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Riding transit to the Seahawks season opener? Plan plenty of travel time

King County Metro Transit Sept. 3, 2014 Metro Transit advises fans and commuters to plan ahead as tens of thousands of people head to downtown Seattle Thursday, Sept. 4, to cheer on the champion Seahawks in their football season opener and attend a pre-game concert. Riders should allow plenty of travel time or revise travel […]

King County Metro Transit

Sept. 3, 2014

Metro Transit advises fans and commuters to plan ahead as tens of thousands of people head to downtown Seattle Thursday, Sept. 4, to cheer on the champion Seahawks in their football season opener and attend a pre-game concert.

Riders should allow plenty of travel time or revise travel plans if necessary to avoid possibly significant traffic delays and crowded buses.

Delays are possible on any service that travels in or near downtown Seattle, especially near the stadiums and Pioneer Square. Other areas of the transit system might also face delays.

As riders plan how they will travel, they should keep in mind the timing of key events Thursday: The NFL Gameday Village in Pioneer Square opens at 10 a.m.; gates for the free pre-game Soundgarden and Pharrell Williams concert and the stadium open at 2:30 p.m.; after the concert ends, kickoff is at 5:30 p.m.

Routes 16, 66 & 99 will be rerouted on ThursdayIn addition to likely delays in service, all day on Thursday, Sept. 4, Metro routes 16, 66 & 99 will be rerouted off of South Jackson Street between Fourth and First avenues South, due to the Seahawks season-opening home game and NFL events.

  • During this event, northbound routes 16, 66 and 99 will travel instead via Fourth Avenue South, Prefontaine Place South, Yesler Way and First Avenue to their regular routes, serving all posted stops along the reroute.
  • Southbound routes 16 and 66 on their way into downtown Seattle will not be rerouted.
  • Southbound Route 99 heading toward the International District will travel via Cherry Street, Second Avenue, the Second Avenue Extension Street and South Jackson Street to its regular route, serving all posted bus stops.

Metro’s Service Advisories page has specific reroute information. Transit reroute start and end times may be subject to change. Metro’s online regional Trip Planner to find out how to get to andfrom events and locations. Be sure to allow plenty of time for transit trips on Wednesday and Thursday. Track Metro’s Tweets and Eye on Your Metro Commute blog, active 3-7 p.m.

Other tools for travelers

Seattle Department of Transportation: Real-time traffic information http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/travelers

Sound Transit: Advice to travelers http://www.soundtransit.org/Rider-Community/Rider-news/Rider-information-for-Sept-4-NFL-Kickoff

Washington State Department of Transportation: Traffic map http://www.wsdot.com/traffic/seattle/default.aspx

Seahawks event information: http://www.seahawks.com/schedule/game/2014/regular1/kickoff.html