r/Seattle • u/Jaco_Belordi Glorified Hall Monitor • 1d ago
News 'The Ave for All' Transforms U District's Main Thoroughfare
https://www.theurbanist.org/the-ave-for-all-transforms-u-districts-main-thoroughfare/22
u/lambrettist 1d ago
I can’t believe this has always had 90% even in 1971, approval from the community and opposition from businesses. When will we ever learn this? Look at any city that pedestrianized and it’s always the same story. Businesses don’t want it, someone has political will, they do it, all businesses do better and people can’t imagine putting cars back.
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u/externalhouseguest 💗💗 Heart of ANTIFA Land 💗💗 1d ago
I swung by. It was pretty chill! I believe they wanted to do this in the summer as well but it got canceled last second — I’m sure there would have been way more people. But even just seeing the handful of kids playing in the street feels worth it (driving through the Ave already sucks even when it’s not closed to cars).
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u/AnEvilPedestrian 1d ago
I was only able to stop by for a bit at the end but it was great to grab some food and run into people I knew on the street. Hope we see more of this and props to the organizers!
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u/BeltwayBeliver Mann 1d ago
Can we try this on Broadway, Ballard Ave NW, 1st Ave pioneer square, 45th in Wallingford, heck why not Aurora or Lake City or Rainier or MLK or 14th Ave S, or airport way? Streets for All!
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u/MustardNoCreamCheese 1d ago
Why doesn’t someone go ask business owners how much revenue they lost on Oct 10th and 17th and compare that to last month and last year? There’s no point to making it a pedestrian street if the businesses are going to close as a result. Then you’ll just have the unhoused outside of boarded up buildings, be careful what you wish for.
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u/Normal-Occasion4645 🚆build more trains🚆 1d ago
I didn't realize this had gotten rescheduled, I'll have to check it out this upcoming weekend.
Really, pedestrianizing the Ave, especially the blocks directly adjacent to the light rail (42nd to 45th) seems like such a no-brainer. The skinny sidewalks there are always clogged with foot traffic from the University, while hardly anyone drives through there.