Seattle traffic: What to know on the road this weekend
Sep 30, 2016, 12:50 PM | Updated: 10:39 pm
Two sports games and a demonstration is expected to cause delays on roads throughout the Seattle region this weekend. (SDOT)
(SDOT)
First pitch or first kick, the message is the same this weekend — leave early and expect delays. And that is just the start of events expected to snarl Seattle traffic this weekend.
Friday Seattle traffic
The Mariners will take on the A’s at 7 p.m. at Safeco Field on Friday. And the Huskies take on Stanford at Husky Stadium at 6 p.m.
About 100,000 people are expected to come into Seattle for just these two games.
Nicole Daniels from the Washington State Department of Transportation warns drivers to plan on Seattle traffic delays starting around 3 p.m.
“You’ll see 520 to slow down by 3 p.m. and the other thing to remember is that the Express Lanes will be Northbound on I-5 and Eastbound on I-90 for drivers leaving the city,” Daniels points out.
Trains, buses, carpools are all good choices for Friday.
Sound Transit will add extra trains on link light rail service, according to KIRO 7. There will be seven, two-car trains and 12, three-car trains to handle the game crowds.
King County Metro will reroute a number of buses through the U-District to accommodate extra rush hour traffic. There will also be a free shuttle between the U-District link station and Northeast Campus Parkway running about every 10 minutes.
Uber is offering a deal, too, Seattle is joining the designated driving ride-share to offer 50-percent off all rides to and from Husky Stadium. Starting at 3:30 p.m. and going until 3 a.m. riders can enter the code ‘HOME-SAFE-UW.’
Saturday Seattle traffic
Drivers may want to avoid driving through downtown Seattle on Saturday evening.
An event called “Stop Killing Us: No Justice No Peace” is slated for 6-10 p.m. at Westlake Park. It is organized by the Black Freedom Front – Seattle.
As with previous demonstrations downtown, there is potential for the event to move onto the streets, blocking Seattle traffic. This backs things up and creates traffic throughout the area — sometimes onto I-5.
So if you have options to avoid driving on roads in and around downtown Seattle, use them Saturday night.
