Seattle, WA

Seattle residents push for a car-less Pike Place Market

Published

2 years ago

May 10, 2023

Seattle residents push for a car-less Pike Place Market

Cars cluttering Pike Place Market could be eradicated if one non-profit organization — Seattle Greenways — has its way.

Seattle Greenways spokesperson Gordon Padelford stated the organization aims to improve street safety and accessibility, and wishes street cafes — where small businesses spill out into the streets without the dangers of vehicle traffic — could replace the space vehicles and curb parking currently occupy amid one of Seattle’s most popular tourist attractions.

According to Padelford, the organization polled over 600 likely Seattle residents in 2021, with more than 80% in favor of a pedestrianized Pike Place Market.

‘Let’s turn this thing into a party’: Should Pike Place Market become car-free zone?

“The mayor is talking about a downtown activation plan, how to get people to come back downtown and create a welcoming neighborhood,” Padelford told KIRO Newsradio. “And no matter who you talk to, this is always at the top of people’s wish list for that kind of vision. And the good news is, there are really some win-win opportunities for allowing loading and deliveries and emergency vehicles and construction vehicles to access Pike Place while still closing it.”

Earlier this year, construction began on a project expanding bike and sidewalk accessibility along Pike and Pine streets, making them one-way between the waterfront and Bellevue Ave. The project is estimated to cost $17.5 million.

Padelford claimed removing cars from the cobblestone tourist market would be easy.

“Seattle has a tendency to exhaust everyone through endless processes and procedures, and this is one of those opportunities that you don’t need millions of dollars, you just need a handful of cones, maybe some tables and chairs, and you can try out some different options that might work for everyone,” Padelford said. “And if it doesn’t work, you can always change it, or you can take it out entirely. I think the way forward is to have the mayor say, we’re going to try something bold here in this downtown activation plan that people have been wanting for decades.”

The Pike Place Market Preservation & Development Authority (PDA) is actively working with both council members and the mayor’s office on current priorities for Pike Place and future planning, including the possibility of making the area a car-less zone. The PDA, which operates the market, is a non-profit public corporation that was chartered as a result of Seattle voting to save the market from urban development back in 1971.

Cherry trees in front of Pike Place Market are gone

“Everyone involved understands Pike Place is a complex operational ecosystem and needs to be addressed in a way that supports the market’s small businesses,” a spokesperson with PDA wrote in a written statement. “At this moment, the market has endured two years of the COVID pandemic and is entering year three with ongoing challenges. Our market community is still actively recovering and rebuilding. Right now, the PDA’s No. 1 focus is supporting our small businesses, which has been our priority since the pandemic began.”

At the beginning of May, Amazon requested its corporate employees to spend at least three days a week working from the office, according to a memo CEO Andy Jassy shared with Amazon employees. It has immediately translated to increased traffic and congestion both on the streets and in stores.

People around Seattle’s South Lake Union Amazon campus have noted their commutes are getting longer — alongside their lunch lines.

“I see a lot of traffic, it’s backed up from around 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.,” one Amazon employee told KIRO Newsradio.

“Even though it’s only like two miles, it took close to 20 minutes to get here,” another employee said.

The Downtown Seattle Association told KIRO 7 they expect more businesses to start calling employees back to the office, following Amazon’s footsteps.

More from Micki Gamez: Light Rail returns to normal service as crews finish repairing hole

“The idea of closing Pike Place is a concern felt broadly around the Market, particularly by those that work and reside here,” PDA’s spokesperson said. “For them, the street is a lifeline; it is how they operate every day and have been for decades. Altering that flow at such a delicate time is not in the best interests of our businesses. Once we get to a place of stability, we will discuss ways for Pike Place to function at its fullest potential with the market community at the forefront.”

The PDA is in the midst of developing a master plan, which would evaluate the best use for Pike Place for both merchants and residents, but acknowledged it is still in the early phase with little details or specifics to share.

“It’s essential that we take the proper time and effort to strategize a plan that supports the market’s role in our city forever,” PDA’s spokesperson wrote. “Similarly, within the master plan, any changes to the street will require studying and research. It’s not as simple as opening and closing. The market is a complex place where when you change one thing, it affects so many other things.”

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Seattle, WA

Former Seattle Mariners Star Alex Rodriguez to Stay on Hall of Fame Ballot For Another Year

Published

2 hours ago

January 6, 2025

Press Room

Former Seattle Mariners Star Alex Rodriguez to Stay on Hall of Fame Ballot For Another Year

Former Seattle Mariners star Alex Rodriguez is set to stay on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot for at least another year.

While it’s unlikely that A-Rod gets into the Hall of Fame this year, he has enough votes to take another run in 2026.

Thus far, according to the Baseball Hall of Fame tracker, Rodriguez has gotten 47 votes out of 104 ballots. He would need to appear on 244 more ballots to get in this year, which seems like a tall task.

It’s unknown if Rodriguez will ever get in, given his admission of performance-enhancing drug use, but he continues to hang around the conversation.

Drafted No. 1 overall in the 1993 MLB Draft, Rodriguez made his debut with the Mariners in 1994, staying through the 2000 season. He made the All-Star team four times with the Mariners and won a batting title in 1996. He also hit 42 homers and stole 46 bases in an incredible 1999 season. He helped the Mariners to the playoffs in the 1995, 1997 and 2000 seasons. The M’s got to the ALCS in that 2000 season, taking the New York Yankees to six games. He also played for the Yankees and Texas Rangers.

In addition to Rodriguez, former Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki is essentially a lock for the Hall of Fame. He’s currently on 100 percent of the ballots. Felix Hernandez is currently on 26 percent and Omar Vizquel is on 14.4 percent.

The Mariners have two true representatives in the Hall of Fame: Ken Griffey Jr. and Edgar Martinez. Other players like Adrian Beltre and Randy Johnson spent significant time in Seattle but are representing other teams in Cooperstown.

You can follow the tracking here.

Continue to follow our Inside the Mariners coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following Teren Kowatsch and Brady Farkas on “X” @Teren_Kowatsch and @wdevradiobrady. You can subscribe to the “Refuse to Lose” podcast by clicking HERE.

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Seattle, WA

NFC Playoff Picture: Seahawks impact Wild Card schedule with win over Rams

Published

9 hours ago

January 6, 2025

Press Room

NFC Playoff Picture: Seahawks impact Wild Card schedule with win over Rams

While the Los Angeles Rams might have rested several of their key starters and limited the snap counts of those who did play against the Seattle Seahawks, you certainly can’t accuse them of not making a concerted effort to still win the game.

The Seahawks had to make a late red zone stand to win 30-25 in their season finale. Even if the Rams didn’t treat this game with the utmost importance in terms of playoff seeding, it did impact who they’ll play and potentially their road to the Super Bowl.

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers winning the NFC South earlier in the day, the Rams needed to win to remain the No. 3 seed or else they’d drop to No. 4. That’s the difference between playing the Washington Commanders and the NFC North runner-up Minnesota Vikings, whom the Rams did defeat on a Thursday night back in October.

Seattle’s win has set up a Rams vs. Vikings rematch for next Monday night, while the Buccaneers will rematch the Commanders on Sunday night.

The Rams dropping to No. 4 means that unless the No. 2 seed Philadelphia Eagles and No. 3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers both lose next weekend, the Rams would have to go on the road for the NFC Divisional Round. As a No. 3 seed, the Rams would’ve only needed a Green Bay Packers win over the Eagles to snag a second home game, much in the way the Detroit Lions did last season when the Packers thrashed the No. 2 seed Dallas Cowboys.

Maybe, just maybe, the Seahawks sent the Rams to a more difficult path for a Super Bowl run… or even to get out of the opening weekend. If Minnesota sends the Rams packing, I think we’d be all happy with giving LA a tougher matchup.

While you’re here, check out the full Wild Card schedule for next week.

Saturday, Jan. 11

No. 5 Los Angeles Chargers at No. 4 Houston Texans, 1:30 PM PT on CBS, Paramount+

No. 6 Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 3 Baltimore Ravens, 5 PM PT on Prime Video

Sunday, Jan. 12

No. 7 Denver Broncos at No. 2 Buffalo Bills, 10 am PT on CBS, Paramount+

No. 7 Green Bay Packers at No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles, 1:30 PM PT on FOX

No. 6 Washington Commanders at No. 3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 5 PM PT on NBC, Peacock

Monday, Jan. 13

No.5 Minnesota Vikings at No. 4 Los Angeles Rams, 5 PM PT on ESPN/ABC

Byes: Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions

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Seattle, WA

Who the Seattle Seahawks will be playing in the 2025 regular season

Published

17 hours ago

January 5, 2025

Press Room

Who the Seattle Seahawks will be playing in the 2025 regular season

The Detroit Lions beat the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football to wrap up the NFC North and the No. 1 overall seed. It also means that the Vikings will not only be on the road as a 14-3 team playing in the Wild Card against the Los Angeles Rams next Monday night, but they’ll be returning to Lumen Field to play the Seattle Seahawks in the 2025 regular season.

Game 272 was the final piece of the puzzle for the Seahawks’ 2025 opponents list. Whichever of the Vikings or Lions finished second in the NFC North would be headed to Seattle next season. While it would’ve been cool to see the Lions finally play at Lumen Field again after three straight Seahawks-Lions meetings in Detroit, it’s not happening.

The schedule is formulaic, which means the NFC West will play the whole of the AFC and NFC South, as well as the same-placed opposition from the NFC North (home), NFC East (away), and AFC North (away). Next season will be the AFC’s turn to get an extra home game, so the Seahawks will have nine away trips.

Home

Los Angeles Rams (10-7)

Arizona Cardinals (8-9)

San Francisco 49ers (6-11)

New Orleans Saints (5-12)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7)

Indianapolis Colts (8-9)

Houston Texans (10-7)

Minnesota Vikings (14-3)

Away

Los Angeles Rams (10-7)

Arizona Cardinals (8-9)

San Francisco 49ers (6-11)

Tennessee Titans (3-14)

Jacksonville Jaguars (4-13)

Washington Commanders (12-5)

Atlanta Falcons (8-9)

Carolina Panthers (5-12)

Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)

The early returns on Michael Penix Jr and the late surge by Bryce Young could make the NFC South portion of the schedule much tougher than it looks right now. Never assume the league is so static that the teams that were good/bad now will remain the same the following season.

The NFL regular season schedule will be released at some point in May.

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