On Saturday, October 2, the John Lewis Memorial Bridge (Northgate Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge) officially opened to people walking, rolling, and biking! We were pleased to welcome more than 1,000 community members to join the celebration. Take a look at photos of the event here.
Update – October 27, 2021: Check out our new video on YouTube highlighting the John Lewis Memorial Bridge. The video provides a brief overview of the bridge’s features and benefits, public engagement during project planning and design, and remarks from local community members who have enjoyed using the bridge since it opened earlier this month. Thank you!
See a video of the event here.
Read more about the naming of the John Lewis Memorial Bridge.
We saw people enjoying the bridge on bikes, in strollers, on scooters, using wheelchairs and walking.
The community, neighbors, and partners heard comments from Sam Zimbabwe, Director of the Seattle Department of Transportation; Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan; Peter Rogoff, CEO of Sound Transit; City of Seattle Councilmember Debora Juarez; Sharon Nyree Williams, storyteller and artist; Dr. Chemene Crawford, President of North Seattle College; Former King County Councilmember Larry Gossett; Rep. Gerry Pollet, D-46, North Seattle; Roger Millar, Secretary of Transportation, WSDOT; and Lee Lambert, Executive Director at Cascade Bicycle Club.
Sharon Nyree Williams, storyteller and artist. 
Dr. Chemene Crawford, President of North Seattle College.
City of Seattle Councilmember Debora Juarez. 
Mayor Jenny Durkan.
We were also joined by many community groups and partners, including Cascade Bicycle Club, Feet First, Licton Springs Community Council, and Seattle Neighborhood Greenways, who have been instrumental throughout the project.
“The John Lewis Memorial Bridge is part of our larger effort to help knit together a community historically divided by I-5. People can now safely walk, bike and roll across the John Lewis Memorial Bridge to head to school, work and the new Northgate Station serving Link light rail. This is all thanks to our transportation funding and community partners, community leaders and the Seattle voters who saw the importance of this project in North Seattle.”
Sam Zimbabwe, Director, Seattle Department of Transportation
“The John Lewis Memorial Bridge is one part of a comprehensive plan to build a community network that meets the diverse needs of our growing communities. Through the bridge and the new Northgate Link light rail station, we are making it easier to access the thriving hub of educational opportunities at North Seattle College, new housing, medical and social services, and the newly opened Seattle Kraken Community Iceplex.”
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan
“Classes started on Monday, just days before the bridge opening. We’re excited for our students and employees to have an easier commute to campus this fall. We hope our location and the resources North Seattle College offers, like our bachelor’s degrees, new Fire Science program, and certificate programs, will be more visible and accessible to the community.”
Chemene Crawford, Ed.D. President, North Seattle College
“This bridge was built on a foundation with one goal in mind: bringing people together. This new infrastructure will transform much more than commutes – it will transform the lives of North Seattle College students heading to class, families visiting the Kraken Iceplex, and seniors who cannot drive but still want to move about the city. Today we welcome a new era of prosperity for the North End with a commitment to livability, equity, and vitality.
“The John Lewis Memorial Bridge is a celebration of his life. Representative Lewis spent three decades building bridges, working across the aisle with folks with whom he shared fundamentally different beliefs while never losing sight of his life’s mission – civil rights for all. Lewis taught a nation where real courage comes from, leading with light, not darkness and division.
“When we name something, we are showing the truth of our history. Lewis represented the greatest of our city’s values, and with this bridge, we instill those values in the next generation of those walking, biking, and rolling across. Lewis taught a nation that when we fight for our democracy with joy, determination, and unity, we are limitless.“
Councilmember Debora Juarez
“The opening of Northgate Link opens up new educational and employment opportunities for residents throughout the region. We were glad to invest $10 million in this bridge because we want to make Link light rail as convenient and safe as possible for everyone to access those opportunities.”
Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff
Thank you to everyone who crossed the bridge, took photos, and enjoyed a first trip on the Link light rail from the new Northgate Station. Three new Sound Transit Link light rail stations opened this weekend, too!
Over the weekend, the new U District Station, Roosevelt Station, and the Northgate Stations all opened. Three transportation agencies – including Sound Transit, King County Metro, and us – as well as our many partners – have been working together to make Seattle’s transportation system perform well with the opening of these new stations. Take a look at the connections we are working together to make across North Seattle.