"This stretch of street, lined with popular businesses and often teeming with foot traffic, feels quieter and calmer most of the day," Lydia Heard of the Fremont Neighborhood Council said at the Route 40 ribbon cutting, as reported by The Urbanist. "It is a much more enjoyable walking experience, and it is easier to cross the street."
She was talking about N 36th Street, where a new bus lane cut general traffic to one lane in each direction. The city and King County cut the ribbon on October 29, 2026. The project was built to speed up Metro's Route 40. The change most people in Fremont and Ballard will notice this season is on the sidewalks of the same blocks where the holiday markets, lights and passport trails are now going up. The bus connecting those blocks also got faster.
What Changed, Block by Block
According to the Seattle Department of Transportation, the project added three miles of bus-priority lanes, 16 upgraded bus stops, more than 6,000 feet of upgraded sidewalk, 47 curb ramp upgrades, 15 new or upgraded crosswalks, and two blocks of protected bike lanes in Fremont. Crews also replaced an aging water main that SDOT says was about 100 years old, so that maintenance won't require tearing up the street again later.
Here is where the lanes sit, based on SDOT's published lane list and project materials:
| Street | Segment | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| N 36th St, Fremont Pl N, Fremont Ave N | Between 1st Ave NW and N 34th St | Bus lanes in the eastbound and southbound directions |
| Leary Ave NW | NW Market St to 20th Ave NW | Northbound bus lane, one through lane each way plus a center turn lane |
| NW Market St | 22nd to 24th Ave NW | Bus lanes in both directions |
| Westlake Ave N | 4th to 9th Ave N | Bus lanes in both directions, center turn lane for local access |
| Holman Rd NW | 3rd Ave NW to N 104th St | Northbound bus lane, center turn lane kept |
Drivers can still pull into these business access and transit lanes briefly to turn right or reach a driveway, and people on bikes can use them too.
In Fremont, the bus stops moved as well. The old shared northbound stop on Fremont Ave N between N 34th and N 35th was split in two. Routes 31, 32 and 62 now stop on N 35th just east of Fremont Ave N, and Route 40 has its own stop on Fremont Pl N near N 36th, by the Lenin statue.
How a Bus Project Became a Sidewalk Project
The street took a long time to get here. The 2015 Move Seattle Levy paid for the upgrades, and the original plan was to open them as a RapidRide line in 2023. The city dropped the RapidRide branding in 2018 because of budget pressure, and the work went ahead as a smaller set of fixes.
Bus lanes drew the most organized pushback, according to The Urbanist. Freight interests raised concerns first, and in 2023 the Fremont Chamber of Commerce and the Ballard Alliance co-signed a letter questioning the design. SDOT changed parts of the plan in response. It relocated a Fremont bus stop and redesigned a new crosswalk at Westlake Ave N and Halladay St to reduce impacts on a nearby business.
By the ribbon cutting, the Fremont Chamber's statement in SDOT's completion post said it was "proud to see the City of Seattle and SDOT's investment in improving the quality of life for the Fremont Community and beyond." Heard's comment in the same post focuses on what pedestrians gained: "wider sidewalks, safer crossings, and streets that are more comfortable to walk along."
Ninety Seconds, and a Head Start After the Bridge Opens
The bus did get faster. King County Executive Girmay Zahilay said early Metro data shows an 11% improvement in Route 40 travel time between Fremont and Ballard, which averages out to 90 seconds saved per trip, The Urbanist reported. That adds up on a route that averages more than 9,000 weekday boardings and is the fifth-busiest in the Metro network.
In Fremont, the bridge is part of the change. Metro told SDOT that the new lanes leading to the Fremont Bridge let buses move ahead of the backed-up traffic once the bridge closes again after a boat passes. Anyone who has sat through a bridge opening on the 40 knows the bus used to get stuck in that same line of cars.
N 36th Street, Now Set Up for Walking
With fewer travel lanes, N 36th Street's storefronts are now the main attraction on the block. Several of them are new this year. According to Fremont Neighbor's summer business roundup, Handsome Jack Supply Co. opened in early June at 223 N 36th St. It is a vinyl and gift shop that also hosts gatherings. Next door at 225 N 36th St. is Bar Twist of Fate, run by the team behind nearby Stampede. Petapaluza at 112 N 36th St. reopened in June under new ownership, and Daily Ritual Market opened in mid-June around the corner at 3421 Fremont Ave. N.
The neighborhood's holiday calendar fits within a few blocks of the new crosswalks:
- Fremont Sunday Market has moved to its fall and winter location at 701 N. Northlake Way, open Sundays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine, through March. Market details.
- Holiday Makers Market at Stone Way Auto, 3621 Stone Way N., runs Sunday, November 15, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with about 25 local vendors expected. Event page.
- Mingle and Jingle, hosted by the Fremont Chamber, is Thursday, December 3, from 5 to 9 p.m. at Fremont Social, 127 N 35th St., with music, food, seasonal drinks, a raffle and Santa. Chamber listing.
Leary Avenue Gets a Signal, Then the Lights
In Ballard, the project's most visible change is the new traffic signal at Leary Ave NW and 20th Ave NW. In SDOT's completion post, a visitor from North Beach who comes to the neighborhood a few times a week described the old crossing as "a very dangerous intersection to cross," and said of the new signal, "People actually have to stop."
That crossing sits on one of the streets the Ballard holiday light display covers. Visit Ballard says the 2026 to 2027 display wraps 273 trees along NW Market St, Leary Ave NW and Ballard Ave NW, adds snowflakes in Bergen Place, lights the Centennial Bell Tower, and puts a lit archway in front of the National Nordic Museum. New this year are sphere ornaments on every other tree along Ballard Ave NW. The lights stay up until shortly after Valentine's Day weekend.
Leary has added several new businesses this year. Kochendorfer's opened in March at 4910 Leary Ave NW, serving casual food and beer, My Ballard reported. Highland Espresso took over the former Cycle & Coffee space at 4013 NW Leary Way on May 1. Maria Luisa Empanadas at 928 NW Leary Way was among the Ballard participants in Seattle Restaurant Week this fall.
The Tomte Trail runs November 1 through December 5 and includes 41 participating businesses. Bring your stamped passport to HolidayFest for a prize. Anyone with at least ten stamps is entered in a drawing for a family membership to the National Nordic Museum.
A Holiday Loop on One Bus
The 40 links both neighborhoods' calendars, and the bus lanes on Fremont Pl N, Leary Ave NW and NW Market St cover most of the route between them. Two days work especially well.
A Sunday in either direction:
- Start at the Ballard Farmers Market, open year-round on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. along Ballard Ave NW between 22nd Ave NW and 20th Ave NW. Market details.
- Pick up a Tomte Trail stamp or two on your way to Leary, then cross at the new signal at 20th Ave NW.
- Take the 40 into Fremont, get off at the new Fremont Pl N stop near the Lenin statue, and walk the calmer stretch of N 36th St.
- Finish at the Fremont Sunday Market at 701 N. Northlake Way, which stays open until 4 p.m.
Saturday, December 5:
- Ballard HolidayFest & Market runs from 2 to 8 p.m. at Marvin's Garden Park. It includes free photos with Santa from 2 to 5 p.m., cider, a fire pit with a s'mores station, live music and a tree lighting. Get in line for Santa by 4:30 p.m.
- This year a vendor market also fills the northern end of Ballard Ave NW, with a Ballard Tomte Toss and food and drink specials from restaurants inside the event footprint.
- After dark, walk Leary Ave NW under the wrapped trees before heading back toward Fremont.
SDOT says major construction is finished, though crews may come back over the next few weeks for a few smaller tasks. One more change on the corridor is still in the planning stage: a pilot freight-and-bus lane on parts of Westlake Ave N, where buses and trucks would share the dedicated lane.
If the new crosswalks, quieter blocks and faster bus have you thinking about where in Fremont or Ballard you'd like to live, The Danna Team can walk N 36th and Leary with you and talk through how these streets are changing block by block. Schedule a Private Consultation, and we'll start with the parts of the neighborhood you already know best.
