Traffic
The people who live, work, and commute through Pioneer Square know the ebbs and flows of traffic better than anyone—and is certainly more informed than someone who was hired by the Port to write a traffic report.
Pioneer Square is at the apex of the biggest and most complex traffic interchange in the state. It’s the convergence zone for two interstate freeways, the Highway 99 tunnel, Sounder regional train, light rail tunnel, Amtrak, Metro bus lines, Greyhound, the street car, the ferry system, bike paths and lanes, and pedestrian sidewalks and squares. Whew.
Pioneer Square and SODO are home to a CenturyLink Stadium, which is features the NFL Seahawks, the Sounders Football Club, and the XFL Dragons. T-Mobile Park is home to the Seattle Mariners. Both venues, which welcome tens of thousands of fans on sporting event days, also host major concerts and conventions.
The Port will be adding ships that can accommodate 5,000 passengers plus 1,500 staff. This means busses, taxis, and ride shares picking up passengers between 7:30 AM to 11:00 AM (rush hour traffic), and dropping off new passengers between 11:30 and 3:45 PM. Provisioning trucks will come and go.
Everyone who lives in Pioneer Square has sat in slow or unmoving traffic for an hour while their home is just one or three blocks away. The gridlock impacts businesses because extra traffic time means less time to work.
We want to hear from you: what advice would you give the city for better managing traffic near the Pier 46? Please contact us.