If you are among the 100,000 people signed up to attend the SR 99 Step Forward festivities this weekend, Metro encourages you to plan ahead. With very limited parking in the SR 99 tunnel portal areas, event participants should travel early, ride transit or share rides and allow plenty of time. Metro will be both a primary transportation resource for – and significantly affected by – the tunnel grand opening events.

Sail to the Celebration

For attendees from West Seattle and surrounding areas, Metro will offer a special Saturday-only West Seattle Water Taxi service every 35-40 minutes from 5:55 a.m. to 7 p.m.

To get to Seacrest Dock, parking for 250 vehicles and looping free shuttle service is available at the Pier 2 parking lot on Harbor Ave. SW. Please be aware that the Pier 2 parking lot will close at 7:45 p.m. on Saturday evening and not re-open until Monday morning.

Route 773 and 775 buses will not operate on Saturday, and there is no other regular Saturday bus service to Seacrest Dock. Riders are otherwise encouraged to share rides, get dropped off and picked up, or bike or walk to the dock.

Details on water taxi offerings and connections from there to the event are here.

Check for Bus Reroutes

Major events such as Step Forward can significantly affect bus service. Areas expected to be most affected are downtown Seattle, Belltown, Seattle Center and SODO, however, other areas may experience delays and crowding as well.

Most bus routes that go closer to the SR 99 tunnel portal areas will be rerouted in order to best maintain service levels. It is likely that event-goers will still use the same routes, but different, temporary stops, and walk a few blocks farther to or from the event entrances.

From Friday, Feb. 1 at 10 p.m. through Monday, Feb. 4 at 5 a.m., Metro routes 3, 4, 5, 21, 26, 28, 131, 132 and the RapidRide E Line will be rerouted, and will travel instead via alternate nearby streets.

See Metro’s Service Advisories page for information about revised Metro bus service, routing and stops.

Think Link Light Rail

Whether you are starting from the University of Washington, downtown Seattle, Beacon Hill, the Rainier Valley or south King County, riding Link light rail is a great way to get to the SR 99 grand opening event.

The Link corridor is served by parking capacity at Angle Lake and Tukwila International Blvd stations and by bus routes at every station that make connections from many other areas.

During the Event

Once at the event, Metro will provide free shuttle bus service from the south hub to the north portal entrance. Riders may board the shuttle buses northbound on E. Frontage Rd. S., west of 1st Ave. S. and just south of S. Royal Brougham Way.

Additional Details

  • All standard fares and payment methods apply, including ORCA card, cash (exact change), ticket vending, and Transit GO mobile app.
  • Visit Metro’s online or mobile regional Puget Sound Trip Planner to plan your travel, and for information about bus stops, schedules, predicted times at stops and other information.
  • Use Metro’s text for departures tool. Text your transit stop ID to 62550 to find out when the next transit service is scheduled or predicted at your stop.
  • More information on events planned for Feb. 2-3 can be found at 99stepforward.com.