Mariners Opening Day: How to Go From Mercer Island to Safeco Field By Public Transit

If you're heading to a Mariners game tonight (or anytime this season), you can skip the traffic and parking by taking a bus. Luckily for Mercer Island residents, it's pretty easy to take public transportation to Safeco Field.

Here are some tips, if you've never done it before. You can bookmark this page for guidance on any game later on in the season (though the buses vary by time of day and day of the week, so it's best to check the King County Metro Regional Trip Planner to make sure that your bus is running).

On Mercer Island

The , just north of Town Center, has direct routes to downtown Seattle. You can take one of several local bus routes that stop at the Park and Ride, or park your car there.

The most frequent route from Mercer Island to Seattle is the Sound Transit route 550, westbound. It stops on the north side of SE 24th Street.

If you need help planning your trip to Safeco or back home, use the King County Metro Trip Planner or the Sound Transit Mariners service webpage for guidance on how to plan your bus trip.

In Seattle

Safeco Field is within a 15-minute walk from the International District/Chinatown station, and an even shorter walk from the Sound Transit Link Light Rail Stadium Station. 

From International District, you can head southwest (toward the water) on foot toward Safeco Field, or transfer to a Sound Transit Link Light Rail train to Stadium Station, if saving a few blocks of walking is worth the short wait (and the train fare).

Tips from King County Metro

King County Metro Transit offers these tips for taking Metro buses to Safeco Field this season:

• There are plenty of regular bus routes that travel near Safeco. Look for bus routes that serve these key locations for the shortest walk: International District Station in the transit tunnel; South Royal Brougham Way at the Sodo Busway; or bus stops along 4^thAvenue South. The Regional Trip Planner is the best way to find service (www.kingcounty.gov/tripplanner). You can also call (206) 553-3000 for assistance.
• Due to construction near Safeco Field, Metro bus routes no longer travel on 1st Avenue South in either direction between South Lander Street and South Jackson Street. But, this also means that buses no longer need to be rerouted on game days.
• There are no special shuttles to Mariners games this year, but with buses, light rail, trains, and boats, you have plenty of options besides driving to the games.
• When planning your bus trip, be sure to check schedules for both the pre-game and post-game trips. Bus service later in the evening or on weekends can be less frequent than on weekdays.
• In addition to the bus, you can also ride Link light rail and Sounder trains to stops near Safeco. The King County Water Taxi offers service between West Seattle and Pier 50 on the Seattle waterfront about 10 blocks from the stadium.
• Whether you’re going to the game, or just traveling through, expect congestion and delays for both transit and traffic in the stadium area on game days.