Belltown to Seattle Center Connection Project

Updated May, 2026

Project Area

The protected bike lanes will separate modes of transportation, providing protection for people riding bikes, and improve access to businesses. It will allow people of all ages and abilities (AAA) to safely bike between downtown Seattle and Seattle Center.

Project Design

The new two-way protected bike lanes on 4th Ave, 4th Ave N, and directional protected bike lanes on Broad St will separate people biking from moving vehicles with hardened barriers.

Project Elements

All Way Crossing

• Broad St and John St: A new All Way Crossing allows people walking and rolling to cross in all directions with no vehicle traffic. Vehicle turning movements will improve without conflicts with non-motorized users. The All Way Crossing will make it easier for everyone to get to Seattle Center.

Connecting to Thomas St Greenway

• Broad St, 5th Ave N, and Thomas St: There is an All Walk crossing phase at this offset intersection which stops all vehicular traffic. People biking can also use this pedestrian phase to move through the intersection in the street. Like other downtown intersections, the pedestrian phase is automatic at this location. Bike navigation will include signage and pavement markings.

Parking and Loading Zones

• 4th Ave: The parking and loading lane is generally shifted outside of the bike lane (similar to the existing 4th Ave bike lanes). The project will maintain as much parking and loading as possible but needs to remove some to improve visibility at intersections and driveways.
• 4th Ave N: We will remove parking from the west side of the street and change parking from diagonal to parallel on the east side of the street. We will maintain 30-minute parking near the corner of Denny Way to support businesses in the area.
• Broad St: The charter bus load zone will be relocated to west of the Seattle Center Loop to reduce conflicts between people walking, biking, and rolling. The general vehicle load zone will expand and remain east of the Seattle Center Loop.

Signal Upgrades

• Bike Signals: We will install new bike signals at 4th Ave and Vine St and 4th Ave and Denny Way. At Denny Way, we are proposing to restrict right turns from 4th Ave onto eastbound Denny Way.
• Diagonal Crossing: New bike signals at the diagonal crossing at 4th Ave and Cedar St will safely guide people biking through the intersection. People biking northbound and southbound will have their own protected signal phase.

Design Cross Sections

4th Ave from Vine St to Cedar St -- Looking North

4th Ave from Cedar St to Denny Way -- Looking North

Broad St from Denny Way to 4th Ave N -- Looking East

4th Ave N from Denny Way to Broad St -- Looking North

Broad St from John St to 5th Ave N -- Looking East

2026 FIFA Men's World Cup

Seattle will host six matches at Lumen Field during the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup. The World Cup organizing committee has chosen Seattle Center for the World Soccer Celebration, the biggest community event location outside the matches in the stadium. An estimated 750,000 World Cup fans will visit Seattle and Seattle Center's World Soccer Celebration is expected to attract tens of thousands of people. This project will provide an AAA connection between Lumen Field and the World Soccer Celebration at Seattle Center while passing by the many hotels in between.

This map represents bike routes between Seattle Center, Lumen Field, and
hotels in the downtown area. Click here to view the entire bike network.

2026 World Cup Stage Matches in Seattle:

• Monday, June 15
• Friday, June 19
• Wednesday, June 24
• Friday, June 26

2026 World Cup Knockout Matches in Seattle:

• Round of 32: Wednesday, July 1
• Round of 16: Monday, July 6

Additional Information

This project will:

• advance the 2013 Climate Action Plan goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
• provide a direct, AAA connection between World Cup matches at Lumen Field, downtown hotels, and World Soccer Celebration at Seattle Center
• aim to have 80% of FIFA match attendees arrive without a personal vehicle
• increase the use of shared micromobility leading up to and during the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup

Timeline

This project was completed in May 2026.

Funding

This project was funded entirely by the North Downtown Mobility Action Plan (NODO MAP), also known as the City Arena Transportation Fund.

Project Library

Final Design Fact Sheet

Final Design Plans

Planning Phase Design

Planning Phase Fact Sheet

• የዕውነታ ወረቀት (Amharic)
• Fact Sheet
• Hoja informativa (Spanish)