In observance of Independence Day on Monday, July 4, Metro Transit will operate a Sunday schedule, with 25 additional buses put in service following the major fireworks display at Lake Union. Metro offices, including the Customer Information office and the Lost and Found, will be closed. If a Metro bus route does not normally operate on Sunday, it will not operate on Independence Day.
Transit service Monday night following the Lake Union fireworks display
While crowds will trickle into the Gas Works Park area throughout the day for festivities, everyone is leaving at about the same time after the fireworks, leading to likely service delays and overloaded buses. Here is some information to help get you home:
- Ride routes 32 & 44 from the Wallingford area to the Link light rail University of Washington Station; 10-15 minute service after 10:00 PM; Route 44 service until 2:00 AM; Route 32 will be rerouted between Stone Way N and the U-District.
- To downtown Seattle, ride routes 5, 40 or 62 from the Fremont area; service operates about every 10-15 min until almost 1:00 AM.
- From Aurora Av N, the RapidRide E Line operates to downtown every 15-30 minutes until about 2:00 AM.
- Ride routes 26 & 40 to Northgate from Fremont and Wallingford respectively; service operates about every 30 minutes until about 1:30 AM; Route 26 will be rerouted off of NE 40th St.
- Between downtown Seattle and the University District, ride Route 70 via Eastlake Av E; service about every 15 minutes until 1:00 AM; last trip northbound from downtown is 1:06 AM; last trip southbound from the University is 1:51 AM.
- The South Lake Union Streetcar is operating additional trips after the fireworks display ends.
- Additional buses will be used to mitigate overloads.
Other holiday transit service notes include:
- The West Seattle Water Taxi will operate a Saturday schedule, as will DART routes 773 and 775.
- The Vashon Island Water Taxi route will not operate on Monday.
- The South Lake Union Streetcar will operate extended service until 12:00 midnight and the First Hill Streetcar will operate a weekday schedule with service until 1:00 AM.
- Sound Transit Link Light Rail will operate additional service with the last southbound trip leaving UW Station at 12:36 AM.
- The downtown Seattle transit tunnel will stay open to accommodate the extra Link service.
- Tunnel buses will not operate in the tunnel after midnight and will continue on their regular surface street routing.
Transit service may have planned reroutes, or experience congestion and delays due to extra people trying to board the buses, street closures or traffic associated with community celebrations throughout Metro’s service area. These events include:
- Admiral District Family Parade in West Seattle
- Bellevue Family 4th of July in downtown Bellevue
- Celebrate Kirkland 4th of July Parade
- Bothell July 4th Parade
- Issaquah Downhome Parade
- Seafair Summer 4th at Gas Works Park
Visit Metro’s Service Advisories page to see if there are known impacts to your service due to events on Monday.
Use Metro’s online Regional Trip Planner to plan your transit trip to and from locations and events. Please note, added bus or light rail trips will not be reflected in the trip planner results.
Visit Metro Online for information about Metro Transit’s routes, schedules and trip planning, and for information about service provided by Metro’s regional partners – the City of Seattle, Community Transit, Everett Transit, the King County Water Taxi, Pierce Transit, Sound Transit and the Washington State Ferries.
Thank you for riding and for using Metro’s services. Have a good and safe holiday.