by on

If you’ve been out and about in the Pike/Pine area of Capitol Hill recently when the bars are closing, you may have seen our new ride-hail locations in action.

In mid November we introduced a new way to catch your Uber, Lyft or other ridehail service during late-night hours in the Pike/Pine area of Capitol Hill. There are now four designated passenger pickup zones to help alleviate congestion and maintain clear routes for emergency vehicles. This program was developed through partnership with the Seattle Police Department, Seattle Office of Film + Music, Uber, and Lyft.

We are happy to report that so far the pilot has been successful in reaching our goals.

We’ve seen improved traffic circulation in the area, and the Seattle Police Department has reported that their ability to patrol and respond in the area has been improved and that crowds are disbursing more quickly with fewer disturbances at the end of the night. Additionally, more riders are catching their rides at the curb and not blocking traffic in the street.

This pilot will continue to run for the foreseeable future and may expand to other areas and times across the city where ridehail services are in similar and consistent high demand.

We need your help!

These passenger load zones depend on being open and available during their effective hours. We installed new curbside signs at the passenger load zones on E Pine and E Union Streets (see map below for zone locations) that indicate no parking in these zones from 12am-3am Friday-Sunday mornings. There will be active parking enforcement in these zones, and parked vehicles may be subject to ticket and tow.

Who does this affect?

Anyone requesting a ridehail service within the geo-fence (see blue area in map) will be directed to the load zone closest to them, with the option of choosing another if it suits their needs better.

How does this work?

Simple! You request your ride and input your destination as normal. An in-app process will then display a map notifying you of the closest pickup point. You may choose that zone or another zone or leave the geo-fence area for a ride.

Once you arrive at the designated zone, you will see the orange Catch Your Ride sign below the regular passenger loading signs to make it clear that you are in the right place. As always, double-check the license plate, car make & model, and driver photo to make sure you are entering the right car.

For questions or comments, please contact us at latenightpickup@seattle.gov.