SDOT Opening Lake Washington Boulevard To Pedestrians, Cyclists

SEATTLE, WA — After taking in community feedback and a successful pilot program in the beginning of June, the Seattle Department of Transportation has announced they'll be closing Lake Washington Boulevard to cars, to allow cyclists and pedestrians to use the street.

The goal is to allow community members to get out and enjoy the summer, while still giving them extra space for safe social distancing. During the closure, barriers will be placed at several intersections nearby, preventing drivers from pulling on to the road via Lake Park Drive, Genessee or Orcas Street. All in all, the closure will look much like the 5-day pilot program from early June, pictured below:

The road will be reserved for pedestrians and cyclists only starting on July 24, and running through at least September 8. At that point, depending on how many neighbors take advantage of the space and on community feedback, they may extend the program through the end of September.

SDOT says community feedback from the earlier pilot program was overwhelmingly positive: about 67 percent of people reportedly told them they enjoyed it, saying it made riding along the lake easier and cut down on traffic noise nearby. SDOT says those who didn't like it mostly expressed concern about extended commutes, traffic diversion and visitors doing bad parking jobs. Despite those concerns, SDOT says overall they believe the program will be a success, pointing to an overall decrease in commute times during the pandemic, and a dramatic increase in cyclists using the space.

The program to keep Lake Washington Boulevard car-free is part of the larger Stay Healthy Streets program that has closed more than 20 miles of Seattle greenways for pedestrian use, to encourage fitness and physical distancing during the pandemic.

Learn more about the Stay Health Streets program at the Seattle Department of Transportation's website here.