Starting today, King County Metro Transit is expanding its service on Mariner game days, to help both baseball fans and commuters ease through the downtown traffic.

Bus riders who normally board along First Avenue South will now have two options on game days. Beginning shortly before the end of each game, and until traffic clears, Metro is adding supplemental service on First Avenue. Riders can choose between traveling more quickly along on a reroute a few blocks east, or they can wait for the bus at their usual stop and travel along with the other post-game traffic on First Avenue.

To keep traffic moving quickly around the stadium during home games, Metro has been rerouting all of its regularly scheduled First Avenue South and Fourth Avenue South buses to avoid the area near Safeco Field. Approximately two hours after the start of each game, buses are rerouted to travel along the Metro Busway located between Fourth Avenue South and Sixth Avenue South, just east of the ballpark.

"The game-day reroutes are working great for bus passengers who want to move through traffic on schedule," said Metro General Manager Rick Walsh. "But many of our passengers prefer the convenience of boarding a bus on First Avenue, even if it means the trip takes a little longer because of the traffic. So, we are giving them a choice."

The Fourth Avenue reroutes will remain in effect on game days.

In addition to all the regular routes serving Safeco, this year Metro has expanded its popular premium shuttle service that is available after the evening games - and in both directions on weekends. The Mariners shuttles serve a total of 13 park and ride lots including: South Kirkland; South Bellevue; Eastgate; South Renton; Tukwila; Kent; Kent-Des Moines; Federal Way; Star Lake; Northgate, and the Northgate Transit Center. Post-game shuttles also serve the Mercer Island and Burien P&R lots.