Cars or no cars? Pike Place vendors weigh in on closing main street to motor traffic

SEATTLE - Seattle Neighborhood Greenways’ new study found most Pike Place Market vendors were open to the idea of closing the main corridor to vehicle traffic.

Two students from the University of Washington polled 61 individual vendors and businesses in total. Of that group, only five were strongly against eliminating cars.

Bob Messina frequently shops at the market. He thinks produce vendors would be acutely impacted by a blanket ban on vehicles.

"It’s a working market here," said Messina. "They see people pulling up with their cars getting out, coming in and buying vegetables."

From time to time, the market is temporarily closed off to cars but efforts to permanently close the street have failed.

Back in 2021, Seattle City Councilmember Andrew Lewis shared he was in favor of it.

"We've seen the success of café streets during the pandemic; people like having more space to recreate and that's what we can do by closing this spot with exception of course of deliveries," said Lewis.

Gordon Padelford, Executive Director of Seattle Neighborhood Greenways was surprised by the overwhelming open-mindedness of vendors.

"We hope to see quick improvements to make it a better place to walk, sit, and shop as soon as this holiday season," said Padelford.