Metro Weekend Update - Free youth transit passes start Sept 1; weekend construction and event reroute; and more;
King County, Washington sent this bulletin at 08/26/2022 06:16 PM PDT
Remember, “It’s a great day to ride Metro” to get to events and activities where there is often traffic congestion and limited parking.
Weekend Service Impacts
Weekend Construction Reroute for Routes 255, 271, ST 542, and ST 545; Transit service will be rerouted in both directions off the SR 520 bridge from Friday, August 26, at 10 p.m. for eastbound and 11 p.m. for westbound through end of service on Sunday, August 28;
Temporary Bus Stop Closure for Stop 660; 4th Ave & Madison St (northbound), just south of Madison St will be temporarily closed from Friday, August 26 at 7 p.m. to Monday, August 29 at 6 a.m.;
Temporary Construction Reroute for Route 12; Transit service will be rerouted in both directions off of E Madison St between Broadway and 12th Avenue from start of service Saturday, August 27 to end of service Monday, August 29;
Event Reroute for Route 128; Transit service will be rerouted during the Admiral Junction Funktion event on Saturday, August 27 from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.;
Event Reroute for Route 208; Transit service will be rerouted off of the Fairway Loop during the Snoqualmie 5K event Saturday, August 27 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.;
Take transit to all your sport events in Seattle this weekend. Metro and Link Light rail serves riders heading to T-Mobile Park or Lumen Field.
Mariners will be playing all weekend at T-Mobile Park with a double header on Saturday. First pitches are scheduled for Friday at 7:10 p.m., Saturday at 7:10 p.m., and Sunday at 1:10 p.m.;
Seattle Center Monorail will operate extend hours on Saturday, August 27 8:30 a.m. to midnight. The Monorail will depart approximately every 10 minutes;
Get out into nature this weekend and take Trailhead Direct serviceto Mt. Si, Little Si and Mt. Tenriffe;
Temporary Bus Stop Relocation for Trailhead Direct Mt. Si; Spring St & 4th Ave (EB) #1270, just east of 4th Ave, is temporarily relocated to Spring St just east of 5th Ave from June 1 to August 30;
West Seattle Water Taxi and #773 and #775 shuttles are operating on the summer schedule, offering midday crossings 7 days a week, plus late options Fridays and Saturdays;
ORCA and Transit GO payments are encouraged, read more;
We recommend customers arrive at their bus stop a few minutes before the scheduled departure time of their trip;
Remember, it's free and easy to sign up for email or text alerts about King County Metro service. Alerts can be tailored to your favorite route(s).
Beginning Sept. 1, riders 18 and younger can ride for free on transit systems across Washington, including King County Metro buses, water taxis, Access paratransit and on-demand services, Sound Transit buses and Link light rail, Seattle Streetcar, Pierce Transit, Community Transit, Everett Transit, Kitsap Transit, and Snoqualmie Valley Transit.
With the launch of the program, young riders can use current classic blue youth and student ORCA cards, show their student identification, or simply board and ride free. New black ORCA cards will also be available soon and distributed through schools and customer services. Any of these options will work, with more innovations on the horizon in 2023 including the ability to “tap” a smartphone or a “smart” sticker on a student ID.
By adopting a year-round free youth fare policy, King County Metro and other agencies across the state are providing young people access to the region’s innovative, integrated network of public transportation, expanding opportunity, and providing more equitable access.
Metro is working to distribute ORCA cards across King County in partnership with community organizations and schools. Further card distribution will roll out in 2023 and will be expanded over time. Any youth, including students, who currently have an ORCA card, should plan to hold onto it and begin using it on Sept. 1 as their Free Youth Transit Pass – any expiration dates will be extended until June 30, 2023. Details to keep your card activated are on the FreeYouthTransitPass.com web page.
Transit leaders gather for the Free Youth Transit Pass celebration held by King County Metro at Rainier Beach Community Center in Seattle on Thursday, August 25.
ORCA LIFT fares reduced to $1
On September 1, King County Metro will begin offering $1 ORCA LIFT fares for riders who qualify based on their income. Since Executive Constantine launched ORCA LIFT in 2015, nearly 135,000 people have enrolled in a program that has been lauded as a national model. Over the years, 171,000 cards have been issued or renewed, and there are 42,000 current active cardholders. A recent snapshot showed more than 3,000,00 annual rides taken using ORCA LIFT.
RapidRide H Line Construction Update
King County Metro, in partnership with the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) and the City of Burien, is working to upgrade Metro Bus Route 120 — one of our 10 busiest routes — to the RapidRide H Line.
With construction ongoing throughout the project area, Metro is reminding the public that businesses throughout the project area remain open. Visit our Metro Matters blog to learn more about Metro’s ongoing work in the Seattle, White Center and Burien communities.
Weekend festivals ahead: Grab a ride and forget about parking...
Join the Snoqualmie Valley YMCA for an untimed, family friendly 5k run/walk to celebrate 40 years of trails on the Snoqualmie Ridge.
Route 208 will be rerouted for the race on Saturday afternoon. Visit the Service Advisories page for details.
The Admiral Business District with support from the West Seattle Chamber will host the Admiral Junction Funktion with shopping, dinning drinks and live music.
Route 128 will be rerouted for the race on Saturday afternoon. Visit the Service Advisories page for details.
The first Seattle Folklorico Festival hosted by local organization Joyas Mestizas will take place Saturday, August 27 from 11 AM to 4 PM at Westcrest Park.
King County Metro Routes 125 and 131 serve the area.
Metro is hiring part-time and full-time transit operators (bus drivers) and trades professionals to keep the region moving. Learn more on our website.