Ferries and water taxi riders should expect longer wait times and busier boats. Arrive early for your planned sailing.  

Additional service: 

•  Kitsap Fast Ferry and King County Water Taxi will have late night service and additional sailings on game days. Washington State Ferries will operate on a standard summer schedule but will have additional staffing and standby vessels ready to handle higher ridership. If you usually drive onto the Washington State Ferry, try walking on.

Alerts:  

• Stay up-to-date on sailing information. Subscribe to Kitsap Fast Ferry Alerts here. Subscribe to Washington State Ferry Alerts here. 

Hop on your bike or try a bike or scooter share to sail by traffic. Be aware! There will be no-ride zones and restrictions to bikes on transit during match day. Check for changes before you roll out.  

Access and device parking 

• No bikes or scooters will be allowed onboard Link Light Rail on match days. 
• Biking to light rail? Safely store your bike in BikeLink lockers at select light rail stations and other key destinations. Check real-time locker availability using the BikeLink locker app. 
• SDOT has created a pedestrian-only zone around the stadiums. You can bike through the zone, but there will be speed restrictions, and you should expect heavy foot traffic nearby.  
• Expect slow-riding zones for bike and scooter share in Pioneer Square, near stadiums, and Pike Place Market.  

Rewards and incentives 

• Earn free rides to Link stations on shared bikes and scooters through the Bike and Scoot to Transit program.  

Buses will be running with increased service, but expect crowding, detours near the stadiums, and some route adjustments due to planned street closures. Plan ahead and allow extra travel time. Route changes will be updated in Google Maps, but be sure to sign up for King County Metro alerts for the most up-to-date information. Check out King County Metro’s summer of soccer guide here.  

Routing and additional service 

• Select bus routes will be rerouted or through-routed near the stadiums. Is your route impacted? Check King County Metro’s map to see event day schedules and consider alternative routes to avoid congestion.  
• King County Metro plans to add 60 buses on match days and 30 to 40 additional buses on non-match days during the tournament. There will be increased weekday service on Metro Routes 70, 101, 150, 40 throughout the whole World Cup calendar (June 15-July 6). 
• Additional late-night service will be available after matches. Extra service will support travel north, south, and east on Metro Route 150, RapidRide D and E lines, and Sound Transit Routes 545, 550, and 554.  
• There will be increased capacity for on-demand Metro Flex in Tukwila Renton, Ranier Beach/Skyway, and Othello throughout the whole World Cup Calendar (June 15-July 6). 

Free shuttles 

• King County Metro is operating a free shuttle on Match Days. The shuttle will connect fans from the stadium to the Seattle Center with stops along Third Ave. The shuttle will operate for 8 hours starting three hours before kickoff with shuttles every 3-7 minutes. View the map. 
• Metro will also operate a free Waterfront Shuttle along Alaskan Way between King Street Center and the Seattle Center. This shuttle will run all summer long from May 21 to September 7, 2026. 
• Expect to pay regular fare on all other transit, including non-shuttle buses.

How to ride 

• All-door boarding is encouraged. Use your ORCA card or tap-to-pay credit/debit card and board through any door to speed things up.  

Alerts 

• Sign up for King County Metro Alerts here.  

Rail is an efficient and popular mode. Expect record-setting crowds on match days and limited parking at park-and-rides. Check out Sound Transit’s summer of soccer guide here.  

Link Light Rail: 

Routing and additional service 

• Sound Transit will increase service on its light rail lines, running trains every four minutes through Downtown Seattle using both the 1 and 2 lines.  
• Check out Sound Transit’s recommendations for which station to board on match days to limit station crowding.  
• Sound Transit will use a queue system at busy stations on match days. It will not feel like a typical commute day. You may have to wait in line to get on a train. 
• For people with reduced mobility, there will be priority boarding indicated by decals at Westlake, International District/Chinatown, Pioneer Square, and Stadium stations. Learn more about accessible travel on Link Light Rail here.

Alerts 

• Make sure you sign up for alerts from Sound Transit to get real-time schedule updates.
• Need security assistance while on board? Text 206-398-5268.

Park-and-ride 

• Reserved Park & Ride spaces began on May 1st. Lots will fill up even more quickly than usual. Plan to take transit, bike, or carpool to a station if you typically drive.  

Sounder: 

• Additional trains and schedule adjustments will be in place for match days, with departures timed to arrive before kickoff and return trips scheduled up to approximately an hour after matches conclude.  
• The Rail Plus program is suspended until July 13. 
• Regular commuters should double-check schedules here.  

Streetcar: 

• First Hill Line: The Occidental Mall stop will be closed on match days. The line will terminate at 5th & Jackson.  
• South Lake Union Line: No changes expected. 

Driving will be challenging due to congestion, closures, limited parking, and increased traffic. If you must drive, buddy up to access HOV parking and lanes, stay up-to-date on traffic impacts, and plan plenty of time.  

Construction and street closures 

• Revive I-5 – All lanes of I-5 will be open June 8 – July 10.  Express lanes will operate normally. During the weekends of June 5 – 8 and July 10 – 13, northbound I-5 will be fully closed from I-90 to NE 45th Street for work zone break-down and set-up. 
• Pedestrian zones and street closures near the stadium and downtown watch parties will impact driving on match days.  

High congestion areas 

• Anticipate congested corridors near the practice fields located at Seattle University and University of Washington.  
• Increased traffic is expected on I-5 between Seattle and Vancouver on the days which they have back-to-back games.  

Ride-hailing 

• Taxis, Uber, and Lyft will have specific areas and restrictions on when and where they can drop off near the stadiums. This means that if you work in the Pioneer Square, SODO, or International District, expect changes to pick-up and drop-off for ride-hailing services.