April 17, 2026

Elliott Bay Connections waterfront trail opens Tuesday

Photos via Elliott Bay Connections [enlarge]

Planted beds with trees, shrubs and perennials run adjacent to the new multi-use trail.

A new greenway trail for pedestrians and cyclists will open along the Seattle waterfront on Tuesday.

The greenway runs from Virginia Street to Clay Street on the east side of Alaskan Way — between Pier 62 and the Olympic Sculpture Park — and will be the first element of the $45 million Elliott Bay Connections (EBC) project to open.

The multi-use trail has replaced a line of old, long defunct, trolley tracks. Alongside the new pathway users will find planted beds with native and street-hardy trees, shrubs and perennials, plus new lighting and benches. There are also maps and signs providing directions to the waterfront and nearby neighborhoods.

For now, post and rope fences have been installed to protect the new plants and trees while they grow.

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New lighting installations illuminate the greenway.

The trail was designed by Walker Macy (prime consultant ) and MIG (lead engineer and greenway landscape architect) and was built by Sellen ( general contractor for the entire EBC project). Construction began early last year.

A small portion of the greenway, between Blanchard Street and Wall Street, will open temporarily today to accommodate cyclists who are unable to use the Alaskan Way Safety Project bike lane because of closures due to the start of cruise sailing operations at the waterfront. The complete EBC trail will open on the 21st.

The Alaskan Way Safety Project built a new two-way protected bike lane on the north end of the Seattle waterfront between Virginia Street and Broad Street. It was completed last summer and runs parallel to the EBC Greenway on the west side of Alaskan Way.

EBC was announced in the summer of 2023. The public-private project also includes significant improvements at Seattle Parks and Recreation's Myrtle Edwards Park and Port of Seattle's Centennial Park, including a new restroom and concessions building at the latter, and parkland and trail improvements from Pier 62 to Smith Cove and the Expedia headquarters.

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The Elliott Bay Connections’ greenway trail (shown bottom) has replaced old trolly tracks on the east side of Alaskan Way along the Seattle waterfront.

Work began on those elements last March and will be completed before Seattle hosts the FIFA World Cup in June. The EBC team plans to announce the opening date next month.

EBC is entirely privately funded via a philanthropist group including Melinda French Gates, Mackenzie Scott, the Diller-Von Furstenberg Family Foundation and Expedia Group.

As public space, the new greenway is owned by the city. The Seattle Department of Transportation will manage signals, crossings, and the functioning of the new corridor as part of Seattle's overall street network.

Private support will fund maintenance and landscape care during the initial establishment period of the greenway's new plantings and trees.

The trail is designed for people of all ages and abilities, including those traveling with children or supporting others, with space to walk, bike, and roll at a comfortable pace.

The project team also includes MIG Inc., lead engineer for the greenway; EnviroIssues, community engagement and outreach; Studio Matthews, signage; Shiels Obletz Johnsen, project management; Dark Light Design, lighting design; Downtown Seattle Association, implementation partner; Headwater People Consulting; and Tahoma Peak Solutions.

The opening of the greenway completes a hat trick of new waterfront bike lane projects, which also includes the Alaskan Way Safety Project bike lane and a new 1.2-mile path at Waterfront Park that debuted last March.