The Fremont Bridge is not just busy — it is one of the busiest drawbridges in North America. The Seattle Department of Transportation’s plan to create a bus-only lane through Fremont and along Westlake will increase congestion and traffic, severely impacting residents, local businesses and everyone passing through, without significantly improving bus travel times.
For more than a century, the Fremont Bridge has served as both a literal and symbolic gateway between neighborhoods. Opened in 1917, the bridge connects Queen Anne and Downtown Seattle to Fremont, Wallingford, Ballard and the communities to the north. This bright-blue-and-orange double-leaf drawbridge functions as a vital artery not only for commuters on land but also for marine traffic passing beneath its low-slung deck. From trolleys and horse-drawn carriages to today’s constant flow of cars, buses, bicycles and pedestrians, the bridge remains a civic hub, linking commerce, culture and community.
Yet, despite its charm and function, the Fremont Bridge remains one of Seattle’s great paradoxes. Sitting only 30 feet above water, it opens about 40 times each day to let tugboats, fishing vessels and recreational boats pass through the Ship Canal’s waters. This lifting and waiting has made it a symbol of both affection and frustration, uniting and delaying us at the same time, and serving as a metaphor for our ever-expanding city and the growing pains that come with it.
On top of the busy maritime traffic below and vehicular traffic above, the bridge serves as a vital artery for Seattle’s vibrant cycling community. Both ends of the bridge have intersections that are among the busiest for bikes on the entire West Coast. On any day, thousands of cyclists pass through these crossings. It is also the busiest pedestrian crossing of all the bridges across the water from Montlake to Ballard, establishing the Fremont Bridge as a regional hub for all modes of transportation.
Adding another layer of complexity is the core issue of lane capacity. The Fremont Bridge is one of Seattle’s most severe traffic bottlenecks. With only two lanes in each direction and three major arterials from the south — Westlake and Dexter avenues and Nickerson Street — and four major arterials to the north — North 34th and 35th streets, Fremont Avenue North and Leary Way that land directly at its base — there is no physical space for expansion. Unlike the neighboring University and Ballard bridges, the bridge’s short decking provides only limited loading capacity. Every time the Fremont Bridge opens, all traffic stops.
This is not an anti-bus op-ed. Our community supports and welcomes most aspects of the Route 40 Transit-Plus Multimodal Corridor project. Upgrades to curb ramps and pedestrian crossings will improve safety and accessibility. The addition of a safer bike connection heading north on Fremont is a positive and needed step for safer travel. We want a strong and healthy bus network to be a key part of our transportation options. However, the proposal to create a full-time bus-only lane in the Fremont core will cause significant impacts that we believe haven’t been fully addressed. Cutting the capacity for general traffic will inevitably increase congestion and hinder freight, emergency response and local vehicle movement. Neighborhoods from Ballard to South Lake Union depend on this route, and the resulting gridlock will create ripple effects throughout the entire corridor. Increased congestion and limited access will also harm our small business community by discouraging customers, delaying essential deliveries and threatening livelihoods, especially in an area already facing ongoing construction challenges and reduced parking options. A transit plan that ignores Fremont’s realities is a plan destined to stall.
Fremont is not opposed to change. Our community has long championed innovative and inclusive infrastructure solutions. But in this case, we urge city leaders to reconsider the proposed bus-only lane and instead pursue strategies that adapt to Fremont’s unique assets and limitations, rather than imposing a one-size-fits-all approach. After all, no one wants the Center of the Universe to collapse under its own gravity.
Editor’s note: The headline on this story has been updated to reflect where the bus lane is proposed.
