King County Metro to offer free bus rides on New Year’s Eve

Meghan Walker Ballard

All King County Metro buses will be free to ride on New Year’s Eve.

King County Metro and will operate on their weekday schedule and will be fare-free from 3 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31 (New Year’s Eve) through 3 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 1.

Metro says the fareboxes and ORCA card readers on buses will be covered to remind customers not to pay. They say the Transit GO Ticket mobile ticketing app will not allow ticket activations for all Metro services, the Seattle Streetcar, and Sound Transit.

There are other free transit on New Year’s Eve—here’s the full list (from King County Metro):

  • King County Water Taxi: The water taxi will operate fare-free on Dec. 31. The Vashon and West Seattle routes will be out of service on Jan. 1.
  • Sound Transit: Link light rail and Sound Transit Express buses are fare-free from 4 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31, to 3 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 1. Sound Transit will operate extended 1 Line Link light rail service on New Year’s Eve, with 15-minute, late-night service. The last southbound trip will leave Lynnwood Station at 2:01 a.m. The last northbound train will leave Angle Lake Station at 1:55 a.m. Service will not be extended on the 2 Line for New Year’s Eve. For more information go to the Sound Transit website.
  • Community Transit: All Community Transit buses, DART paratransit services, and Zip Shuttle will operate on their regular weekday schedules. All services are fare-free from 4 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31 through the end of the service day. Please check the schedules in advance of the holiday as route times vary.
  • Everett Transit: Will operate fare-free on its regular weekday schedule.
  • Pierce Transit: Pierce Transit services will operate on a weekday schedule on New Year’s Eve. Rides on Pierce Transit buses, SHUTTLE paratransit, and Runner will be free all day through the close of service. Check the transit routes and holiday service for more information.
  • Seattle Streetcar: Both streetcars will operate fare-free on New Year’s Eve with weekday service hours. The South Lake Union Streetcar will operate until 12:30 a.m. to accommodate fireworks viewing downtown.

One transit services that isn’t offering free service is the Seattle Center Monorail. It will operate on its usual schedule from Westlake to the Seattle Center until 11 p.m., and then will resume at 12:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. from the Seattle Center back to Westlake after the events at the Seattle Center.

A reminder that transit services will operate on Sunday schedules on New Year’s Day.

Photo: King County Metro