Summary

King County Metro will usher in 2019 with free rides for all customers starting at 7 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. People celebrating or working late will also be able to ride the Seattle Streetcar for free, and Sound Transit Link light rail will be extending service to 2 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 1. Metro bus routes will operate on Sunday service schedules Dec. 25 and Jan. 1. Many Metro routes provide frequent service on Sundays and holidays.

Story

For the second year, King County Metro will offer free rides on New Year’s Eve. Rides will be free from 7 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 31, to 4 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 1, including DART and Access service. In addition, Metro will add buses to its night routes. The Seattle Streetcar also will be free on New Year's Eve, and Sound Transit will extend the operating hours of Link light rail service between Angle Lake and the University of Washington.

“As we ring in another new year together, we are glad to again offer free rides on Metro to help keep the celebration safe for everyone,” said King County Executive Dow Constantine. “We appreciate all our customers, and hope folks who give transit a try during the holiday season will join the half-million daily Metro riders who depend on our safe, friendly, and reliable service all year 'round.”

“Access to safe and reliable transportation is a cornerstone of Metro's mission and New Years Eve is no exception. We hope existing and future riders will utilize Metro to help them celebrate the New Year this year,” said King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove, who proposed the idea in 2017.

King County Metro will operate reduced weekday schedules on New Year’s Eve on some routes, with extra buses on several routes serving destinations such as Seattle Center, Capitol Hill and downtown. New Year’s revelers can take advantage of Metro’s recently expanded Night Owl network, with added service on major routes between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m.

Sound Transit will operate extended Link light rail service with trains running until 2 a.m. pm New Year's Eve. The last trains to leave Westlake Station depart at 2 a.m. 

The Seattle Streetcar will operate until 1 a.m.

Metro routes with added trips as needed will include 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 14, 24, 32, 36, 40, 41, 62, 65, 70, 101, 106, 120, 124, 150, 255, RapidRide A, B, C, D and E lines, and ST 550 and ST 554. The fareboxes and ORCA card readers on Metro buses will be covered to remind customers not to pay. A regular valid fare will be required on Sound Transit Express buses.

Reduced weekday schedules Dec. 24-Dec. 31

    •      Most routes continue to provide full service
    •      Routes with designated weekday trips canceled due to Reduced Weekday operation (Canceled trips are identified in customer timetables with an “H”): 101, 102, 111, 114, 120, 121, 122, 123, 125, 143, 157, 168, 169, 177, 179, 180, 186, 187, 192, 212, 214, 216, 218, 219, 232, 243, 244, 249, 252, 255, 257, 269, 303, 311, 312, 342, 907, 931
    •      Routes with all weekday trips canceled due to the Reduced Weekday schedule (No service when a “Reduced Weekday” schedule is in effect: 201, 237, 304, 308, 316, 330, 355,  930

Christmas and New Year's Day schedules

    •      A Sunday schedule will be in effect for bus and rail service on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, and New Year’s Day, Jan. 1. If service does not usually operate on Sunday, it will not operate on these two days.  A regular valid fare will be required on all service. Visit Metro’s website for more transit information, or call the Customer Information Office at 206-553-3000.
    •      Metro offices, including the Customer Information center, Lost and Found and Pass Sales counters, will be closed Tuesday, Dec. 25 and Tuesday, Jan. 1. The Customer Information Office at 206-553-3000 will reopen Wednesday morning.
    •      Ride2 Eastgate will not operate on Dec. 24, 25 or Dec. 31 or Jan. 1.
    •      The First Hill Streetcar operates a Sunday schedule on Tuesday, Dec. 25.
    •      The South Lake Union Streetcar will not operate on Tuesday, Dec. 25.
    •      Water Taxi service will not operate on Dec. 25 or Jan. 1.
    •      Details are posted on Metro’s holiday and reduced service page. New Year’s Day, Sound Transit will operate ST Express, Link light rail and Tacoma Link on a Sunday schedule. There will not be any Sounder service New Year’s Day.

       Relevant links

Quotes

As we ring in another new year together, we are glad to again offer free rides on Metro to help keep the celebration safe for everyone. We appreciate all our customers, and hope folks who give transit a try during the holiday season will join the half-million daily Metro riders who depend on our safe, friendly, and reliable service all year 'round.

Access to safe and reliable transportation is a cornerstone of Metro's mission and New Years Eve is no exception. We hope existing and future riders will utilize Metro to help them celebrate the New Year this year.

For more information, contact:

Jeff Switzer, King County Metro, 206-477-3833