Transit Alert – Ride transit to the Seafair Torchlight run and parade, hiking, Mariners & other weekend activities; expect some reroutes and construction delays; text your stop ID to 62550

Transit service will be affected by several community events in and around King County this weekend, including the Bellevue Arts Fair through Sunday; The Seafair Torchlight Run and Parade and the Renton River Days Parade on Saturday, and the St Gebriel Ethiopian Orthodox Church Celebration on Sunday.

Expect possible delays or service disruptions due to closed streets, and traffic congestion associated with community activities and area construction projects.

Even if service is affected by street closures, temporary reroutes or delays, riding transit is still a great way to get to events and activities where there is often traffic congestion and limited parking.

Ride Metro with your ORCA card, or with a Transit GO ticket on your smart phone.  Transit GO offers day passes at $4 for youths aged 6-18, and $8 for adults aged 19-64.

When buses are rerouted around event venues, they still usually travel close to the regular route.  Nearly all transit service that operates through downtown Seattle travels close to T-Mobile Park and CenturyLink Field, or provides an easy transfer to service that does.

The posted start and end times of transit service disruptions related to sporting, community or construction events may be subject to change. Plan ahead, use regularly published schedules, allow plenty of travel time and expect possible delays.

Text your stop ID to 62550 to find out the next scheduled or estimated departure time of transit service at a stop.

Ride transit to weekend activities
Metro encourages everyone to ride transit to and from events; sign up for Transit Alerts; be aware of activities in your area; plan ahead, allow plenty of time; plan your return trip, and check the online Service Advisories page before traveling, in order to know if there are expected service disruptions or reroutes that might affect your travel plans.

Bellevue Arts Fair
From Thursday, July 25, through Sunday, July 28, some transit service in downtown Bellevue will be rerouted due to street closures and traffic congestion associated with the Bellevue Arts Fair.

Metro routes 240 and 246 will be rerouted off of 106th Av NE between NE 4th St and NE 8th St.  Other routes may experience service delays due to multiple activities in downtown Bellevue.

Mariners
Expect possible transit service delays in the SODO and stadium areas due to traffic, crowds and congestion associated with Mariners games at T-Mobile Park this weekend.

Saturday will be extra busy with both a Mariners game at 1:10 PM, and the Seafair Torchlight Run and Parade starting in the early evening.

Seafair Torchlight Run and Parade
On Saturday, July 27, from approximately 5:30 PM until 10:30 PM, transit service in the Seattle Center, downtown Seattle and adjacent areas will be rerouted with expected delays during the Seafair Torchlight Run and Parade.

While most buses that operate in the Seattle Center and downtown Seattle areas will be rerouted at some point, riding transit is still the best way to get to Torchlight and other events, as many streets will be closed, traffic will be congested and parking will be limited. Even rerouted buses still go to within 1-2 blocks of the parade route.  Use Link light rail to get through downtown quickly.

Some Torchlight-related transit service revisions start Friday evening when Pine Street closes and bus service is rerouted due to the parade grandstand placement at 4th Av. The Pine Street closure and associated transit reroutes last until about 3:00 PM on Sunday.

Trailhead Direct
Trailhead Direct is a seasonal service that operates on weekends and holidays between April and October during the hiking season.

Four Trailhead Direct routes provide service to the Issaquah Alps, Cougar Mountain, Mount Si & Mt Teneriffe and Mailbox Peak trailheads.

Riding Trailhead Direct requires payment of a regular Metro fare in both directions with cash, ORCA or the Transit GO mobile app

Hike safely. Take plenty of water. Let someone know where you are going and be aware that cell service availability may be limited.

Friday, July 26
Bellevue Arts Fair
On Friday, July 26, Metro routes 240 and 246 will be rerouted in downtown Bellevue during the Bellevue Arts Fair.

The Enumclaw Street Fair
On Friday, Metro Route 186 and DART Route 915 will be rerouted in downtown Enumclaw during the Enumclaw Street Fair.

Mariners
On Friday, the Mariners play at T-Mobile Park starting at 7:10 PM.

Saturday, July 27
Bellevue Arts Fair
On Sat, 7/27, Metro Route 240 will be rerouted in downtown Bellevue during the Bellevue Arts Fair.

The Enumclaw Street Fair
On Saturday, DART Route 915 will be rerouted in downtown Enumclaw during the Enumclaw Street Fair.

Magnolia Farmers Market
Each Saturday through 11/23, from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Metro Route 31 is rerouted during the Magnolia Farmers Market.

The Renton River Days Parade
On Saturday, from 7:00 AM until 2:00 PM, most transit service in downtown Renton will be affected by street closures and traffic congestion associated with the Renton River Days Parade.

Mariners
On Saturday, the Mariners play at T-Mobile Park starting at 1:10 PM.

Seafair Torchlight run and parade
On Saturday, July 27, from approximately 5:30 PM until 10:30 PM, Metro routes 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 26, 28, 40, 41, 47, 49, 62, 70, 131, 132, 101, 150, 255, the RapidRide C and E Lines, Sound Transit Express routes 522, 545, 550 and 554, and Trailhead Direct – Mount Si service will be rerouted and delayed in the Seattle Center, downtown Seattle and adjacent areas by the Seafair Torchlight run and parade.

Sunday, July 28
Saint Gebriel Ethiopian Orthodox Church Celebration
On Sunday, July 28, from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM, Metro Route 4 will be affected near Judkins Park during the Saint Gebriel Ethiopian Orthodox Church Celebration.

Mariners
On Sunday, the Mariners play at T-Mobile Park starting at 1:10 PM.

Construction
Known construction-related impacts to transit service are posted in Metro’s online Service Advisories table and sent to Transit Alert subscribers. 

It’s a good idea to sign up for Transit Alerts or otherwise check for a service advisory before you travel.

Next week – Fleet Week
Events
The week of July 29 thru August 4 hosts another full round of Seafair events including hydroplane races, the Blue Angels and many more community events.

Military members ride free
During Seafair Fleet Week, from Monday, July 29 through Sunday, August 4, military personnel in uniform or with military ID, ride free on all King County Metro and Sound Transit services, including Link, Sounder, Community Ride, Community Shuttle and Community Van.

Transit service during unexpected or civic events
In areas where there are crowds, traffic, weather or civic events, whether scheduled or unexpected, disrupting normal travel patterns or activities, transit riders are advised to be aware of conditions in their immediate vicinity – such as street closures, detours, police directions, etc. - and be prepared for delays or to make revisions to travel plans, such as using a different bus stop or a different route, based on specific circumstances.

During these kinds of events, be prepared for unexpectedly revised traffic or routing, and for delays in transit service. Transit riders are encouraged to know the alternate stops or routes that may be near their starting points and destinations.

Depending on the time and the nature of such events, Metro may not be able to provide real-time information or service updates via email or text.  Event start and end times and other details may be subject to change.

Additional information
Visit Metro’s website for information about Metro and regional transportation services.

Visit Metro’s online or mobile regional Puget Sound Trip Planner to plan your travel, and for bus stop, schedule, predicted times at stops and other information.

Text your stop ID to 62550 for scheduled and estimated departure times, as well as known individual trip cancelations.

Sign up for Transit Alerts.

Visit Metro’s Service Advisories page for information about revised bus service, routing and stops for planned events. 

Visit the King County Water Taxi site for information about regular and holiday Water Taxi operation.

Visit the Community Transit, Pierce Transit, Sound Transit or Washington State Ferries websites for information about services provided by Metro’s regional transit partners.

For non-transit traffic or other local updates, check media sources, follow @seattledot or visit
- https://twitter.com/seattledot
- https://twitter.com/SeattlePD

Have a good and safe weekend.

Thank you for riding and using Metro's services.