Downtown Seattle Corridor Gets Visioning Treatment

The Downtown Seattle Association has put forth several versions of a vision to transform Third Avenue—a busy corridor that sits at the center of the city's work to update its Transit Master Plan and implement its One Center City framework.

More than 52,000 passengers ride buses along Third Avenue every day. But over the next few years, the opening of the East Link, Lynnwood Link, and Federal Way Link light rail extensions might draw some of those riders away. In anticipation, the Downtown Seattle Association hopes to refocus Third Avenue bus service on connections to rail, as well as to reduce overall street space for both autos and buses (while preserving bus-only lanes) to provide more sidewalk space for retail.

In The Urbanist, Stephen Fesler compares several concepts put forth by the association, analyzing their advantages and drawbacks and including renderings. All proposals consider urban design, public space, activating ground-floor spaces, transportation operations, and long-term public-private management of the corridor. Any adopted plan would likely be phased in through 2035.