Metro ready for Saturday’s Torchlight Parade

Transit will be in service and in the spotlight as new RapidRide bus rolls in parade

King County Metro Transit is playing a starring role in this year’s Alaska Airlines Torchlight Parade at Seafair on Saturday night. Not only will extra buses and Metro staff be in service to transport people to the big event, but a special Metro vehicle will also be featured as one of the entries in the parade.

Metro’s new RapidRide buses go into service on Oct. 2, but one of the brightly colored yellow-and-red 60-foot coaches will be rolling through Saturday’s parade to give the region a sneak peek at this new service.

The RapidRide A Line will be the first to launch, offering service every 12 minutes between Tukwila and Federal Way – and planning for more lines is underway. RapidRide stations will be spaced where most riders gather, and buses will have easier access with three doors and low floors. Riders can pay at the station using their ORCA cards and board at any door. As the buses move down the RapidRide corridors, they will send a signal to traffic lights as they approach, so green lights will stay green longer or red lights will switch to green faster.

The Torchlight Parade begins at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, but people begin staking out good spots along Fourth Avenue in downtown Seattle early in the day. Riding transit to the parade route can eliminate some of the hassles of driving and parking with so many people in attendance and so many street closures. Metro will have extra buses on standby to ease some of the expected overloads on regular routes that serve downtown Seattle.

It’s important to “know before you go” about where the buses are boarding and possible reroutes. Be sure to find out in advance what the weekend schedule is like for the routes serving the area. You may also encounter some delays, if traffic is congested.

On Saturday, some Metro buses will be rerouted away from the parade set up as early as mid-afternoon. A good option is traveling to downtown via the transit tunnel. Just be sure to plan your trip home before the last bus or light rail train leaves the tunnel Saturday night.

After the parade is over, there will be a special boarding location for three busy routes – the 7, 36 and 124. These routes headed southbound out of downtown will board mid-block on Third Avenue between Union Street and Pike Street. Those routes will not be boarding passengers at their regular stops near the Union and Pike intersections during and after the parade.

The West Seattle Water Taxi may be a good alternative for people coming from West Seattle, but know that the last return sailing leaves Pier 50 in Seattle at 10:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Visit Metro Online for information about bus service on Saturday. Use the online Trip Planner to figure out the routes that work best for you, and check the Alerts Center under “Construction & Events” to get information about service disruptions and bus reroutes. Or, call Metro's Customer Information Office at (206) 553-3000 for assistance.