In April, as the pandemic made parks and sidewalks more crowded in Seattle, the city shut down most traffic on a series of streets to help give people more room for exercise or walking to the grocery store. Now, the city plans to make the changes permanent on 20 miles of streets.
Like in other ”car-free” neighborhoods, the streets still allow some vehicles like those of residents and businesses in the area — but cars can no longer travel through, which significantly shrinks the total amount of traffic.
The streets are part of a network of quieter residential roads that Seattle has designated as greenways—relatively flat streets, in a hilly city, that can help people bike or walk to run errands. Also, as more businesses begin to reopen and people return to work, the routes can also help workers safely commute without turning to cars
