Know Before You Go! Limited Vehicle Access on Pike Place
Pike Place Market Wants to Hear Your Voice
As we continue to refine street management operations on Pike Place, we partnered with the Urban Freight Lab on a visitor experience survey to better understand how people access and use the Market. The survey, accepting submissions until May 30, takes 10-15 minutes to complete and can be found here. Your time and input are greatly appreciated!
What You Need to Know About Pike Place (the Street)
The buzz around the state of Pike Place, the street that runs directly through the middle of Pike Place Market, continues as we near the kickoff of the FIFA Men’s World Cup.
Here’s a quick breakdown of how the street will operate this summer:
Vehicle access hours
Enjoy Open Local Access Daily until 10 am
Pike Place remains open to customer vehicles before 10 am and after 5 pm, with 30-minute short-term parking available during those times. Early mornings are the perfect time to drive right up to the source and complete your grocery shopping!
Daily “soft closures” (10 am to 5 pm)
During the busiest hours of the day, Pike Place is closed to most vehicles.
Local access is still allowed, including:
- Deliveries
- ADA access
- Emergency vehicle traffic
- Pre-arranged customer pickups
If you’re picking up an order or accessing a residence or business, connect with the vendor ahead of time to coordinate.
Starting Memorial Day, access will be managed daily by an attendant at 1st Ave and Pike Street.
Full Closures
On especially high-traffic days or during major events, Pike Place may be fully closed to vehicles. These closures are carefully coordinated with SDOT, SPD, and SFD and align with peak crowd levels.
Why We’re Doing This
- Safety is our top priority. With what’s likely to be the busiest summer on record, not just for the Market, but for the entire city of Seattle, we’re focused on keeping visitors, residents, and businesses safe while preserving the Market’s energy and character.
- A better experience benefits everyone. Sales data from 2025 shows:
- 6.5% increase in overall commercial tenant sales over the prior year
- 8.3% increase in same-store sales for the initial pilot period of May through September
- A modest increase in local visitation
- We’re guided by data. Since launching the street management pilot, we’ve placed a heavy emphasis on collecting data to study the results. Our partnership with the Urban Freight Lab will inform future street management decisions.
Getting Here Is Easy
Driving to the Market? The Pike Place Market Parking Garage offers 800+ parking stalls, with entrances on Western Ave and Alaskan Way.
Directions to Parking Garage
Heading Northbound
If you are traveling northbound on 1st Ave, proceed to Lenora St and turn left. Take the next left onto Western Ave and head past Victor Steinbrueck park and straight through the intersection until you see the Pike Place Market Parking sign overhead. Turn right immediately after passing the bridge or continue on to the additional entrance at 1531 Western Avenue just past Madame Lazonga’s Tattoo.
Heading Southbound
If you are traveling southbound on 1st Ave, proceed to Madison St and turn right. At the next light, take a right onto Western Ave. Proceed to either of our parking garage entrances at 1531 Western Avenue or 1901 Western Avenue. Both garage entrances offer direct elevator access to the Market.
From the Waterfront
If you’re heading northbound on Elliott Way, you can enter our garage at 1530 Alaskan Way. Look for the large red banners that say “Pike Place Market Parking” and take a right to enter the garage just before driving under the Overlook Walk promenade. The elevators in the east side of the garage will bring you directly to the Market via the Skybridge.
For more parking and directions information, click below.
Frequently Asked Questions (6)
Where can I find ADA parking?
There are 16 handicapped parking spots located throughout the Pike Place Market Parking Garage at 1531 Western Ave. ADA parking on Pike Place may be accommodated during times of soft closures.
Can I drive on Pike Place?
Only if you are a delivery driver, first responder, or are seeking ADA parking or pre-arranged curb-side pickup. An attendant at 1st Ave. and Pike Street can direct you where you need to go.
Is this a permanent, complete street closure of Pike Place?
No, this is a temporary strategy to reduce non-essential traffic on Pike Place for safety and accessibility reasons. The current plan will be in place until September 2026 and will be revisited to better serve visitors and businesses during the slower winter months.
How is traffic being controlled on Pike Place?
Visitors will find concrete planters and clear signage along all 1st Ave. entrances, deterring non-essential traffic from traveling on Pike Place during soft closures. During full closures, Archer barriers will be deployed, blocking all traffic from entering. These barriers can be moved by PDA staff or first responders to allow emergency vehicle access.
Why am I seeing vehicles still driving down Pike Place?
During soft closures, essential traffic, including deliveries, ADA access, and emergency vehicles, is allowed to drive on the street.
Where do I go to park and access the Market?
View maps at top of page
Heading Southbound: If you are traveling southbound on 1st Ave, proceed to Madison St and turn right. At the next light, take a right onto Western Ave. Proceed to either of our parking garage entrances at 1531 Western Avenue or 1901 Western Avenue. Both garage entrances offer direct elevator access to the Market.
Heading Northbound: If you are traveling northbound on 1st Ave, proceed to Lenora St and turn left. Take the next left onto Western Ave and head past Victor Steinbrueck park and straight through the intersection until you see the Pike Place Market Parking sign on the bridge. Turn right immediately after passing the bridge or continue on to the additional entrance at 1531 Western Avenue just past Madame Lazonga’s Tattoo.
