Aerial view of the city of Seattle. Photo credit: Ethan Bancroft & WSDOT. During presidential visits, the U.S. Secret Service has authority to provide security, including requiring intermittent closures of freeways and streets. The flow of buses and cars in downtown Seattle and around the region will be disrupted.
While President Biden’s exact travel routes and timing are not published in advance, travelers can still plan ahead by anticipating delays and temporary road closures when needed. Check media reports and the websites of local jurisdictions and transit agencies before you leave, so that you will have the latest information about road closures. Give yourself plenty of extra time to reach your destination, and consider whether it makes sense to postpone your trip until another time, if you can.
Please also consider if you have the option to get around without driving. Riding transit and biking can be good ways to avoid congestion, but please note that some bus routes may also be affected by road closures, including possible short term reroutes.
Our Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) engineers will adjust traffic signal timing within the city of Seattle based on expected closures and any necessary re-routing. SDOT will post messages on dynamic message signs as needed.
King County Metro is also alerting riders to anticipate delays and disruptions to bus routes that travel in downtown Seattle on Thursday, April 21, and through the afternoon on Friday, April 22. Sound Transit’s Link 1 Line is operating to and through downtown Seattle and is a good alternative avoid travel delays on surface streets.
- Starting Thursday morning, Metro routes 7, 40, 62, 64, 70, 216, 218, 257, 268, 311, 320 and the RapidRide C Line, and Sound Transit Express Routes 545 and 554 are operating on reroutes, and are affected by closures of portions of Westlake Avenue North, Denny Way, Fourth Avenue, and Lenora, Virginia and Pine streets.
- The Seattle Streetcar’s South Lake Union Line also will face disruptions and will not serve the Westlake Hub.
- When the presidential motorcade is traveling in the region, transit riders will likely face intermittent temporary delays along its route(s), which can include regional highways and access ramps, and/or city streets.
King County Metro has posted service advisories online and sent transit alerts to customers alerting them to reroutes and travel changes. Riders can see if their route is affected by visiting Metro’s service advisories page or reading Metro’s recent blog post for more information.
Riders are encouraged to sign up for transit alerts for routes they ride, and to monitor local news and social media reports that can help adjust travel plans.
- Sign up for King County Metro Transit alerts
- Follow tweets from KCMetroBus, SDOT Traffic and WSDOT Traffic.