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Seattle’s Third Avenue has new permanent string lights

The string lights installed over downtown Seattle’s Third Avenue are intended to improve safety in the area + encourage other nearby businesses to join in the beautifying effort.

A King County Metro bus drives along Third Avenue downtown under several recently installed strings of lights now hovering above the street.

Believe it or not, this is actually a photo of Seattle, not Paris.

Photo courtesy of King County Metro

Is Seattle the new “City of Lights?”

Okay, maybe not — but Third Avenue did just get a little extra sparkle after the city installed new ambient lighting over Third Avenue.

The new lighting between Stewart and Virginia streets is part of the city’s Downtown Activation Plan, which aims to encourage more locals to spend time in the area.

Safety is also top of mind with the installation, creating better visibility for the block. The city hopes that with the added lighting, surrounding local businesses will join the effort in beautifying the area with their own additions to store fronts.

The lights cost the city $50,000 to install with a minimal amount of projected short-term maintenance costs due to the LED lights’ durability.

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