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News from King County Department of Transportation
Release date:
April 30, 2007
Transit disruptions expected throughout
downtown Seattle Tuesday afternoon
King County Metro Transit is
expecting delays and disruptions to transit service throughout downtown
Seattle on Tuesday afternoon, May 1, due to a civic march and an evening
baseball game.
On Tuesday from about 4-6 p.m., a May Day march in the north part of
downtown Seattle will affect nearly all transit service that travels in
any direction through, to, or from the Seattle Center, South Lake Union,
Belltown and downtown areas. A large number of marchers is expected.
The march will start at Seattle Center at about 4 p.m. and travel south
on Fifth Avenue North and Fifth Avenue, west on Pine Street, north on
Fourth Avenue, east on Broad Street, north on Fifth Avenue North and
west on Harrison Street back into Seattle Center.
At the same time this event is taking place, baseball fans will also be
heading to a 7:05 p.m. Mariners game, affecting traffic in the middle
and southern parts of downtown, Pioneer Square, the International
District and SODO.
If you plan to travel downtown on Tuesday, Metro encourages you to:
- Leave your car at home or at a convenient park-and-ride lot, and
ride transit;
- Avoid downtown, or plan to travel prior to 3:30 p.m. or after
6:30 p.m.; and
- Expect and plan for significant congestion and delays affecting
all traffic – including buses – from lower Queen Anne to south SODO,
and from the waterfront to Interstate 5.
During the march, no buses or traffic will be allowed to cross
Fourth or Fifth Avenues in either direction on east/west streets
from Pine Street to Mercer Street. Additionally, no transit or
traffic will be allowed to travel on Fifth Avenue North between
Mercer Street and Denny Way, or on Fourth or Fifth Avenues between
Denny Way and Pike Street.
Additional information will be posted in Metro Online later today.
In general, until police reopen Fourth and Fifth Avenues Tuesday
evening, follow these guidelines.
If your bus normally travels:
- Through downtown Seattle via southbound Interstate 5 or
Eastlake Avenue East and Stewart Street, it will be diverted
instead to Union Street and then onto normal southbound downtown
routing. Board or exit these buses at regularly posted stops
along their regular routes south of Union Street.
- On Pine Street – Board or exit at regularly posted stops
east of Seventh Avenue or westbound on Union Street just west of
Sixth Avenue, or at regularly posted stops along the regular
route south of Union Street.
- North on Third Avenue and leaves downtown on Olive Way or
Virginia or Blanchard Streets – Board or exit at regularly
posted stops on Third Avenue south of Pike Street. These buses
will miss their normal routing and stops north of Pike.
- North on Fourth Avenue and then via Denny Way and to the
west of Seattle Center – Board or exit on Fourth Avenue between
Marion and Madison streets or northbound along Third Avenue at
posted stops north of Pine Street.
- North on Fourth Avenue leaving downtown via Olive Way or
Virginia Street – Board or exit at regularly posted stops on
Fourth Avenue south of Pike Street. These buses will miss their
normal routing and stops north of Pike.
- South on Third or Second Avenues from starting points or
layover locations on I-5, Eastlake or Stewart, Lenora or Bell
Streets – Board or exit at regularly posted stops on Third or
Second avenues south of Stewart Street. Prior to that location
these buses will be rerouted and will miss stops east of Third
Avenue.
- South on Fifth Avenue all the way to Yesler Way – Board or
exit at regularly posted stops on Fifth Avenue south of Union
Street.
- South on Fifth Avenue and turning off at either Union or
Madison streets – Board or exit at normal stops west of Third
Avenue or south of Union or Madison.
- On Fifth Avenue North on the east side of Seattle Center –
Board or exit at regularly posted stops on Third Avenue between
Virginia and Vine streets.
Buses that typically stay west of Fourth Avenue or use Pike
or Union streets to get into and out of the downtown area will
not be rerouted; however, they will likely experience
significant delays due to traffic congestion.
For more information visit
Metro Online, or call Metro’s Rider Information Office at
(206) 553-3000.
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