Friday Roundtable: Incorrect Signs, Part 2

In December, we took a look at a few incorrect signs in the Puget Sound transit network. Many of these signs have since been fixed, but the region's quickly growing transit system has resulted in a few more incorrect signs. Mistakes in wayfinding signs are bound to happen with any complex system. The four agencies responsible for travel in Seattle (Sound Transit, King County Metro, SDOT, WSDOT) work closely together, but gaps in communication are inevitable. We are also not blaming the talented designers at these organizations. In calling out these mistakes, all we ask is for the responsible agency correct the issue as soon as possible. Seattle Transit Blog wants transit to be as easy and user-friendly as possible, and factual inaccuracies on official signage go against that goal. While everyday transit riders deserve correct information, the expected surge in visitors to Seattle this summer is all the more reason to ensure all maps and signs are accurate and up-to-date.

Sound Transit

Last month's much anticipated Crosslake Connection opening introduced two new stations, Judkins Park and Mercer Island. At Judkins Park station, the Area Map and Bike Map are both missing a few key details. On the Area Map, the new bus stops next to the station entrances on Rainier Ave for the 7, 9, and 106 are not labeled. Instead, the now-closed bus stops south of I-90 are labeled. Likewise, the new bus stops on 23rd Ave for routes 8 and 48 are missing.

On the Bike Map, parts of a few new infrastructure projects are not labeled. SDOT completed the Beacon Hill Safety Project in 2025. Among other improvements, protected bike lanes were added to sections of 15th ave S and Beacon Ave S. The Bike Map has the Beacon Ave section labeled, but is missing the 15th Ave section. The Bike Map is also missing the bike lanes on Dearborn St and on MLK Way between McClellan St and Rainier Ave. Both maps have also excluded the new bike path under I-90 along Rainier, near the station entrance.

Area Map at Judkins Park station.Bike Map at Judkins Park station.

Across Lake Washington, signs at Mercer Island station may confuse visitors and residents alike. Sound Transit's Area Map for the station lists the bus stops for nearby routes. Curiously, Route 249 is listed at the stops just north of the station. In reality, Route 249 runs between South Bellevue station and Spring District station, not to Mercer Island station. It is also worth noting that the Area Map labels Exit A on 77th Ave SE and Exit B on 80th Ave SE. King County Metro also has a few signs at Mercer Island station to show the nearby bus routes. This sign lists the correct routes, but incorrectly labels Exit A on 80th Ave SE and Exit B on 77th Ave SE. Someone has fixed' Metro's signs with hand-written letters on the correct exits.

Area Map at Mercer Island station.Metro's Buses from Here sign at Mercer Island station.

In the December article, we called out the Landmarks in Seattle via Link sign that was displayed on the platform at SeaTac/Airport station. Sound Transit has since removed the sign from the platform and instead hung it in the hallway between the airport terminal and the Link station. The sign is also displayed at Link stations downtown. The main issue with this sign is the destinations listed under Symphony station. Each location is located closer to the Pioneer Square station (and is listed under Pioneer Square station on the sign). The sign is also missing the Federal Way and Eastlake Link extensions.

Landmarks in Seatle via Link sign in the SEA parking garage hallway.King County Metro

King County Metro's Downtown system map has had inaccuracies for the past few years. The March 2026 version of this map has fixed many of recurring issues. The map itself is correct, but the Destinations Served by Frequent Routes section still has a few confusing or unclear sections.

• Beacon Hill lists routes 36 and 60 from Southbound", instead of a street like the routes for other destinations.
• Capitol Hill does not list Route 3.
• Northgate lists the 1 Line and 2 Line from Northbound", instead of All Stations".
• Othello lists routes 36 and 106 from Southbound".
• South Lake Union does not list the South Lake Union streetcar.

Destinations Served by Frequent Routes section of Metro's Downtown System Map.City of Seattle

Earlier this week, Mayor Wilson announced a significant expansion of the annual Bicycle Weekends event on Lake Washington Blvd. Along with this exciting announcement, the press release included the same incorrect map that has been used in years past. Most notably, the map is completely missing Route 14, which runs on 31st Ave S and S McClellan St in Mount Baker. The tail of Route 27 on Lakeside Ave S is also absent. These routes are the best transit option for people looking to visit the north end of the Bicycle Weekends path. The southern part of the Route 50 route is also missing, between Seward Park and Othello. Near Seward park, Route 50 operates a one-way couplet on Seward park Ave and Wilson Ave. For some reason, the section on Wilson Ave is labeled as a light rail route.

Bicycle Weekends map

Back in 2020, SDOT rolled out its Seamless Seattle Pedestrian Wayfinding Program. This program had a goal of improving and unifying wayfinding signs in downtown Seattle. The wayfinding signs produced from this program were clear, correct, and helpful. Unfortunately, these now-outdated signs are still displayed at some Link stations. Someone reading the sign may start looking for where to board routes 26X, 41, 120, 255, or 512 and be stuck waiting for a long time. All of those routes have since been cancelled, replaced, or re-routed to not serve downtown Seattle.

Frequent Transit Routes from here section of SDOT's Seamless Seattle signs at Westlake station.

This is an open thread.