50,000 Expected for Saturday’s Womxn’s March

Sounder Bruce (Flickr)

The day after President-Elect Trump's inauguration, one of the largest coordinated protest marches in history will take place, with hundreds of cities worldwide hosting the Women's March on [Your City Here]. The Seattle Times reports that up to 50,000 are expected for Seattle's 10am Womxn's March, likely the 3rd largest behind Washington DC and Los Angeles. The march will begin at Judkins Park and make the 3.5 mile walk to Seattle Center via Little Saigon, Downtown, and Belltown.

Metro and Sound Transit have said they will operate normal Saturday service, though extra buses and trains will be on ready reserve and dispatched as needed. The Judkins Park area is well-served generally, but definitely unable to handle a 50,000 person crush at Saturday service levels. Accordingly, riders should expect delays and crowding. And of course, if you are able, walking and bicycling will be by far the most reliable means of getting around.

Saturday frequencies for routes serving Judkins Park are as follows (and have been much improved by Seattle's Prop 1 funds):

• Route 4: 30 minutes
  • Nearest Stop: 23rd/Dearborn
• Route 7: 10 minutes
  • Nearest Stop: Rainier/Norman
• Route 8: 15 minutes
  • Nearest Stop: MLK/Judkins
• Route 14: 20 minutes
  • Nearest Stop: 20th/Jackson
• Route 48: 10 minutes
  • Nearest Stop: 23rd/Dearborn
• Route 106: 15 minutes
  • Nearest Stop: Rainier/I-90
• Route 550: 15 minutes
  • Nearest Stop: Rainier/I-90
• Route 554: 30 minutes
  • Nearest Stop: Rainier/I-90

Following the march, riders can disperse on Routes 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 13, 24, 26, 28, 32, 33, 62, D, or E, or on any major downtown route with a bit of backtracking.

If you are participating in the march, or will be near Center City, pack your patience in support of important civic freedoms. Try to grab a bite or spend some money along the route, especially in the International District, where mid-January is a critical time for sales ahead of Lunar New Year celebrations. And think ahead to 2023, when a Link station will be at the foot of Judkins Park, hopefully for happier occasions.