information from Metro and Sound Transit

Need a ride this weekend to Seafair? With the Blue Angels, hydro races, and road closures coming to town, King County Metro Transit and Sound Transit want riders and Seafair revelers to be prepared.

Metro offers free shuttles for those traveling to Lake Washington to see the hydro races and Blue Angels air shows. And with new light rail stations on Capitol Hill and at the University of Washington, riders have more options than ever to leave their car behind and take the train to connect with free bus shuttles to see all the action.

Metro also will reroute several buses during temporary closures of the Interstate 90 floating bridge to accommodate the Blue Angels as they practice and perform their air show, starting Thursday, August 4, through Sunday, August 7. Shuttle buses, requiring payment of fare, will operate between North Mercer Island and the South Bellevue Park and Ride lot during the I-90 closures.

Hydro shuttles, August 5-7
Metro provides free shuttles to the Albert Lee Cup hydro races Friday through Sunday, from 5:45 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Shuttles operate from the Columbia City Link light rail station (Martin Luther King, Jr. Way and South Edmunds Street) to Stan Sayres Pits near Genesee Park on Lake Washington, where fans can also view the Blue Angels air shows.

Near Columbia City Link Station, board a shuttle eastbound on South Angeline Street just west of 32nd Avenue South. Shuttles operate frequently and depart as the buses fill.

Leaving from Genesee Park to return to Columbia City, riders can board shuttles northbound on 43rd Avenue South, just north of South Genesee Street.

Metro bus Route 50 is rerouted during this event.

I-90 bridge closure reroutes and shuttles
All I-90 bus service will be rerouted to State Route 520 during the I-90 bridge closures, which affect eastbound, westbound, mainline and express lanes.

During the I-90 closures on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Metro provides shuttle bus service between the park-and-ride lots at South Bellevue and Mercer Island. Regular fares are required on the I-90 shuttles, which operate about every 30 minutes.

Sound Transit Routes 550 and 554, which normally travel via I-90, will be rerouted to SR 520 and will not serve stops on I-90 at Rainier Avenue South and Mercer Island.

I-90 transit service will be rerouted during the following times:

· Thursday, August 4, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

· Friday, August 5, 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

· Saturday, August 6, 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

· Sunday, August 7, 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Free rides for military personnel
Military personnel, either in uniform or carrying military ID, can ride free on all King County Metro and Sound Transit transit service during Fleet Week, from August 3-7.

Find information
Details about reroutes and shuttle service are available in the Metro Online Alerts Center. Riders also can use the online Trip Planner for information about getting to and from specific locations, or call Metro’s Customer Information Office at 206-553-3000 on weekdays between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Visit Sound Transit’s website for more information on Link light rail service. WSDOT has I-90 bridge closure information and the Seafair website has event information.