Big changes are taking the wheel in Seattle as a four-block section of Pine St gears up for a permanent switch to one-way traffic from Melrose to 8th avenues, targeting a start date as early as March 9, Seattle Department of Transportation's blog announced. This move is part of the larger initiative to transition Pike and Pine streets to one-way roads between 1st and Bellevue/Melrose avenues, continuing the efforts to transform downtown Seattle.
With the eastbound vehicle lane on Pine St soon closing to traffic, city planners bet on a friendlier downtown area for pedestrians and cyclists, the strategy here, making the streets more accommodating for foot and wheel traffic, the Seattle Department of Transportation's blog detailed plans for protected bike lanes set to echo the one-way street flow, slated for completion later this year—efforts that echo the already completed one-way designation of Pike St last November.
The makeover doesn't stop at traffic flow. Seattle is throwing in some aesthetic perks too. Pine St bridges over I-5 are set for a facelift with wider sidewalks, bike lanes with a protective edge, greenery and art that merges function with form; local artists Derek Bruno and Gage Hamilton will leave their mark with uniquely designed elements like railings with integrated lighting and textured bike buffers, as narrated in the Seattle Department of Transportation release.
Drivers traversing north and south on surrounding avenues such as 8th, 9th, Boren, Minor, and Melrose will find their eastbound paths on Pine St cut off, now having to keep straight or turn west, the goal, a smoother traffic flow and a safer downtown area for those on wheels and foot, according to the city's plans publicized on the Seattle Department of Transportation's blog.
