News Release

Release date: October 13, 2000

Metro prepares for "grand slam" in disruptions to traffic and transit service this weekend

Transit service in downtown and the greater Seattle area will be heavily impacted by the traffic congestion associated with major sporting and other events throughout this weekend. With Metro’s plans for increased service levels to the various events, however, public transit may well be the best way to go. Complete details can be found on Metro’s Web site, Metro Online, at http://transit.metrokc.gov.

Friday, October 13

The grand slam weekend starts with the second day of Seattle Home Show 2 at the Stadium Exhibition Center on Royal Brougham Way at Occidental Avenue South. Most transit routes that serve downtown Seattle, including those that use the downtown bus tunnel, go to or near the Exhibition Center. Use regularly scheduled transit service to the Home Show on Thursday and Friday. On Saturday and Sunday Metro is providing Special free Shuttles every thirty minutes from the Northgate, Greenlake, South Bellevue and South Renton Park and Ride lots. Home Show Shuttles drop off and pick up every thirty minutes Saturday and Sunday southbound on Fourth Avenue South just south of Royal Brougham Way.

The weekend warms up with the Seattle Mariners ALCS Game 3 at 5:12 p.m. With most of its fleet already on the road in the afternoon, Metro encourages fans to ride regularly scheduled transit service to get to SAFECO Field. After the game, Metro will operate the same special Mariners shuttles to downtown Seattle and suburban Park and Ride lots from the same SAFECO Field locations as we have during the regular season.

At about the same time the game is getting under way Friday evening, the streets around Westlake Center may be closed because of a protest rally that will culminate in a march to Seattle Center and back. While the size of this event is not known, it could be big enough to disrupt traffic and close streets around Fourth Avenue, Denny Way and the corridor from Seventh Avenue to Westlake. Transit riders should expect service delays along Olive Way and Stewart Street. Fourth Avenue bus riders should plan to board buses south of Union Street. Farther north in the affected corridor, transit riders should go to stops along their bus’s regular route at least a couple blocks north of Denny.

Saturday, Oct. 14

The 4:42 p.m. Seattle Mariners ALCS Game 4 at SAFECO Field and the Home Show across the street from SAFECO will jam the Sodo area. Because it’s a weekend game, Metro will operate both pre- and post-game special Mariners shuttles from and to thirteen Park and Ride lots in the same manner as during the regular season. Check Metro Online for complete details. Plenty of regularly scheduled transit service also serves the SAFECO Field area.

A previously scheduled American Heart Association "Heart Walk" that was slated to start and end at SAFECO Field on Saturday has been rescheduled for Saturday, Nov. 4. A previously scheduled Presidential campaign stop in Seattle has also been canceled.

Sunday, Oct. 15

The weekend wraps up with Seattle Mariners ALCS Game 5, the Seattle Home Show across the street, and, also at Fourth Avenue South and Royal Brougham Way, Seahawks Special shuttle service to Husky Stadium for their 1 p.m. game. For the Mariners playoff game Metro will operate both pre- and post-game special Mariners shuttles, and Home Show shuttles will operate as previously described. Seahawks fans can park free in the North Stadium lot and the Stadium Exhibition Center and Union Station garages when they show their game tickets. During the two hours and forty minutes prior to kickoff time, shuttles to Husky Stadium leave northbound on Fourth Avenue South just south of Royal Brougham Way. Parking availability in these areas may be impacted by the other events.

The Seahawks and Metro also offer special shuttle service to Husky Stadium from ten other Park and Ride locations throughout King County, including the newly-added South Federal Way Park and Ride at South 348th Street and 9th Avenue South. In addition to its regularly scheduled Sunday service, Metro also operates extra game-day service to Husky Stadium from downtown Seattle, Capitol Hill, Ballard and Lake City.

With three major events converging on Royal Brougham Way between First and Fourth Avenues, competition for parking and vehicle access will be fierce, especially if there is inclement weather. Every effort will be made to operate transit service as close to regular schedules and routes as possible, however delays and, in some cases, unpredictable temporary reroutes may occur.

Metro encourages the use of transit wherever possible this weekend, and urges planning and patience. Go to Metro Online for transit information, as Metro’s phones may be very busy at times; however information about regular and special transit service for events is also available at (206) 553-3000 voice, or (206) 684-1739 TTY.

More details on Metro Online at: http://transit.metrokc.gov/

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