Our Impact: Transforming Seattle Streets

This year, we significantly expanded the bike network in South Seattle, marked a historic win at Pike Place Market, and laid the groundwork for a more walkable city.

Check out the stories below for a closer look at how we're making an impact.

Growing the Bike Network in Southeast Seattle

NEW BIKE LANES AND PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS ON NORTH BEACON HILL

For over a decade, Beacon Hill Safe Streets has been organizing, advocating, and fighting for safer streets in Southeast Seattle. In August, that work paid off in a big way with the opening of new bike lanes and pedestrian improvements along 15th Ave S and Beacon Ave S. This transforms a critical corridor for people biking, walking, and riding transit.

Now we're advocating to extend the changes all the way south to 39th Ave S — completing the vision of a truly connected Beacon Hill that is a safer, healthier, and more welcoming place for everyone.

Read the full story.

Child and adult biking together in a bike lane next to the sidewalk in front of the Beacon Hill light rail station. On the other side of the bike lane, a railing separates it from a bus island (not fully visible) where people wait for the bus.”

Connecting Communities in the Duwamish Valley

NEW BIKE LANES AND PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS IN SOUTH PARK, GEORGETOWN AND SODO

Georgetown and South Park are only 1.8 miles apart, but without safe ways to walk or bike, this short distance has felt like a world away. For decades, community leaders have pushed for a safe trail to connect the two neighborhoods. In 2017, their organizing secured funding for design, and in 2019, they won more funding to keep the project moving. In 2025, we’re finally celebrating the opening of the Georgetown to South Park Trail, along with a new connection providing a protected route from the heart of Georgetown through SODO.

These routes lay the groundwork for the next phase of advocacy to close the remaining gaps in the Duwamish Valley bike network — and fully connect to the rest of Seattle's bike network to the north, south, east, and west.

Read more in the SNG Blog and the South Seattle Emerald.

Many people riding bikes on the new Georgetown to South Park Trail. This section is a wide walking and biking path along Ellis St in Georgetown.

Completing the Downtown Waterfront Trail

COMMUNITY ADVOCACY MAKES THE DIFFERENCE

Early this year, we celebrated the opening of the new protected trail along the downtown waterfront. This summer, thanks to community advocacy and thoughtful adjustments, that trail was finally connected to the Elliott Bay Trail via a brand-new protected bike lane on the west side (along the water) of Alaskan Way. This half-mile link fills a critical gap between the newly rebuilt waterfront trail and some of Seattle’s most-used bike routes, with connections to Ballard, West Seattle, Downtown, and beyond.

Read the full story.

People biking and riding scooters in the new protected bike lane along Alaskan Way on the downtown waterfront. Sidewalk drink vendor with colorful umbrellas along the sidewalk. Downtown, waterfront, port skyline visible in the distance.

Pedestrianizing Pike Place Market

REIMAGINING PIKE PLACE FOR PEOPLE

Seattle’s iconic Pike Place Market is experimenting with a bold idea: limiting vehicle access to create a safer, more welcoming space for everyone who shops, works, and visits. This year-long pilot comes after years of building support for a people-friendly Pike Place — conducting polling, listening to market vendors, passing and funding the People Streets program, and mobilizing thousands of Seattleites to voice support.

In our current push to make this pilot permanent, we know this isn’t just about one street — it’s about reimagining Seattle’s public spaces to prioritize people over cars.

Watch the video conversation with Kenji López-Alt and Ray Delahanty.

Pike Place crowded with people. A musician plays guitar on a stage below the iconic "Public Market Center" sign. Umbrellas and canopies are visible along the edge of the street for seating and pop up vendors.

Legalizing Corner Stores

PLANNING FOR WALKABLE AND AFFORDABLE NEIGHBORHOODS

We envision a city where everyone can walk or roll to grocery stores, parks, childcare facilities, cultural spaces and pharmacies. But right now, only 44% of Seattleites can walk to basic daily necessities, and the housing shortage is making Seattle increasingly unaffordable — pushing people out of the city and forcing them into long car commutes. This fall, we succeeded in legalizing commercial and community spaces in every neighborhood through Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan. This Comp Plan Update will determine land use in the city for the next 20 years — laying the groundwork for a future where everyone has access to a walkable corner store.

Two women waiting to cross the street, one standing and smiling. The other in a wheelchair with a backpack, face not visible. A local restaurant with table umbrellas indicating outdoor seating is across the intersection.

Together, Change is Possible

Our progress in 2025 is the result of years of dedicated community advocacy to make every neighborhood a great place to walk, roll, bike and live.

Seattle Neighborhood Greenways continues to push our city forward — and equip more people to make change in their own communities — thanks to the collective support of our donors, volunteers, partners and allies.