It baffles me that there’s even a discussion about this. Customers do not drive down Pike Place to access the market. It’s already functionally a pedestrian space where occasionally some person takes a wrong turn and accidentally drives through. Vendors use it, but they arrive early in the morning before customers. It should be closed to regular traffic during normal shopping hours.
Hey there, I worked in the market for 5 years at a produce stand and still have contact with many vendors through my current job.
The big money customers are regulars who come down to the market weekly or bi-weekly to get a service level that is not provided at a regular grocery store. Those customers drop hundreds of dollars at multiple vendors and absolutely do drive through to get loaded up after shopping. Many of those customers are retirees that absolutely could not carry their purchases down to the parking garage.
The market is a very unique place and if it caters only to the tourists it will kill what makes it a tourist destination in the first place. It would become even more hollowed out as it drives away locals.
absolutely do drive through to get loaded up after shopping. Many of those customers are retirees that absolutely could not carry their purchases down to the parking garage.
Maybe we shouldn’t be encouraging elderly citizens to drive through a street that is crowded with pedestrians? If you can walk through the market, you can take an elevator to Western.
The market is a very unique place and if it caters only to the tourists it will kill what makes it a tourist destination in the first place. It would become even more hollowed out as it drives away locals.
Locals are also walking on Pike Place, dodging cars that don’t belong there. Making the market safer isn’t going to drive people away.
It baffles me that there’s even a discussion about this. Customers do not drive down Pike Place to access the market. It’s already functionally a pedestrian space where occasionally some person takes a wrong turn and accidentally drives through. Vendors use it, but they arrive early in the morning before customers. It should be closed to regular traffic during normal shopping hours.
Hey there, I worked in the market for 5 years at a produce stand and still have contact with many vendors through my current job.
The big money customers are regulars who come down to the market weekly or bi-weekly to get a service level that is not provided at a regular grocery store. Those customers drop hundreds of dollars at multiple vendors and absolutely do drive through to get loaded up after shopping. Many of those customers are retirees that absolutely could not carry their purchases down to the parking garage.
The market is a very unique place and if it caters only to the tourists it will kill what makes it a tourist destination in the first place. It would become even more hollowed out as it drives away locals.
Maybe we shouldn’t be encouraging elderly citizens to drive through a street that is crowded with pedestrians? If you can walk through the market, you can take an elevator to Western.
Locals are also walking on Pike Place, dodging cars that don’t belong there. Making the market safer isn’t going to drive people away.