Pike Place Market a step closer to limiting cars

It's a decades old debate. Should car traffic be banned at Pike Place Market? Folks who want to the cars gone are one step closer to getting their wish.

SEATTLE - It's a decades-old debate – should car traffic be banned at Seattle's Pike Place Market?

People who want the market's streets to have fewer vehicles are one step closer to getting their wish.

On Tuesday, the Seattle City Council approved an evaluation under the Transportation Plan to determine whether some streets through Pike Place Market should remain pedestrian-only instead of open to vehicle traffic.

The plan was a comprehensive 20-year vision for the city's streets, sidewalks and public spaces. It was sponsored by Seattle City Council member Rob Saka of District 1, Chair of the Transportation Committee, the plan represents the culmination of a collaborative effort involving the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), the Mayor’s Office and the Council over the past two years.

People walk past the Pike Place Market, Seattle's top tourist destination on March 09, 2022, in Seattle, Wash. (John Moore/Getty Images)

That plan also included an amendment sponsored by District 7 Seattle City Councilmember Bob Kettle, who came out against the plan, arguing vehicle access needs to be preserved, especially for delivery drivers.

"I am proud to have sponsored this amendment that will bring SDOT, Pike Place Market PDA, Pike Place Historical Commission, and others into the same conversation. It creates a process for evaluating the future uses of Pike Place that ensures everyone has a seat at the table – from its residents, vendors, and visitors to first responders," said Councilmember Kettle. "This project will evaluate the functions, needs, and users of Pike Place to balance the continued multiple uses of the street such as emergency access, deliveries and logistics, and public use. This review will be led with the Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority and this review will include Council district representation, public safety, and other community stakeholders."

What will the Seattle Transportation Plan do?

The Seattle Transportation Plan aims to address safety, equity, sustainability, mobility and economic vitality, livability and maintenance and modernization.

Key objectives include preserving and modernizing aging infrastructure, increasing sidewalk access, reducing traffic fatalities and injuries and minimizing greenhouse gas emissions.

The plan outlines more than 81 projects to be pursued over the next two decades, with a focus on improving transportation infrastructure across the city.

While the plan does not include specific funding, it will guide future funding decisions, including those related to the proposed Transportation Levy renewal.

What's next?

SDOT is tasked with developing an implementation strategy by September 2025, considering available funding sources, including the potential renewal of the Transportation Levy.

Mayor Bruce Harrell's proposal for the Transportation Levy renewal is anticipated to be formally transmitted in the coming weeks. The Council’s Select Committee on the 2024 Transportation Levy is scheduled to convene for the first time on May 7 to consider the proposal.