Opinion: Ban Cars From South Lake Union in Seattle

A Seattle Times columnist says it's time to ban cars from the congested and dangerous South Lake Union street.

1 minute read

March 22, 2018, 12:00 PM PDT

By Casey Brazeal @northandclark


South Lake Union

Robert Scheuerman / Wikimedia Commons

The South Lake Union streetcar is slow and likely to get slower, Danny Westneat argues in the Seattle Times. "It ding-dings 15 hours a day through the hottest job center in the nation, yet it’s gotten so slow it carries 20 percent fewer riders today than it did six years ago," he writes. There have been some proposals to make streetcar-only lanes for sections of the trip, but Westneat says this doesn't go far enough. He argues that cars should be banned from South Lake Union.

The influx of commuters into the area has come from the growth of Amazon, "… seriously: Seattle’s glittering new neighborhood has grown so fast it’s choking on itself," Westneat writes. The streetcar is not just slow, it's unsafe. "The car and pedestrian interactions have become so comically dangerous that a recent time-lapse video of the mayhem made by an Amazon engineer from his office window made the news," Westneat reports.

Westneat takes this pro-streetcar stance without referencing the precedent for a very similar course of action currently on display on King Street in Toronto, where automobile traffic was limited to benefit streetcar service.

Wednesday, March 21, 2018 in The Seattle Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Interior of Place Versailles mall in Montreal, Canada.

Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units

Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.

May 22, 2025 - CBC

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 28, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

AI-generated image of high-speed rail trail in elevated track in green hilly farmland.

Four Reasons Urban Planners Can’t Ignore AI

It’s no longer a question of whether AI will shape planning, but how. That how is up to us.

May 28, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

Aerial view of Bend, Oregon.

Bend, Deschutes County Move to Restrict Major Homeless Encampment

City and county officials are closing off portions of an area known as Juniper Ridge where many unhoused residents find shelter, hoping to direct people to housing and supportive services.

May 30 - The Bulletin

Metro rail station in Mariachi Plaza with colorful glass pavilion in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, California.

High Housing Costs Driving Down Transit Ridership in LA

When neighborhoods gentrify and displace lower-income residents, transit ridership suffers, new research shows.

May 30 - CALmatters

Des Moines, Iowa skyline viewed from a plaza with two flags on either side at dusk.

Iowa Legalizes Accessory Dwelling Units

A new law will allow property owners to build ADUs on single-family lots starting on July 1.

May 30 - Smart Cities Dive

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.