Citing positive feedback, increased foot traffic, and a need for more research, Seattle’s Pike Place Market is extending its car-free experiment through next spring.
Market leaders aren’t yet ready to pull the trigger on permanently restricting cars, but a return to the days of vehicular free-for-all — when tourist vehicles would awkwardly inch through summer crowds — is looking increasingly unlikely.
After decades of urging from pedestrian advocates, the Market started testing a car ban in late April. They launched a “limited vehicle access pilot” to restrict cars from driving through during daytime hours, with exceptions for delivery, pickup and emergency vehicles and cars with disabled parking passes…