Regional transit agencies are urging fans to leave their cars at home and take public transportation as up to 1 million people are expected to gather in downtown Seattle on Wednesday, Feb. 11, to celebrate the Seattle Seahawks’ Super Bowl victory.
The parade is set to start at 11 a.m. at 4th Ave and Washington Street just north of Lumen Field, then travel north on 4th Ave before ending at 4th and Cedar Street. It is expected to last around two hours.
For those not willing to brave the crowds, the parade will also be streamed live on KING5 (also live on their YouTube channel here) and Fox/KCPQ-13.
South King County fans are encouraged to hop on board Sound Transit Link light rail at the Tukwila, SeaTac/Airport, Angle Lake, Kent Des Moines, Star Lake or Federal Way stations and travel downtown as early as possible. Parking will be very limited and many streets will be closed, so driving is not recommended.
Agencies including King County Metro, Sound Transit, Community Transit, Everett Transit, Kitsap Transit, Pierce Transit and Washington State Ferries said they will coordinate service to move fans to and from the parade route along Fourth Avenue.
“Wednesday will be a great day of celebration for our entire region, and I look forward to joining hundreds of thousands of Seahawk fans to celebrate our Super Bowl Champions,” King County Executive Girmay Zahilay said. “Celebrations like this are what the regional transportation network is made for, I encourage residents throughout King County to leave your cars at home and join the celebration.”
Metro General Manager Michelle Allison said the agency will deploy additional resources to handle the surge.
“An event like this is when public transit is as valuable as JSN open in the end zone,” Allison said. “It’s all hands on deck for Metro as we work together with one goal in mind: making sure fans can get safely to the celebration and back home again. Bring your excitement, pack your patience, have a good time and let transit get you there.”
Sound Transit CEO Dow Constantine said Link light rail will run frequently throughout the day.
“We’ll be running extra trains all day to get you and thousands of 12s downtown to celebrate this historic moment,” Constantine said.
Sound Transit said 1 Line trains will operate every six minutes from 5 a.m. through 6 p.m. The line now stretches from Lynnwood to Federal Way. Four additional Sounder commuter rail trips will also operate, including three trains on the S Line from Lakewood and Tacoma and one on the N Line from Everett.
Metro bus service will undergo major reroutes beginning around 5 a.m. as the City of Seattle closes streets ahead of the parade. Many buses that typically travel through downtown will instead drop riders at hubs north and south of the central business district. Special north south shuttle buses will operate within downtown, and riders are encouraged to use the 1 Line to travel through the transit tunnel.
Buses from the north are expected to drop riders near Mercer Street and Queen Anne Avenue or at Boren Avenue and Pike Street, where shuttle connections will be available. Riders from the south and Eastside will be dropped near SODO and Stadium stations, where they can transfer to light rail, walk or take connecting buses.
Pierce Transit will provide special event service from the 512 Park and Ride and Tacoma Dome Station to Federal Way Downtown Station to connect riders to Link light rail. Service will begin at 6 a.m. and operate approximately every 15 minutes until 9 a.m.
Kitsap Transit will add fast ferry capacity from Bremerton, Kingston and Southworth, using additional vessels where possible. King County Water Taxi will operate additional sailings from Vashon and West Seattle, with a third vessel available if needed.
Officials warned that park and ride lots and station parking are expected to fill early. Riders are encouraged to travel early, allow extra time and consider staying downtown after the parade to spread out return demand.
Metro riders can check route adjustments through the agency’s service advisories page and call customer service at (206) 553-3000 for trip planning assistance. Sound Transit and other agencies have also posted parade day travel information on their websites.
For more info on traveling to the parade, click here.
