Transit best bet to major sporting events in Seattle this weekend

Fans can avoid weekend traffic congestion and ride hassle-free to the Sounders FC, Mariners and Husky games.

Sounders FC fans can skip traffic coming into Seattle this weekend by riding Sound Transit's Sounder event trains to the Colorado Rapids 1 p.m. match on Saturday, September 29. Link will serve the Husky's 5:30 p.m. game against the BYU Cougars on Saturday. Link and ST Express will serve the Mariners vs. Texas Rangers games on Saturday and Sunday, September 30.

On Saturday the Sounders' train from the south will depart Lakewood at 10:10 a.m. The Sounders' train from the north will depart Everett at 10:45 a.m. Return trains depart King Street Station 35 minutes after the match. Both trains will serve all stops along the routes.

A complete schedule of Sounder service to select games this year is available at soundtransit.org/schedules/event-services.

Special Sounder service is in addition to regular Link light rail service to and from CenturyLink and Safeco fields. Link runs every 10 minutes on Saturday and Sunday and serves 16 stations at the University of Washington, on Capitol Hill, in downtown Seattle, SODO, Beacon Hill, Rainier Valley, Tukwila and SeaTac. Link's Stadium and International District stations are a short walk from CenturyLink and Safeco fields.

Many ST Express and King County Metro buses also drop off passengers near the stadiums. Link and ST Express bus schedules are available at soundtransit.org/schedule. King County Metro bus schedules can be found at metro.kingcounty.gov/schedules/.

Riders should expect crowding and possible delays on buses and trains due to crowds. In addition to the Angle Lake and Tukwila International Boulevard station garages the Port of Seattle offers special weekend game day pricing at the Sea-Tac Airport garage. https://www.portseattle.org/sea-tac/parking/game-day-parking.

Sounder and Link riders can avoid the lines for the ticket vending machines going home by paying for the return trip with the purchase of a Day Pass. One-way tickets and Day Passes can also be purchased with the Transit GO Ticket app. Another way to skip lines at ticket vending machines is by getting an ORCA card. Cards only cost $5 for adults, plus whatever amount a rider chooses to load in the card's E-purse or the cost of a pass that is good for unlimited transit trips. ORCA works on trains, buses and ferries throughout the region. More information is available at orcacard.com.

The Mariners have ended their Link ticket promotion so all fans will need to purchase a ticket (at a Ticket Vending Machine or with the Transit GO Ticket App) or use their ORCA card.