.
Why it matters: For years, some Seattle residents and politicians have sought to limit driving on the street through the famous market, noting the danger of collisions between cars and pedestrians (which have been known to happen).
Zoom in: The new policy will restrict rideshare vehicles and general visitor traffic from entering the market at First Avenue and Pike Street from 8am-6pm, the Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority said in a news release.
- During those hours, commercial delivery vehicles will still be allowed to enter and drive along Pike Place, the main thoroughfare that runs through the market, the market authority said.
- So will emergency vehicles and ADA-permitted vehicles.
- Business loading and unloading will still be allowed, as will customer curbside pickups for orders made in advance.
How it works: Beginning Wednesday, flaggers will be posted at the market entrance at First Avenue and Pike Street from 8am to 6pm to help enforce the limited access rules.
- From 6am to 6pm, no long-term parking will be allowed on Pike Place from Pike Street to Virginia Street, except for ADA-permitted vehicles, according to the market authority's website.
- Overnight parking along Pike Place will be banned from 2am to 6am.
What they're saying: The changes "will make it more inviting and comfortable than ever for residents and visitors to walk around our cherished Pike Place Market," Mayor Bruce Harrell said in a written statement.
Between the lines: The new traffic rules coincide with construction that has narrowed the walkable area through the market — particularly at the corner of Stewart Street, where Public Utilities is reinstalling cobblestone and historic bricks after completing a sewer repair project.
- That construction is expected to conclude around the end of July.
Yes, but: "There's no set end date" for the pilot project that limits car traffic in the area, Madison Douglas, spokesperson for the Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority (PDA), told Axios.
- "We're using this time to test and learn," Douglas wrote in an email.
- "The PDA and our partners are working together to develop a comprehensive street management plan based on what proves effective — and what doesn't."
What's next: By the end of the year, market officials hope to have "a clear roadmap" for how to move forward, Douglas said.
- Visitors can still access the market's on-site parking garage, including by driving down Lenora Street onto Western Avenue, the authority notes.