How do I know what buses will STAY within the FREE RIDE zone?

Question

This may sound silly but I've never had to ride the public bus on my own before. I will be in Seattle soon and how will I know what buses will stay within the Free Ride zone? Is there some sort of map I can pick up or what? DO certain buses only stay in the free ride zone or are there certain numbers I should keep in mind? I will be on 5th street at the Homewood Suits hotel and I want to explore the city. help please.

Answer 1

None of the the buses stay exclusively within the free travel zone. You can get on any bus, but all of them are just passing through the downtown area and will continue to travel on to a destination outside the free zone, so you will need to know where the boundaries are. Here is a link to the map that you can print out and take with you: http://metro.kingcounty.gov/tops/bus/area_maps/m_seattle-rfa.html



These are roughly the boundaries:

South Boundary: Jackson Street

North Boundary: 6th Ave (with a slight bump north along Olive Way to 8th Ave.) and Battery Street to the Northwest

East Boundary - the I-5 Freeway

West Boundary - Puget Sound



Every bus stop inside the downtown core area also has a map showing the boundaries of the the free ride area. Another option is to use the bus tunnel. The buses (but not the light rail which also use the tunnel) are free between all of the bus tunnel stops with the exception of the International district stop - the last one to the south. You will also find that the downtown area is actually very walkable with most things you will want to see within a half mile of Westlake Center. For example the Pike Place market is only about 4 blocks from Westlake Center. Here's a map and info: http://www.squidoo.com/Seattle-Pike-Place-Market



The Seattle Center (where the Space Needle, http://www.squidoo.com/seattle-space-needle, EMP and Pacific Science Center are located) is just a few blocks outside the ride free zone, so you can get off inside the boundary and walk the 4 blocks or so to the Seattle Center. Ask the bus driver to let you know when it is the the last stop inside the ride free area. Most will announce it anyway, but you can ask them to let you know to be on the safe side.



Another option is to take the monorail from the upper floor of the Westlake Center to the Seattle Center. It costs $2 each way, but makes the trip fast, fun and easy: http://www.squidoo.com/seattle-monorail



Another thing to remember is that the free bus area is not free after 7pm, so plan accordingly. You can also buy a Orca pass, which can be used for getting around on buses, light rail or Washington State Ferries easy and pretty inexpensive: http://metro.kingcounty.gov/tops/bus/fare/tickets.html



I hope this info helps.

Answer 2

Basically all regular transit routes within the Downtown area offer free rides between 7 AM and 7 PM, the boundaries of which vary depending upon the specific routing of the line you are riding. Nearly all transit routes the serve the free ride zone DO travel beyond the free ride zone, with many entering the freeways to continue to various suburban locations. As a rule the on board announcement system or the driver will clearly state that the bus is about the leave the free ride zone. In general if you want to explore the city be prepared to pay at least some fares to reach all of the places you might want to visit. If you ride King County Metro buses (of which most in Downtown are) you can pay a fare and receive a transfer valid for about 2 hours of riding. Also on weekends an all day pass is offered. Good Luck!

Answer 3

No buses stay in the free ride zone at all.



If you don't want to pay, you have to get off before they leave the free ride zone. Tell the driver that you need to get off at the last stop in the free ride zone. Stay right up front, because the free ride zone is small, and goes by quickly. The driver will tell you when to get off.

Answer 4

I put Seattle Transit Free Ride Zone into Google and this came up first./ All you need is there.



http://metro.kingcounty.gov/tops/bus/ridefree.html