'Vastly more walkable': Seattle's Pike Place Market tests car ban [View all]

It’s a time of big changes for Seattle’s Pike Place Market.

Last month, after decades of debate, the Market announced the test run of a ban on some types of cars. Vehicles needed for vendor deliveries, emergencies and some customer pickups are still allowed, as are cars with disability parking permits. But the tourist vehicles that once crawled through summer crowds at the pace of a burrowing geoduck are now banned.

The vehicle restriction marks a new era for the century-old institution, following the opening of several new and revitalized public areas local leaders hope will make the neighborhood more connected than ever — and more inviting to the local residents.

“A stroll on Pike Place is different than it has been,” said Rachel Ligtenberg, executive director of the Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority. “If we’re doing things well and we’re doing things right, it will really feel like there’s even more reason for our local community to spend more time in the Market.”

https://www.cascadepbs.org/politics/2025/05/vastly-more-walkable-seattles-pike-place-market-tests-car-ban