Metro Transit Alert – Wearing a mask is required on all transit service; find your best fare option; be safe

King County, Washington sent this bulletin at 10/23/2020 05:00 PM PDT

Thank you Metro riders for wearing a mask or face covering while riding, and in all public spaces. Metro appreciates riders’ observance of all safety and health guidelines.

Agency-wide core values continue to guide Metro’s response to the varied and changing impacts of the COVID pandemic.   

Metro is committed to continuous improvement, and is implementing innovations to improve your transit experience. For a look at Metro’s recovery plan, visit the Metro Matters blog.

Fare options
Metro believes that mobility is a human and right and recognizes that some riders may sometimes face financial hardships that make paying a fare on transit challenging. Metro offers a range of fare options to help all riders. Some may have their transit passes covered by their employer or school, while others may qualify for reduced fares based on age, mobility challenges or income level.

Check for the fare option that is right for you.

Tapping your ORCA card is the fastest and safest way to pay your fare. Visit Metro’s website to learn about managing your ORCA account.

Current Metro news and service
Metro is moving ahead with its budget process and longer-term planning for north-end transit service when Link light rail expands to Northgate in 2021.  You are invited to learn more and to be involved.

It’s possible that Metro service may be intermittently and temporarily interrupted or rerouted during civic events in the downtown, Capitol Hill or other neighborhoods in its service area.  See below for information about planning ahead for possible service interruptions.

Community Ride, Rideshare & Via to Transit
Community Ride, rideshare and on-demand services may help some riders make transit connections.

Community Ride is a reservation-based, on demand transportation service that travels within a service area instead of along a fixed route.

Visit RideshareOnline.com to find a vanpool or carpool match for your commute.

Use the app to ride Via to Transit to connect with Link light rail and buses at the Othello, Rainier Beach or Tukwila International Blvd Link stations.

Ride safely
Metro thanks riders for following safety policies and guidelines, including:

  • Wearing a face covering in public and while riding on transit.
  • Staying home if you are sick.
  • Maintaining 6 feet of distance from others.
  • Observing and abiding by posted directions and decals.

Watch for new or changing information.

Transit information

Transit service may be interrupted by civic events or activities
In areas where there are planned or unplanned crowds, traffic, weather or civic events disrupting normal travel patterns or activities, transit riders are advised to be aware of conditions in their immediate vicinity, such as street closures or detours, 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.

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.

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

Know before you go
During events that disrupt transit service, online or real time customer information planning tools and third-party apps may be inaccurate. While these tools will be updated to reflect fall service change schedules, they may not reflect all temporary schedule changes.

These systems may still provide useful information, such as maps and bus stop information.

  • Check to see the status of a trip by using ‘Next Departures’ in Metro’s Trip Planner, or Text for Departures by texting your stop ID to 62550.
  • Riders can contact Metro Customer Information at 206-553-3000 Monday through Friday, 6 AM-8 PM for transit information, and from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM to make a comment, or for assistance with ORCA.
  • Reach us on the web any time to use our comment form.
  • Sound Transit’s Link and Sounder rail services and some ST Express bus routes may also be affected. Transferring riders should check Sound Transit’s service alerts.

 Thank you for riding and for using Metro’s services.  Be safe.