With the removal of its elevated Alaskan Way Viaduct, Seattle has an extraordinary opportunity to reinvent its downtown waterfront. It could become the premier gathering space for the Puget Sound region but that vision needed to be balanced with the waterfront’s important mobility functions.
Nelson\Nygaard, on a team led by James Corner Field Operations and CH2MHill, led the design of the bikeway, a new intermodal transit center, a new waterfront connector, and hillclimb assists. We conducted intensive stakeholder outreach to balance the needs of all users, including cyclists, pedestrians, business owners, various transit operators, freight, school groups, and cruise ship passengers. We recommended a wide spectrum of mobility options with walking, biking, and transit options to connect the many experiences of the waterfront and create inviting connections from downtown to the waterfront.