Planing a trip to Seattle Center?

Planning a trip to Seattle Center? Consider these options

With the construction of Climate Pledge Arena and the new skate park at the Seattle Center, the city turned its focus to improving access to the 74-acre campus.

When planning a visit to Seattle Center, according to a press release, people should consider various travel options, including:

Checking road conditions — Information on road conditions affecting access to Seattle Center, and alternate driving routes, can be found at http://www.seattlecenter. com/visitor-info/getting-here/ transportation-updates.

Seattle Center Monorail: The City of Seattle’s dedicated rail line travels between Seattle Center and Westlake Center in less than two minutes. It resumed service in fall 2021 after extensive upgrades to modernize the system, provide better access, improve the connection to the Link Light Rail and regional bus nework, increase the size of the passenger boarding area at Westlake Station and add ticket machines and a faregate system at both stations. The Monorail takes all forms of payment, including ORCA cards. Learn more at https://www. seattlemonorail.com.

Sound Transit Light Rail:

Service to Northgate and parking at most stations was expanded for greater public access. According to the press release, numerous bus routes serve Seattle Center, including Metro routes 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 13, 24, 29, 31 and 33. Rapid Ride D Line and routes 5 and 28 serve the Center along Aurora Ave N. For more information, visit https://kingcounty.gov/ depts/transportation/metro. To find the best bus routes, visit https://tripplanner.kingcounty. gov/#/app/tripplanning.

Parking: Seattle Center operates two parking garages for public use, the 5th Ave N Garage on Fifth Avenue North, with entrances on Republic and Harrison streets, and the Mercer St reet Garage between Mercer and Roy streets, accessed on Third and Fourth avenues North. The Climate Pledge Arena parking page, https://climatepledgearena. com/transportation/#parking, lets visitors prepurchase parking in 5th Ave N Garage.

Cycling: Maps of the designated bike routes are available at https://www.seattle. gov/transportation/projectsand-programs/programs/bikeprogram/bike-web-map. Ride-sharing:

Seattle Center now has new parameters during events at Climate Pledge Arena. Preevent, rideshare vehicles are prohibited from dropping off riders on First Avenue North. According to the press release, the best rideshare drop-off locations are Republican Street and Warren Avenue North, the MoPOP turnaround, the Mercer Street/Marion Oliver McCaw Hall drop off zone and the Denny Way/Pacific Science Center drop off zone. For the 30 minutes following Climate Pledge Arena events, rideshare vehicles will not be allowed to pick up passengers near the arena. Instead, passengers are encouraged to walk east to pick up at Thomas Street and Taylor Avenue North for premium rideshare and general rideshare at Dexter Avenue North and Thomas Street.

Alternative driving routes: Alternate routes to Seattle Center include state Route 99, Elliott Avenue and the Interstate 5 downtown exits/entrances.

Seattle Center has seen many changes through the years

By Erica Browne Grivas