Link Reduction June 21-22

Another Link reduction comes this weekend, to repair a section of rail that was identified in an inspection. The section is near Westlake station on the 1 Line.

On Saturday and Sunday, June 21-22, trains will run from Lynnwood to Capitol Hill every 15 minutes approximately, and from SODO to Angle Lake every 15 minutes. Between Capitol Hill and SODO, a shuttle bus will run every 30-60 minutes. The link above lists where the shuttle stops are, usually next to the station or within a block.

This is the lowest frequency a replacement shuttle has ever had! It makes Link in the central core essentially unusable.

[UPDATE 6/21 1:30pm: Ryan Packer said this morning that ST intends to run the shuttle closer to every 10 minutes rather than every 30-60 minutes as previously reported. He saw shuttles every 5 minutes at Capitol Hill station. (Ryan is a reporter at The Urbanist, not affiliated with STB.)]

Sound Transit has a chart of bus alternatives between each station pair. Most of these are King County Metro bus routes. We've put together our own route suggestions below.

Between the North, Midtown, and Chinatown

If you're coming from the north to Midtown (Westlake Center, 3rd & Pine, or Pike Place Market), you can transfer to route 49 at Capitol Hill station, at Broadway & Denny southbound, every 20 minutes until 10pm, 30 minutes most of the night. Or route 11 at John & Broadway westbound, every 20 minutes until 6pm, 30 minutes until 1am. If you walk three blocks south to Pine & Broadway, you can take any of the 10, 12, or 49, which all run every 20 minutes.

From Midtown to Chinatown/International District, there are a dozen bus routes on 3rd Avenue, with one coming every few minutes at most stops. Routes to look for are D, E, 7, 14, 36, 40, 62, 70, 124, 131, and 132. Avoid the C, H, other West Seattle buses, or the 2, 3, 4, or 27, because they don't go to Chinatown. You can ask the driver if the bus goes to Jackson Street, and where to get off.

From the north to Chinatown/International District, your best bet is to take the First Hill Streetcar or route 60 at Capitol Hill station to 12th & Jackson, and any Jackson Street bus west (1, 7, 14, 36, 106). The 60 runs every 15 minutes until 7pm, 30 minutes until 1am. The streetcar runs every 15 minutes Saturday until 10:30pm, 18-25 minutes Sunday until 8pm. The Jackson Street buses come every few minutes.

All of these are reciprocal northbound.

Between the South, Chinatown, and Midtown

Southbound you can take the 101 or 150 from 2nd & Union to the SODO Busway & Lander, which is next to SODO station. The 150 runs every 15 minutes until 7pm, 30 minutes until 11pm, hourly until 2am. The 101 runs every 30 minutes until 7pm, hourly until midnight.

Northbound the stop on the busway at SODO station has both the 101, 150, and a few ST Express routes, and you can take any of them.

A second option is routes 131 and 132. These combined run every 15 minutes from 3rd & Pine southbound (the south of Pike stop) to 4th Ave S and S Lander Street (a block west of SODO station).

Between the North and South

Between the north and south there are four alternatives: (A) transfer buses at Midtown, (B) route 48 from U-District station to Mt Baker station, (C) route 60 from Capitol Hill station to Beacon Hill station, or (D) a bus-only option below.

Route 48 runs every 15 minutes until 9pm, 30 minutes until 11:30pm, hourly overnight. The U-District stop is at 15th & 43rd (a block east of the station). The Mt Baker stop is at Mt Baker transit center (across Rainier Avenue, slightly northeast of the station).

Route 60 runs every 15 minutes until 7pm, 30 minutes until midnight. The Capitol Hill stop is at Broadway & Denny in front of Capitol Hill station's southwest entrance. The Beacon Hill stop is in front of the station entrance.

Buses, Not Trains

The only bus route from north Seattle to SODO station is the 28 on 8th Ave NW, which is interlined with the 132 (above). It runs every 30 minutes until 7pm, hourly until midnight.

Several routes go from north Seattle to Midtown and Chinatown. These include the D and 40 in Ballard, the 28 on 8th Ave NW, the E on Aurora, the 62 serving Fremont and Roosevelt station, and the 70 in the U-District.