Summary

King County Metro will join regional transit agencies to provide free rides to help people safely celebrate New Year’s Eve.

Story

King County Executive Dow Constantine announced today that Metro will join other regional transit agencies to provide free rides this New Year’s Eve. Riders can travel without paying fares on King County Metro, Sound Transit, Community Transit, Everett Transit, and the Seattle Streetcar as part of their celebrations.

“Transit systems across our region are offering you the opportunity to not worry about traffic, parking, or getting behind the wheel as you celebrate the start of 2023,” said Executive Constantine. “Whether you’re looking to enjoy the fireworks, meet friends to ring in the New Year, or have a quiet dinner at your favorite restaurant, you can leave the driving to us. We look forward to seeing you on board!”

The fareboxes and ORCA card readers on Metro buses will be covered to remind customers not to pay. The Transit GO Ticket mobile ticketing app will not allow ticket activations during this period for all Metro services, the Seattle Streetcar, and Sound Transit.

Regional transit agencies will be operating on the following schedules to accommodate fare-free New Year’s Eve rides:

• King County Metro: Buses will operate on their regular Saturday schedule and be fare-free from 3 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 31, through 3 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 1. Other Metro services operating fare-free include DART, Via to Transit, Ride Pingo to Transit, Community Van, and Access service. Please note Via to Transit will only operate until 2 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 1.
• Sound Transit: Link light rail and Sound Transit Express buses are fare-free from 4 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 31, to 2 a.m. Sunday., Jan. 1. Sound Transit will operate extended Link light rail service on New Year’s Eve, with 15-minute, late-night service. The last southbound trip will leave Northgate Station at 1:58 a.m. The last northbound train will leave Angle Lake Station at 1:41 a.m. For more information go to the Sound Transit website.
• Community Transit: All Community Transit buses, Zip Alderwood Shuttle, and Snohomish County DART paratransit services will operate on a Saturday schedule and are fare-free from 4 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 31 through the end of the service day. Please check the Community Transit website, as route times vary.
• Everett Transit: All services will operate fare-free on a regular Saturday schedule – 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
• Seattle Streetcar: Both streetcar lines will operate Saturday service hours. The South Lake Union Streetcar will operate on New Year’s Eve until 12:30 a.m. to accommodate fireworks viewing downtown.
• King County Water Taxi: The water taxi will operate fare-free on Dec. 31 but will be out of service on Jan. 1. and Jan. 2.
• Seattle Monorail: The monorail will collect regular fares and is scheduled to operate from Westlake to the Seattle Center until 11 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. After the evening’s events at Seattle Center, service to Westlake will run from 12:30 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.

New Year’s Day service
On Sunday, Jan. 1, and Monday, Jan. 2, transit customers are reminded that King County Metro buses, Sound Transit Express buses, Link light rail, and Tacoma Link will operate on Sunday schedules, and the regular, valid fare will be required on all services beginning at 3 a.m. Jan. 1. Details are posted on Metro’s and Sound Transit’s holiday and reduced service pages.

Customer service, trip planning support, and tools

• Most King County offices, including Metro’s Lost and Found, will be closed in observance of the New Year’s holiday on Jan.2.
• Trip planning specialists at Metro’s Call Center are available by phone Wednesday, Dec. 28, through Friday, Dec. 30, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 206-553-3000.
• To plan a trip or check the status of your bus, use Metro’s Trip Planner. Regular fares will still be displayed on trip itineraries. The “Next Departures” section will show you the real-time status of buses operating at your location. You also can text your stop number to 62550 for on-the-go updates. Temporary service disruptions are not reflected in Trip Planner results; check the online Service Advisories table for updates.

Relevant links

• King County Metro | Holiday Schedule
• Sound Transit | Holiday Schedule
• Community Transit | Schedules
• King County Water Taxi | Holiday Schedule

Quotes

Transit systems across our region are offering you the opportunity to not worry about traffic, parking, or getting behind the wheel as you celebrate the start of 2023. Whether you’re looking to enjoy the fireworks, meet friends to ring in the New Year, or have a quiet dinner at your favorite restaurant, you can leave the driving to us. We look forward to seeing you on board!

For more information, contact:

Chase Gallagher, Executive Office, 206-263-8537