The Seafair Torchlight Parade kicks off a busy week leading up to Seafair weekend and Metro has options for people traveling to see hydro races, air shows and other festivities.

Riders should prepare for delays and bus reroutes during Saturday’s parade and other events such as temporary closures of the Interstate 90 floating bridge for the Blue Angels.

Torchlight Parade, Saturday, July 29
Buses traveling through downtown Saturday could experience delays of 30 minutes or more between 5 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. during the Alaska Airlines Seafair Torchlight Run and Parade. Transit customers traveling through downtown are advised to ride Link light rail or buses that use the Downtown Transit Tunnel during the events.

Details about reroutes are on Metro Online or Sound Transit’s rider alerts page. Metro riders can use the online Trip Planner or call Metro’s Customer Information Office at 206-553-3000 to plan transit trips to Saturday’s events. The Customer Information Office is open weekdays, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

If you’re traveling via King County Water Taxi, the taxi will operate its usual weekend schedule out of West Seattle, with the last sailing out of downtown Seattle leaving at 10:45 p.m. For a full sailing schedule and more information, visit kingcounty/watertaxi.

Ride transit to the hydros, August 5-6
Metro will add service to the Route 50, with buses every 15 minutes from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for passengers traveling to the Albert Lee Cup hydro races. Route 50, which normally operates every 30 minutes, serves Genesee Park near the Stan Sayres Pit on Lake Washington and connects with light rail at the Columbia City and Othello light rail stations.

I-90 bridge closure reroutes and shuttles, August 3-6
When the Blue Angels take to Seattle’s skies, all I-90 bus service will be rerouted to State Route 520 during I-90 bridge closures, which affect eastbound, westbound, mainline and express lanes. Certain I-90 and I-5 ramps also will close 30 minutes to one hour before flight times.

During the I-90 closures, Metro will provide shuttle bus service between the park-and-ride lots at Eastgate and Mercer Island on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, August 3-6. Regular fares will be required on the I-90 shuttles.

Sound Transit Routes 550 and 554, which normally travel via I-90, will be rerouted to SR 520 and will not serve stops on I-90 at Rainier Avenue South and Mercer Island.

 I-90 transit service will be rerouted during the following times and days:

  • Thursday, Aug. 3, 9:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.; 1 p.m. – 2:40 p.m.
  • Friday, Aug. 4, 12:55 p.m. – 2:40 p.m.
  • Saturday, Aug. 5, 12:55 p.m. – 2:40 p.m.
  • Sunday, Aug. 6, 12:55 p.m. – 2:40 p.m.

NOTE: There is no Mercer Island shuttle on Sunday. WSDOT has I-90 bridge closure information and the Seafair website has event information.

Details about reroutes are on Metro’s Service Advisories page. Riders  can use the online Trip Planner or call Metro’s Customer Information Office at 206-553-3000 to plan their transit trips to Seafair weekend events.