Greening Bumbershoot

Transportation

Since Bumbershoot is lucky enough to be situated in an urban environment, it’s easy to commute to the Festival by picking up public transportation, taking Seattle’s iconic Monorail, biking, or (for some of us) walking. Bumbershoot encourages all Festival fans to consider arriving at the Festival by alternative means. If you need to travel by car, consider carpooling or signing up for a Ride Share program!

Here are a few options to reduce your ride:

  • Enjoy a quick ride on the Seattle Center Monorail (only 2 minutes from Westlake Center!)
  • Hop on a King County Metro bus
  • Coming from the north? It’s super convenient to park at the Northgate Park & Ride and jump on the bus from there. (Please note: The Metro special event shuttle that originated from the Northgate Park-and-Ride will not be in service for the 2010 Festival. The Park-and-Ride location still remains an excellent spot to park and board a regular Metro bus to Bumbershoot. For more information about the status of special event shuttle services, visit metrokc.gov.)
  • Bike to Bumbershoot and use our free Bike Parking
  • Create a carpool, or join a King County Metro Rideshare (attendees who carpool will receive discounted parking rates if they park at Seattle Center lots)

Monorail

The Seattle Center Monorail operates daily during the Festival from 9 am to 11:30 pm and provides quick and easy transportation with a scenic view of the Seattle city skyline. The Monorail leaves every 10 minutes from the station at Seattle Center, (across from the Space Needle) and from Westlake Center Mall, at Fifth and Pine Street. Each trip takes two minutes to cover the 1 mile route.

Eco-Extra: Built in 1964 as a way to transport visitors to the Seattle World’s Fair, the Seattle Center Monorail currently shuttles over 2.5 million riders to and from the downtown district every year. The cars run off of 700 volts D.C. power obtained through contact rails on the inside of the beam.

King County Metro & Northgate Park & Ride

There are dozens of King County Metro buses that service the Seattle Center grounds. From the Northgate Park & Ride you can jump on the 16 which gets you less than a ¼ of a mile from the grounds. Check the Trip Planner on King County’s transit site to plan your car-free trip. It couldn’t be easier and saves you the hassle and expense of finding parking. Note: Holiday schedule bus routes may apply. Plan ahead and keep your day fret free by plotting your course to and from the Festival in advance.

Eco-Extra: The King County Metro system currently operates over 1,300 vehicles, including hybrid diesel-electric busses and streetcars. Together the fleet transports over 100 million riders each year.

Bike Parking

Free Bike Parking is located to the south side of the EMP, off 5th Avenue between Thomas and Broad streets. Be sure to bring your bike lock!

Seattle Center Parking

Seattle Center offers Festival Rate Parking Discounts to those who choose to carpool to Bumbershoot: $12 for vehicles with 1 or 2 occupants, and $10 for vehicles with 3 or more occupants.

Eco-Extra: Why carpool? Not only does it cut down on carbon dioxide emissions, but it also cuts costs. According to AAA, it costs approximately 52.2 cents per mile to operate a passenger vehicle, or $7,834 per year based on an average 15,000 miles of driving.

RideShare

King County Metro’s website can help you find rides with others in your area wanting to attend Bumbershoot. Simply register on their website for the Bumbershoot Festival. It’s a fun and convenient way to share the expense of driving as well as help eliminate traffic congestion and pollution.

Eco-Extra: The Seattle Metro system also manages the largest publicly owned vanpool program in the United States. Their fleet of 600 vans makes over 2.9 million trips each year, accommodating 5,000 people and limiting the use of approximately 4,500 cars each day.

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