People at Pike Place Market on a weekend in February. Photo: SDOT Blog stats: 780 words | 4-minute read
Building on a successful pilot launched in 2025 which added moveable barriers to limit passenger vehicle traffic in the market, the City of Seattle is considering new kinds of temporary barriers to support a safe and secure experience for people and businesses inside Pike Place Market.
We will install the temporary barriers as soon as April to gather data and adjust as needed before Seattle hosts the FIFA Men’s World Cup in June. These new installations will be temporary as we gather further guidance and assess what works best long-term for Pike Place Market.
Now we’re getting a sneak peek at an early design concept.
SDOT presented this rendering at the Market Historical Commission hearing yesterday. It’s an early concept design and could change.
For the World Cup and the remainder of summer, we will use a mix of different kinds of temporary barriers including concrete planters, mobile barricades, and fixed posts, as seen in the rendering. The Pike Place Market historic truck would also continue to provide help with traffic control.
These short-term improvements will help us to learn and plan for future upgrades, which could potentially include more robust forms of adjustable barricades which take longer to build than would be possible before the World Cup, and would make loading easier for businesses.
We appreciate the collaboration with the Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority, Pike Place Market Historical Commission, Seattle Fire Department, Seattle Police Department, market visitors, customers, and businesses.
Pike Place Market is an iconic destination enjoyed by Seattleites and visitors from around the world. We are looking forward to welcoming hundreds of thousands of visitors to Seattle for the FIFA Men’s World Cup this summer, and planning is underway to ensure the Market remains safe and accessible during this exciting and busy time.
We hope that these changes will help benefit market businesses by continuing to make Pike Place a welcoming space for people to shop, eat, and explore the joys of the Market. We were careful to design these improvements in a way that continues to support the businesses’ needs for loading and delivery.
Getting to Pike Place Market
Public transportation is a great way to get to the Market and enjoy all that this iconic Seattle landmark has to offer.
Anyone 18 and younger rides local buses, streetcars, Link light rail, and ferries for free and discounted fares are available for adults who are eligible.
You can explore all your travel options on FlipYourTrip.org, but here are a few at a glance:
- Streetcar: The South Lake Union line travels between South Lake Union and Westlake, just a few blocks from Pike Place Market.
- Shared bikes and scooters: Seattle’s bike and scooter share program hit a record-breaking 10 million rides last year. During that same time, we added and upgraded more than 13 miles of protected bike lanes to improve safety and connectivity. Please remember to always wear a helmet, stay off sidewalks, and park out of the way at the end of your ride.
- If you see a designated parking spot, please use it. We’re adding more than 200 of them downtown ahead of FIFA!
- You can find parking corrals nearby on 1st Ave and Pike St (at the southeast corner) and 1st Ave and Stewart St (the northeast and southeast corners).
- There are bike racks at Western Ave and Virginia St.
- Bus: The Market is just a few blocks from Seattle’s central bus corridor, 3rd Avenue. Our friends at King County Metro, which operates many buses and other transit services in Seattle, have a helpful Metro Trip Planner tool.
- Light Rail: The Market is close to two light rail stations: Symphony Station and Westlake Station. Sound Transit, which manages the Link light rail system, Sounder Trains, and ST Express bus service, also has a handy trip planner tool.
- Ferries and water taxis: The Market is a short stroll or roll from the Seattle Ferry Terminal with boats to Bainbridge and Vashon Islands, West Seattle, Kingston, Bremerton, and other Kitsap County destinations. Leave your car behind and set sail.
The video below has a general overview of your transportation options, and we have a Getting Around Seattle by Transit playlist on YouTube with short “how to” videos that cover the basics.
Do you have questions about how to get around Seattle? Email us at get.social@seattle.gov and we may turn your question into our next video or blog post.
Please stay tuned to our SDOT social media channels for additional updates and thank you for your interest.