Outdoor dining at Pike Place Market, where closure to cars resulted in a 7.5% increase in foot traffic & 9% in sales! - Read more
GOOD NEWS
Update
The City of Seattle's Administrative Review Committee granted our appeal of the permit denial—unanimously. The Ave for All pilot is moving forward, with new fall dates to be announced soon.
We are doing the work to get this right and are focused on what comes next. The best version of this pilot is one that residents, businesses, and students build together. We are ready to do that work. Come join us!
The Ave for All, now in the Fall
A Car-Free University Way
Come Take Back The Ave. This fall, University Way is getting an upgrade: for one block, on two Saturdays, we are closing the street to cars and opening it up to people. Expect games, a giant chess board, live music, cafe seating, and the nearby farmers market in full swing. Whether you stop for five minutes or settle in for the afternoon, there is something here for you.
Why it matters. The Ave is one of Seattle's most vibrant and culturally rich corridors, but its sidewalks are narrow, seating is scarce, and the street has always prioritized cars over the people who make it worth visiting. This pilot is a chance to show what University Way looks like when people come first.
Two Saturdays from 11am - 8pm: • New dates to be announced soon
Two Saturdays. One big question. Can a people-centered street on The Ave create real benefit for the neighborhood: its businesses, its residents, its community? We are here to prove it can. Every person who shows up helps make that case harder to ignore.
Get involved. Volunteers are needed to help set up, greet visitors, run activities, and gather feedback. No experience necessary, just enthusiasm for the U District and the idea that streets are for people.
Show up. Bring someone. Help us build something worth keeping. If it can happen at Pike Place Market, it can happen on The Ave.
Show up. Bring someone. Help us build something worth keeping. If it can happen at Pike Place Market, it can happen on The Ave.
Download and share the poster for the summer pilot (revision pending)
Download and share a handy flyer for the project (revision pending)
Stay in the loop on this summer pilot project.
Help us make this project a success, and have fun doing it.
Support the project with a tax-deductible donation.
Map of proposed activation area, on The Ave between NE 42nd and NE 43rd Streets.
Make The Ave for All
Supporters
272 Supporters
Jeff Acorn
Robbie Cunningham Adams
Krishna Adettiwar
Candice Andersen
Angelina
Ann
Alexander Bachleda
Reggie Bahr
Zach Balter
Marshall Bender
Margaret Berger
Briar Bertolin
Daniella Binder
Cindy M. Black
Maxi Boeckl
Maximiliane Boeckl
Molly Bradbury
Eric Bradley
Linus Brogan
Baxter Brugos
Mark Brunson
Lee Bruch
Amelia Bryant
Marcella Buser
Steven Butler
Tara Camp
Brent Cantley
Gabriel Carroll
Wendy Case
Alpha Chen
Jeffrey Chen
Karen Chen
Sammy Cheung
Stephanie Chuang
Travis Close
Sim Cogswell
Clay Compton
Riisa Conklin
Yen Thai Connolly
Cory Crocker
Jonas Crimm
Robert Cruickshank
Marty Curry
Derek D
Delia Darrah
Will Dean
Travis G DePrato
Desiree
Kay Dodge
Timothy Dooley
Shawn Murray Doran
Jeffrey
Jennifer Dubrow
Delaney Edwards
Lin Eldridge
Elliot
Kyle Ellman
Eric
Emily Etue
Marissa Evans
Tristan Fields
Tyler Folsom
Andrew Freeling
Benjamin Fudal
Marilee Fuller
Will Gagne-Maynard
George
Linh Giakonoski
Michael Gillenwater
AnnaJoy Gillis
Dylan Glosecki
Natalie Q Godfrey
Matt Greene
Audrey Griffitts
Matias Grioni
Mackey Guenther
Kolton Hahn
Liora Halperin
Alexandra Halverson
Dylan Hanson
Zac Hanson
Zachary Hanson
Tyler Lee Hartley
Eric Helgeson
Jake Heller
Kaelan Hendrickson
Catherine Hinrichsen
Carolina Hohl
Donna Howard
Cassie Hu
Jenny Hu
Zhiming Huang
Tim Hughes
Carol Ann Hutchinson
Sarah Hutchinson
Jackson
Allison Jansen
Divya Jayaraman
Kate Jelfs
Harrison Jerome
JDKS
Jeffrey Johnson
Dennis Jolin
Loraine Kanervisto
Jeremy Keeton
Christopher James Kites
Caitlin Klask
Kyle
Testimonials
"Here for walkable streets. Would be super cool to have a bike lane and the rest for walking or something, at least during the summers like Montreal has. Hope you can make this work at some point this summer." - Anonymous
"I have lived on the ave for more than a decade and fully support Ave For All." - Anonymous
"Many cities have shown that improving pedestrian/bike priority increases customer traffic to most local businesses, contrary to many business owners initial beliefs. Our city should not defer from testing these things due to a vocal minority." - Forrest
"On those ave closure days, can the U of W open their parking for the public to park while walking the Ave?" - Anonymous
"The Ave has had numerous street openings over the years to provide more people space and create meaningful engagement opportunities in the community. These events have a track record of success, activation, and tradition, and such efforts need to be continued to support a healthy and dynamic community." - Matias
"Here for walkable streets. Would be super cool to have a bike lane and the rest for walking or something, at least during the summers like Montreal has. Hope you can make this work at some point this summer." - Anonymous
"I have lived on the ave for more than a decade and fully support Ave For All." - Anonymous
"Many cities have shown that improving pedestrian/bike priority increases customer traffic to most local businesses, contrary to many business owners initial beliefs. Our city should not defer from testing these things due to a vocal minority." - Forrest
"On those ave closure days, can the U of W open their parking for the public to park while walking the Ave?" - Anonymous
"I think this would be great!! Personally I would enjoy the ave much more without cars." - Zoe
"The Ave has declined during the last few years. Banning cars could spark a comeback." - Tyler
"We had been looking forward to attending this and checking out the businesses on the Ave. The concerned businesses on the Ave who opposed this should visit the new waterfront or Ballard Farmer’s market sometime to see pedestrianized streets can really make a place a destination for tons of people." - Jenny
"I was looking forward to visiting the car-free Ave next weekend, but apparently the city denied the permit to hold the event at the last minute. So much for "our city" that Mayor Wilson promoted. We need to have more and more streets pedestrianized, not less." - Daigoro
"Local people should be able to control local issues like this, unless there is an overriding reason for wider involvement, in which case there must be an open public discussion about the situation." - Rudolf
"I sat out in front of Bulldog News on the Ave for about a half hour around 6pm on Friday 5/23/26. While sitting for a mere thirty minutes, I witnessed: -two separate incidents of motorcycles greatly exceeding speed and noise limits - one vehicle conducting an illegal mid block u turn - a half dozen cars with unmuffled exhaust exceeding speed and noise limits . Any one of these events could easily have been fatal for a pedestrian or bicycle. This is what we consider normal, and what the denial of this permit is protecting. This is not a war on cars, this is our public space and our city and we want it back" - Matt
"Despite vocal opposition from a small group, we should try this and see what happens. It might increase traffic to businesses but we won't know if we don't try. We shouldn't let one small group of people circumventing established processes prevent us from potentially learning something very valuable." - Ruth
"In many countries there are pedestrian streets that draw friendly throngs of people. The U District would be a more welcoming place if it had one, even for a short time." - Petter
More Supporters
Tom Lang
William Langevin
Jay Lazerwitz
Derek Lee
Paige E Lewis
Paige E Lewis
Alan Liu
Ben Limpich
Ben Limpich
Anjali da Victoria Lobo
Toni Long
Paige Lowe
Michael Lu
Maria Lyon
Maria Lyon
Kimberly M
Michael Machala
Eric Mackres
Ashley Marie
Jonathan Marlow
Anthony MarcheselliSunaree Marshall
Matthew
Dylan Maxim
Nicole May
Jules McEvoy
Robert McLaughlin
Robert McPherson
John Meier
Rachel Miller
Westin Miller
Amy Mills
Zoe Mitchell
Trent Moca
Andrew Mukavitz
Renae Muñiz
Michael Nash
Natalie
Doug Nellis
Travis Newbill
Morgan Nixon
Petter Nordal
Eric Nunn
Forrest Nussforfer
Meghan Oesterle
Thomas Payne
Matthew Perez
Marcia Peterson
Tracey Pierce
Ronald Pike
Marcos Pinares
Tony Porter
John Putre
Sally Radford
Meredith Rawls
Kelli Refer
Rudolf Risler
Vincent Rivera
Victoria Rose
Cy Rossignol
Ursula Rothel
Daniel Rother
Austin Schey
Jennifer Schladweiler,
Ryan Schrader
David Scott
Elijah Seed-Arita
Jeremy Sell
Paul Shafer
Chad Sheffield
Misty Shock Rule
Daniel Simmons-Marengo
Misty Shock Rule
Daniel Simmons-Marengo
Bethany Stackhouse
Preston Tamkin
Pauly Tarricone
Doris Taylor
Wyat Taylor
Brice Tebbs
Skylar Thompson
Kelsey Timmer
Ruth Tomandl
Kathryn Topper
Daigoro Toyama
Kevin Troutt
Noah Tsai
Brian Valentine
Braeden Van Deynze
Vera
Jonathan Warren
Matt Weatherford
Stefan Wehner
Rachel Weigelt
Jeff West
Braeden Wiley
Chris Winter
Jack T Winterhalter
Gita Wolford
Robin Yang
Jaelyn Yanni
Carol Ying
Zach
Victoria Zamora
plus 67 anonymous supporters
More Testimonials
"Pedestrian streets closed to traffic are wonderful and common features of many cities outside of the US. Montreal, Antwerp, Oslo, Dublin, Beijing, Kobe, and so many other cities enjoy such streets and they make so much sense. Merchants benefit from a steady flow of passerby and outside dining tables fill up. They are such pleasant areas and draw people just for the pleasure of being in these welcoming spaces. Seattle, and the US generally, need to copy these wonderful, working, examples." - Allison
"Putting a handful of businesses above the surrounding community is not the path forward for the U-District or Seattle. The committee should ask themselves who it is they represent." - Gabriel
"Seattle is no longer just a growing city, it is a BIG city. And big cities need spaces for pedestrians. The time of car dominance in Seattle needs to come to an end. Cities are for PEOPLE, not cars." - Doug
"Events such as this foster community, which is needed more than ever in denser housing areas of the city." - Toni
"It's so sad to hear that this event was cancelled. What about the recent complaints from businesses outside the proposed closed area were so compelling that they should be weighted more than the rest of the community?" - Amy
"It’s long past time to open up the Ave to pedestrians. Just imagine how cool it would be to have places to stroll and sit while enjoying lunch from one of the fantastic restaurants on the Ave. People would come from all over Seattle just for the experience. Having the light rail station there makes it easy to access without a car. Come on! It’s time the Ave opened up to more people." - Marcia
"Shared streets are good for business. Close the Ave!" - Tom
"A walkable Ave has been talked about for many years (I believe Andy Shiga proposed this idea many, many years ago). A plus for the community." - Carol
"It is shameful and ridiculous for the city to cancel The Ave For All's special events permits, JUST ONE WEEK BEFORE the event. These businesses didn't have an issue with the closure of car traffic on the ENTIRE stretch of the Ave for the U District Street Fair just a week ago, and yet now they claim that having ONE BLOCK of the Ave closed for ONE DAY will damage their business? The street belongs to everyone, not just the businesses. People who walk, bike, and take transit spend money, too! I am insulted by the city's decision which flies in the face of everything the Mayor's office has campaigned on and advocated for." - Marshall
"Pedestrian streets closed to traffic are wonderful and common features of many cities outside of the US. Montreal, Antwerp, Oslo, Dublin, Beijing, Kobe, and so many other cities enjoy such streets and they make so much sense. Merchants benefit from a steady flow of passerby and outside dining tables fill up. They are such pleasant areas and draw people just for the pleasure of being in these welcoming spaces. Seattle, and the US generally, need to copy these wonderful, working, examples." - Allison
"If the Ave would be pedestrian only, it would make it more of a destination to hang out and will likely attract more people. Especially if outdoor dining would be also be part of it; it could be a similar model to UVillage." - Maximiliane
"It could be said that this is a timely notion. Instead, it is long-overdue (and essential for our community)!" - Jonathan
"Moving toward a less car centric lifestyle, which favors people over cars." - Paul
"Cars ruin the Ave!!!!" - Pauly
"I have long loved the idea of closing the Ave to vehicles. Every day." -Jeff
"We need more public/pedestrian community spaces! Cars ruin community" - Kolton
"Not really, but I do love the Ave and do want it to be 'for all,' I mean, WTF, why not?" - Cindy
Still More Testimonials
"We desperately need more third spaces" - Gita
"I welcome the "frankly European" transition in Seattle." - Marcos
"I support 100% the closing of more Seattle streets to automobile traffic." - Anonymous
"This is what we need!" - Anonymous
"Reclaiming the disproportionate amount of space cars currently occupy will allow more people to dine, shop, socialize, and build community together in safety." - Bethany
"Car-free Ave. Car-free Ave. Car-free Ave." - Jaelyn
"I would visit the Ave much more if it was Pedestrian only." - Maxi
"Do it. It makes sense!!!" - Anonymous
"Love the idea, common worldwide !" -Eric
"I have no doubts that people will continue to patronize businesses on the Ave if traffic is restricted, and that it will be safer for everyone!" - Nicole
"More car free zones in the city? Yes please!" - Shawn
"Please make this a reality! The people yearn for walkable streets." - Zac
"Pedestrianize the Ave all the way to NE 50th Ave!!" - Pauly
"A woonerf for the Ave would be a welcome addition to the U District." - Brent
"To make enhance an already vibrant neighborhood the ave should be pedestrianize." - Alexander
"Not every single possible corridor between every single row of stores HAS to have cars!" - Elijah
"One solution to this is making the Ave a shared street instead of fully pedestrian where speed limits are 10 mph or less." - Anonymous
"Pedestrianizing the Ave is the best thing we can do for the neighborhood." - Eric
"Just do the whole Ave forever! The population of U-District does not own cars at the same rate as other neighborhoods." - Anonymous
"This is a no brainer :)" - Jeremy
"With the light rail, Seattle has the ability to become the easiest city to live without a car west of Chicago." - Derek
"Prioritize people over cars!" - Anonymous
"One-off tests are great but long-term closure will change people habits and drive adaptations that can't be replicated at the single-day scale." - Anonymous
"We need such new concept to regenerate an area, test new ways of thinking. We could make the area greener and a real gathering spot for community." - Anjali
"Cars can do down every single other street in the area, it doesn’t need to go down the busiest and most vibrant business corridor in U District too." - Krishna
"The time is now for bold decisions to reshape our streets." -Dylan
"Pedestrianizing the Ave is an elegant solution to the reality that the sidewalks there are too small for the number of people walking in the area." - Michael
"I’ve been dreaming of this since arriving in Seattle." - Michael
"Making this narrow street car-free would vastly improve the experience for residents and visitors alike." - Anonymous
"I see absolutely no reason to allow cars on the Ave." - Daigoro
"Long overdue!" - Thomas
"Cars don't eat at restaurants, cars don't shop, cars don't spend money. People do." - Anonymous
"Data from other pedestrianization initiatives show this is also good for businesses along the street. I see zero downsides." - Kyle
"A car-free Ave is a step toward a people-focused neighborhood. We need this!" - Tom
"Increasing foot traffic is good for Washington as we run on sales tax. There is also less crime in more dense areas as more people are walking (perfect example is Pikes Place)." - Desiree
"More walkable neighbourhoods means a healthier community and businesses." - Jeffrey
"This will be a success for Ave businesses and people!" - Thomas
"This will be a success for Ave businesses and people!" - Thomas
"Being one of the oldest businesses in the neighborhood the Blue Moon Tavern fully supports more closures of University Avenue for community events." - Timothy
"The U-District has so many streets and parking available for cars, but many of its residents do not have cars so cannot benefit from it. The Ave would be excellent as a people-first street, and as we've seen from Pike Place Market business will only be better without cars." - Skylar
"As a UW faculty member working with urban planning students, we have often focused on the U District and how it serves as an important urban gathering space. We definitely need more public spaces including building on the few that exist." - Marty
"Keep up the good fight. Seems wild we won't allow the highest use of that space even temporarily. God speed." - Kevin
"I work at UW and was excited to bring my family (via transit and/or bike) to The Ave on one of these days to buy food at local businesses and show them around. It was devastating to learn the event was canceled. Maybe we'll head down to LWB for a Bicycle Weekend instead." - Meredith
"For the love of god, let us have FUN and be a COMMUNITY!!!!!!!!" - Anonymous
"I work at UW Tower, where we often need to walk over to campus for meetings or events. It’s absurd how dangerous crossing the Ave can be, just to get to a work meeting. As a cyclist and transit user, I think our city could greatly benefit from more people-forward, car-free spaces, and the Ave— a place usually bustling with foot traffic, outdoor dining, students on their way to class, commuters walking between transit modes, etc.— is a perfect testing ground." - Caitlin
"I was looking forward to visiting the pedestrianized Ave today on my way home from the farmers market. I don't usually stop on the Ave, but would have today. I read the news the event was cancelled before I left so I changed my plans. I would've been one of the attendees who doesn't typically frequent the area, patroning the neighboring businesses." - Anonymous
"I support a car free ave. i have too many times seen people nearly get hit by cars in pretty preventable accidents and I dont think its that much to ask that this one section of street adjacent to very car friendly" - Briar
"Please extend it all the way till NE 50th St" - Diyva
"The Ave should be pedestrian only all the time." - Jules
"I'm a business owner and have a studio in the Neptune building, I spend a lot of time on The Ave and would love it if it were pedestrian oriented." - Sim
"Our family is car free and live near the U district. Open streets events allow our family to celebrate our neighborhood and worry less about traffic safety. We love to support the businesses on the Ave and an event like this is guaranteed to have us spend more money at our favorite local businesses." -Kelli
Press
Despite U District cancellation, efforts around car-free space on Capitol Hill rolling forward with Seattle Streets Alliance party
By Justin Carder, Capitol Hill Seattle Blog - June 1, 2026
E Barbara Bailey Way will host the Seattle Street Alliance’s 15-year anniversary party Saturday
A University District block party seen as inspiration for a new wave of efforts to pedestrianize key areas of the city — including a stretch of Capitol Hill — was supposed to shut down The Ave to car traffic this weekend but was denied permits and canceled. UW’s The Daily reported on the city’s Special Events Committee denial. “Because this event is happening in the heart of a business district with complex and unique business needs, mitigating anticipated event impacts will be critical for this activity in the public right-of-way,” officials wrote.
U District event canceled, but some businesses deny having been opposed
By Nicholas Deshais, The Seattle Times - May 30, 2026
Media: Ken Lambert / The Seattle Times, 2024
A block party planned for this Saturday that would’ve closed University Way Northeast to cars was canceled after the city of Seattle denied organizers a permit just eight days before it was to occur, citing opposition from nearly 80 local businesses. Some of those businesses, however, say they never objected to the event, and are unsure why they’re on a petition that led to the city’s denial, or were told that in signing their names, they were objecting to a permanent closure of the road.
U District Advocate’s Plan to shut down the Ave is denied by city’s Special Events Committee
By Mary Andolina, The Daily - May 25, 2026
A pedestrian crosses the street on University Way NE on May 21, 2026.
U District Advocate’s (UDA) event plan to shut down parts of the Ave this summer has been canceled after the City of Seattle’s Special Events Committee said they will not issue the necessary permits. Special events committee chair Kiah Patzkowsky explained in an email to UDA President Cory Crocker that, although UDA had met the necessary qualifications to host the event, significant pushback from local businesses influenced their decision to deny the permits.
As The Ave prepares to close one block this summer, Capitol Hill organizers set sights on Barbara Bailey Way
By Anna Hull, UW News Lab, Capitol Hill Seattle Blog - May 12, 2026
E Barbara Bailey is already closed to traffic every Sunday for the farmers market
As the U District experiments with closing one block of The Ave to cars, Capitol Hill organizers say their neighborhood could be next if the city can balance business concerns, programming costs and climate goals. It might feel like a blast from the past.
U District Advocates to close section of the Ave this summer in pilot program
By Mary Andolina, The Daily - April 23, 2026
Media: Samantha Bushman
For three Saturdays this summer, U-District residents will get a taste of what a car-free Ave could look like. U District Advocates, a local nonprofit, announced their plan to close University Way Northeast between Northeast 42nd Street and Northeast 43rd Street to cars in an April 1 newsletter, detailing plans for outdoor seating, games, and live music.
U District's Ave Going Carfree for Three Saturdays in May, June
By Ryan Packer, The Urbanist - April 6, 2026
Media: Doug Trumm
U District neighborhood boosters are trying something new this spring, when it comes to a longtime push to convert The Ave into a pedestrian-oriented urban oasis. On three Saturdays across May and June, one of the street's most central blocks will be turned over to street patios and strolling space, with vehicle traffic diverted elsewhere.
Popular Votes from U District Streetfair
3,342 Votes in Support
From public engagement booth at the U District Streetfair
The Ave, a People Street
Streetfair of 2022 asked folks to vote if they want to see The Ave become a pedestrian-priority street.
823 total votes - All results
Car-Free Ave
Streetfair of 2024 asked folks to vote if they want The Ave to prioritize pedestrians and create safe, vibrant gathering spaces.
1,638 total votes - All results
The Ave for All
Streetfair of 2026 asked folks to vote if they want our public right-of-way to prioritize people & small businesses—not just cars?
881 total votes - All results
495 Letters Sent to the Mayor
From campaign to express disappointment with denial of our permit to host the pilot.
To Be Rescheduled
Fundraising
Donate to the Project
Consider donating whatever you can to make this pilot project a success!
Donations to our 501c3 nonprofit are tax deductible.
Fundraising Goal
Grant funding provided by the Neighborhood Matching Fund of the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods.
Additional crowdsource funding from folks like you is helping the project reach its goal of $12,000.
$7,710 raised!
Sponsor a Table
Sponsor a table for the pilot, with the option to add your name to it.
For Small Business Owners
The Project and Why It Matters for Your Business
This fall, University Way between NE 42nd and NE 43rd Streets will come alive. On two Saturdays, we will temporarily close that block to vehicles and transform it into an open, welcoming public space, with lawn games, a giant chess board, live acoustic music, and cafe-style seating. Every activation will coincide with the existing farmers market, which already draws strong Saturday crowds. Together, the two events create a compelling reason for more people to come, stay longer, and spend more.
The benefits for your business: more foot traffic, and more of it lingering.
Our team personally walked every business on the block to understand how you serve your customers: at the counter, table-side, or through deliveries. We are meeting individually with every owner within a one-block radius, on your schedule, to listen to your concerns and build accommodation plans around your specific needs. Alternative delivery drop-off coordination is already underway. No accessible parking will be displaced.
This is a pilot — and it only works if you do.
These two activations are a test. We are here to explore how a pedestrian-friendly block on The Ave brings measurable benefit to the businesses that anchor it. Your participation, your feedback, and your willingness to engage with us directly are what make that case. We are not asking you to take anything on faith; we are asking you to be part of building the evidence. The Ave's merchants are the cultural backbone of this neighborhood, and this project exists to bring more people to your door.
Dates: - New dates to be announced soon
• Saturday, TBD from 11am - 8pm
• Saturday, TBD from 11am - 8pm
For Small Business Owners
Outdoors On The Ave activation of September 2021 (during the pandemic)
Sponsors & Partners
Funding provided by the Neighborhood Matching Fund of the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods. Additional funding provided by Tech 4 Housing, Seattle Placemakers, and U District Advocates. Furniture generously provided by Maple Leaf Lutheran Church.
City of Seattle
Tech 4 Housing
U District Advocates
Maple Leaf Lutheran Church
Seattle Placemakers
Get in touch
theaveforall.org
info@theaveforall.org
Seattle, Washington USA