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Military personnel ride transit free during Fleet Week

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Sound Transit, King County Metro, and King County Water Taxi to provide free train and bus service to members of the military in uniform or showing valid military I.D.

This news release was issued jointly by King County and Sound Transit.

Sound Transit, King County Metro and the King County Water Taxi will continue their annual Seafair tradition of honoring members of the military by providing free transit service July 31-August 5.

During Seafair Fleet Week, members and former members of the Armed Forces, including active duty, veterans and retirees, can ride free on Link light rail and Sounder trains, Sound Transit Express and Metro buses, and the Vashon and West Seattle Water taxis. 

Service members not in uniform are asked to show their military identification to the transit operator upon boarding a bus or train, or to fare inspectors if requested. Valid forms of military I.D. include a Uniformed Identification Card, a Veteran Health Identification Card or a Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty Form (also referred to as a DD-214). 

Ships from the U.S. Navy, U.S Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy are expected to sail into Seattle this week, with vessels docking at piers along the waterfront for the public to tour and enjoy. More information on Fleet Week and the Parade of Ships is available on seafair.com.

All customers riding Sound Transit and Metro trains and buses to Seafair activities should plan ahead and allow plenty of time for traffic delays and road closures. Visit Sound Transit's alerts page or Metro's online Service Advisories page to find out about bus reroutes or other planned service changes.

Regular fares are required for non-military riders.

Ride transit to hydro races August 4-5

To accommodate crowds attending the Albert Lee Cup hydroplane races, Metro will add trips to its Route 50 bus and provide Saturday and Sunday service every 15 minutes between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Route 50, which normally operates every 30 minutes, serves Genesee Park near the Stanley Sayres Pit and connects with Link light rail at Columbia City and Othello stations. There will be no other special service to this event.

I-90 bridge closure reroutes and shuttles, August 2-4 for the Blue Angels

When the Blue Angels take to Seattle's skies, all I-90 bus service will reroute to State Route 520 during the I-90 bridge (all eastbound and westbound lanes) closures. Some I-90 and I-5 ramps also will close 30 minutes to one hour before flight times. 

During the I-90 closures, Sound Transit Express routes 550 and 554, which normally travel via I-90, will be rerouted to SR 520 and will not serve stops on I-90 at Rainier Avenue South and Mercer Island. Metro will provide shuttle bus service between the Eastgate and Mercer Island park-and-ride lots. Regular fares are required on the I-90 shuttles for non-military riders. 

All I-90 transit service will be rerouted during the following times and days:

  • Thursday, Aug. 2: 9:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.; 1 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
  • Friday, Aug. 3: 12:55 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
  • Saturday, Aug. 4: 12:55 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
  • Sunday, Aug. 5: 12:55 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. 

More information on I-90 bridge closures is available on the WSDOT and Seafair websites.

Details about reroutes will be posted on the Sound Transit Rider Alerts and Metro Service Advisories pages. Riders can use the Sound Transit Customer trip planner at soundtransit.org and the Metro trip planner at http://tripplanner.kingcounty.gov/ to plan trips to Seafair events.

Complete Sound Transit train and bus schedules are available at soundtransit.org/Schedules. 

Riders can sign up to receive automatic e-mail service alerts for Tacoma Link, ST Express, Sounder Seattle-Everett, Sounder Seattle-Lakewood or Link light rail. Rider alerts can inform you about special service to events, alert you to holiday schedule changes and help you plan your trip around inclement weather. Just go to soundtransit.org.