Transit Returning to Full Capacity

Riders soon will have more public transportation options as buses, trains and ferries in the Puget Sound region are returning to full capacity and opening all seats starting in July.

Governor Inslee is dropping state social distancing restrictions for transit as part of his decision to reopen the state. As vaccination rates continue to climb in the Puget Sound region and other state restrictions are relaxed, even more people are expected to use transit this summer.

Passengers still must wear masks on transit and at indoor transit facilities in compliance with the federal Transportation Security Administration (TSA) mandate. Passengers also must continue to maintain a six-foot distance from bus drivers, except when paying fare.

The following agencies are removing signs or barriers that have blocked off seats during the pandemic: Community Transit, Everett Transit, King County Metro, Kitsap Transit, Pierce Transit, Sound Transit and Washington State Ferries.

Pierce Transit
Starting July 1, normal passenger capacity will resume on all bus routes, including Pierce Transit buses, ST Express bus routes operated by Pierce Transit, and SHUTTLE paratransit service. The Bus Shop customer service center at Tacoma Dome Station will restore its regular lobby hours of 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays.

Community Transit
Starting Thursday, July 1, normal passenger capacity will resume on all bus routes, including ST Express bus routes operated by Community Transit, and DART paratransit services. The RideStore will lift its capacity restrictions and is open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. Customers can use Community Transit’s bus seat availability tool to check the capacity on their route.

Everett Transit
Starting Thursday, July 1, normal passenger capacity will resume on all bus routes and Para Transit service.

King County Metro
Starting Saturday, July 3, normal passenger capacity will resume on Metro buses, on-demand services such as Via to Transit, Seattle Streetcar, water taxis, community vans and shuttles, vanpools and Access paratransit.

Kitsap Transit
Starting July 1, normal passenger capacity will return to buses, ferries and vanpools, however, the process of removing seat bands from all vehicles will not be finished overnight. Kitsap Transit will resume operations at Annapolis ferry dock and eliminate bus trips that were added when capacity was restricted. Some timepoints have been adjusted.

Sound Transit
Starting July 3, normal passenger capacity will resume on Link light rail and ST Express bus routes operated by King County Metro (Routes 522, 542, 554, 545, and 550). On Sounder, Tacoma Link and all other ST Express routes, normal capacity will resume starting July 1.

Washington State Ferries
Starting July 1, normal passenger capacity will resume on ferries, and customers will no longer be encouraged to stay in their vehicles.

Returning to full capacity on transit services also comes as the Seattle Mariners and the Seattle Storm have announced a return to full capacity at their games starting July 2, and Sounders FC will do so starting July 7. The Seattle Seahawks and the University of Washington Huskies football teams plan a return to full capacity for home games this fall.

For schedule information, or to plan a trip on local transit, visit your agency’s website:
www.communitytransit.org
www.everetttransit.org
www.kingcounty.gov/metro
www.kitsaptransit.com
www.piercetransit.org
www.soundtransit.org
www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries

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Trip Planner Help

Trip Planner Tips - Entering Locations

To create a trip plan you need to enter both a starting location (origin) and an ending location (destination). For information about stops, schedules, or service at a specific location, you only need to enter one location.

The Trip Planner recognizes most street intersections and addresses as well as many landmarks in Pierce, King, and Snohomish Counties. If what you entered is not immediately recognized, the Trip Planner will offer you a list of options. You can choose one of the options, but if your intended location is not there, select the "Revise Original Entries" link to return to the entry page and change the entries you have already made.

Addresses

You don't need to type in the city along with the address. The Trip Planner shows the possible city names as options if needed. City names are based on zip codes.
You don't need to type in St., Street, Ave., or Avenue, or similar street types. The Trip Planner shows the possible alternatives as options if needed. (Example: type 110 Jones instead of 110 Jones Boulevard.)
You don't need to type in the directional designations for streets, but if a direction name is part of a street name, you should include it. (Example: type 1000 Main instead of 1000 S Main. But type 1000 West Viewmont for 1000 West Viewmont Way W.)
Some streets and addresses are unknown to the Trip Planner. You may need to enter another nearby location, such as an intersection or a landmark.
You should not enter the suite number or apartment number. Just the house number and street name (Example: type in 401 Broadway instead of 401 Broadway Avenue Suite 800).

Intersections

The "&" symbol is the only character used between two street names to show an intersection. (Examples: 1st & B, James & Madison)
You don't need to type in the city. The Trip Planner shows the possible city names as options if needed. City names are based on zip codes.
You don't need to type in St., Street, Ave., or Avenue, or similar street types. The Trip Planner shows the possible alternatives as options if needed. (Example: type Conifer & Jones instead of Conifer Circle & Jones Boulevard.)
You don't need to type in the directional designations for streets, but if a direction name is part of a street name, you should include it. (Example: type 3rd & Main instead of 3rd S & S Main. But type 34th & West Viewmont for 34th W & West Viewmont Way W.)
Some streets are unknown to the Trip Planner. You may need to enter another nearby intersection or a landmark.

Landmarks

Government Sites: Pierce County Health Dept, Pierce Co Sheriffs Office, Tacoma City Hall

Major Commercial Sites: Tacoma Mall, Sheraton Hotel

Transportation Facilities: Sea-Tac Airport, Greyhound Bus Depot

Schools & Colleges: Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma Community College

Sports & Leisure: Cheney Stadium, Pt Defiance Zoo

Medical Facilities: Group Health, Tacoma General Hospital