MYNORTHWEST NEWS

Seattle ambassadors tackle trash, graffiti, and tourist help in push to beautify downtown

Jun 18, 2025, 1:30 PM

seattle downtown ambassadors...

A Downtown Seattle Association ambassador cleans up graffiti on the side of a building. (Photo courtesy of Downtown Seattle Association)

(Photo courtesy of Downtown Seattle Association)

The Downtown Seattle Association (DSA) released new data on its ambassadors over the past year, highlighting their efforts to help Seattle shine.

DSA Spokesperson James Sido said last fiscal year, the 165 ambassadors welcomed more than a million visitors to downtown, helped 47,000 tourists with directions, cleaned up more than a million gallons of trash, and removed nearly 49,000 graffiti tags and stickers.

“You can feel it, and you can see the street and the sidewalks filling with vibrancy and activity,” Sido told KIRO Newsradio. “It’s a really good time to be down here, right now.”

You can’t miss the ambassadors along Seattle’s downtown streets, wearing green and blue vests and giving tourists directions while keeping the city clean.

“We need to step on the gas when it comes to taking advantage of the momentum we have and make sure that it remains a delightful experience for people,” Sido said. “These men and women are going out there, day in and day out. They’re really taking care of this place, and they’re doing a great job.”

Seattle’s Downtown Ambassador program has been in place since 1999.

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Seattle ambassadors tackle trash, graffiti, and tourist help in push to beautify downtown