SEATTLE — Public transit agencies across the Puget Sound region are offering free rides on New Year’s Eve to help travelers get to their destinations safely.
Participating agencies include King County Metro, Water Taxi and Metro Flex, Sound Transit Link, Sounder trains, Community Transit, Everett Transit and the Seattle Streetcar.
Fareboxes and ORCA card readers will be covered, and the Transit GO mobile ticketing app won’t allow activations during the fare-free period.
King County Metro buses will operate on a Sunday schedule, and fares will be free from Dec. 31 at 3 a.m. to Jan. 1 at 3 a.m.
Sound Transit Link light rail and Express buses will be free from Dec. 31 at 5 a.m. to Jan. 1 at 3 a.m. Link light rail’s 1 line will operate on a 15-minute service, and the T line will operate on a 20-minute service.
The Sounder Game train will be in operation for the Seahawks game and will also be fare-free.
Community Transit and Everett Transit will be free on Dec. 31, and services will operate on a Sunday schedule.
The Seattle Streetcar will operate on a Sunday schedule until 12:30 a.m. on New Year’s Eve.
Riders should note that the Seattle Monorail will still collect fares on New Year's Eve and will operate until 11 p.m. It will also run from 12:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Jan. 1 to accommodate riders after the fireworks at the Space Needle.
If you want to avoid the traffic on New Year’s Eve, ring in the new year with KING 5’s New Year’s at the Needle programming. Watch beginning at 11:30 p.m. on KING 5 and KING 5+, our free Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV apps. The fireworks show will begin seven minutes before midnight.