Like many highways, when I-5 was first built, it displaced communities and divided downtown. Now it’s overdue for repairs and seismic retrofits, and we have a unique opportunity to leverage infrastructure investments beyond maintenance to reconnect neighborhoods and better serve people, not just cars.

By “lidding” I-5, we can create new jobs and land where there’s a shortage. Imagine: parks and open green space, affordable housing, connected bike and pedestrian pathways, and other public amenities. We can simultaneously reduce air and noise pollution from the highway and rethink bottlenecks for better flow and safety.

The vision is bold, yet more than possible. It’s been done before in Washington and across the country, and we’re making exciting progress! We helped secure funding for a technical feasibility study as part of the community benefits package from the Convention Center expansion. The study—recently released by Seattle’s Office of Planning and Community Development—confirms the lid’s viability and acknowledges its many potential restorative benefits.

Projects like this require long-term thinking, dedication, and a broad coalition of stakeholders. Our dedicated volunteers have donated countless hours of deep expertise in urban planning, architecture, engineering, and community-building, and our tent is getting bigger.

Join our grassroots effort at the junction of urban planning and social change to build a better Seattle for all!