NEW YEAR’S EVE: This year’s fare-free transit plan

New Year’s Eve will be fare-free on most transit services again this year. Here’s the info from an announcement sent by King County:

King County Metro: Buses will operate on their regular Sunday schedule and be fare-free from 3 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 31, through 3 a.m. Monday, Jan. 1. Other Metro services operating fare-free include DART, Metro Flex, Community Van, and Access service.

King County Water Taxi: The water taxi will operate fare-free on Dec. 31 but will be out of service on Jan. 1.

Sound Transit: Link light rail and Sound Transit Express buses are fare-free from 5 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 31, to 3 a.m. Monday., Jan. 1. The Sounder Game Train will be available for the Seahawks game and will be fare-free. Sound Transit will operate extended 1 Line rail service on New Year’s Eve, with 15-minute, late-night service. The last southbound trip will leave Northgate Station for Angle Lake Station at 1:57 a.m. The last northbound train will leave Angle Lake Station for Northgate Station at 1:40 a.m. For New Year’s Eve, the T Line will run extended service every 20 minutes until the last train departure.

Seattle Streetcar: Both streetcar lines will operate fare-free on regular Sunday service hours. The South Lake Union Streetcar will operate on New Year’s Eve until 12:30 a.m. to accommodate fireworks viewing downtown.

Seattle Monorail: The monorail will collect regular fares and will operate from Westlake to the Seattle Center until 11 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. After the evening’s events at Seattle Center, service to Westlake will run from 12:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.

For the fare-free-on-New-Year’s-Eve services, fares start up again at 3 am New Year’s Day (Monday, January 1).

9 Replies to "NEW YEAR'S EVE: This year's fare-free transit plan"

  • West Seattle Coug December 26, 2023 (5:16 pm)

    Just so folks know, State Ferries will not be participating in the free fare program. You’ll still have to pay to ride a boat. 

  • jjjettplane December 26, 2023 (8:49 pm)

    King County water taxi service made me laugh. Ride for free on the way over to downtown to celebrate and have fun, but no service coming back if you stay past midnight. Reminds me of the old 1985 movie Final Jeopardy.

  • Admiral-2009 December 26, 2023 (10:16 pm)

    It’s past time that drunk driving and driving under the influence of drugs be dealt with harshly.  These people cause to much pain for too many people and the cost to society is exorbitant.  If you decide to drink and take drugs DO NOT DRIVE!

    • WestSeattleBadTakes December 27, 2023 (12:08 am)

      Sounds like you’re advocating for expanded transit, right? Right???

      • CarDriver December 27, 2023 (6:51 am)

        WSBT. HUH?????

    • WarOnCars December 27, 2023 (7:08 am)

      extremely harshly! like so harsh we employ more transit workers and keep the system running 24 hours a day. we could show how super serious we are by even converting some of the car infrastructure into dedicated transit right-of-ways. make it so driving isn’t even the best choice to get around. now that’d be harsh!

  • Admiral-2009 December 27, 2023 (7:17 am)

    WestSeattleBadTakes – I’m advocating for significantly harsher penalties for driving drunk or under the influence of drugs!  

  • Admiral-2009 December 27, 2023 (9:40 am)

    WestSeattleBadTakes – I’m advocating for significantly harsher penalties for people who drive under the influence of drugs and alcohol.  

  • Hockey Fan December 27, 2023 (12:59 pm)

    As a reminder, the Seattle Kraken play Vegas at noon, Monday, January 1st at T-Mobile Park … walking distance from the water taxi … this is *THE* Winter Classic … & no water taxi service? 

    Really hope they re-visit the water taxi on the 1st, there are plenty of people who would use the water taxi to get to the events around T-Mobile Park on Monday.

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