SDOT’s ‘Flip Your Trip’ wins national award, gets revamp ahead of FIFA

SDOT’s SpokesSalmon Sal plays with a soccer ball in front of the Space Needle after getting to Seattle Center on public transit. Photo: SDOT

We are proud to share SDOT’s “Flip Your Trip” initiative is a first-place winner in the 2025 APTA AdWheel Awards, receiving national recognition for the summer 2025 campaign teaching people how to use transit to save time and money while traveling around Seattle.

Best of all? One of Flip Your Trip’s most handy features just got a revamp!

FlipYourTrip.org received a makeover this week. Visit the site and you’ll find:

A new section just for visitors with tips like how to get to/from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport for just $3 via the light rail. (Unless you are 18 or younger – then your ride is FREE!)
A video library covering the basics, like how to pay for transit in Seattle.
A cleaner, mobile-friendly layout with easy to find sections for transit and ferry, bike and scooter, walk and roll, and shared rides.
And so much more!

What do you think of the new Flip Your Trip website? Learn about all your travel options in Seattle on FlipYourTrip.org. Photo: SDOT

Last summer was a busy one for our city, and this summer shows no signs of slowing down.

Between FIFA Men’s World Cup, Seattle sports (Mariners, Storm, Reign, and Sounders all play during summer), concerts, festivals, and other events – it’s never been a better time to try transit and Flip Your Trip!

Spend less time waiting in traffic and more time enjoying everything Seattle has to offer.

Seattle in the spotlight

The AdWheel Awards are hosted by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and honor transit agencies across the country for excellence in marketing, communications, and customer experience.

Five people dressed in business attire stand on a stage. The man in the middle is holding a certificate. To the left of the group is a sign that says "2026 ADWHEEL AWARDS". — *SDOT and partners accept an AdWheel Award for last summer’s Flip Your Trip campaign. Photo: SDOT*

In late February, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) received top honors, winning first place in the “Best Comprehensive Campaign Educational Initiative” category for its summer 2025 Flip Your Trip campaign.

Regional partners at Community Transit in Snohomish County and King County Metro also won awards for their work in public transit marketing.

What Flip Your Trip is all about

Flip Your Trip is a program initiated by SDOT to encourage and support the use of transit, ridesharing, walking, biking, and scootering.

SDOT aims to decrease reliance on single-occupancy vehicles (like cars and trucks) to align with the city’s equity, safety, mobility, and sustainability goals.

Sal the Salmon is the face and voice of Flip Your Trip.

A blue fish puppet wearing a bicycle helmet smiles in the foreground. She is on a bike. Blue ribbons are attached to the handlebars. In the background, a person in a white shirt rides a scooter inside a protected bike lane. There are lots of plants. — *Sal enjoys a bike ride along Seattle’s gorgeous waterfront. The waterfront’s protected bike lanes won an award for “Best New U.S. Bike Lanes of 2025”! Photo: SDOT*

Seattle’s passionate SpokesSalmon, Sal’s eager to connect humans with the many ways of getting around her favorite city.

Let her guide you through the transportation options that fit your needs!

SDOT’s Transportation Options Group manages the Flip Your Trip program to provide information on, and incentives for, alternatives to driving alone.

Not sure where to start?

There are so many ways to get around Seattle!

You can explore all your travel options on FlipYourTrip.org, but here are a few at a glance.

Do you have questions about how to get around Seattle? Email us at get.social@seattle.gov and we may turn your question into our next video or blog post.

Streetcar:

There are two streetcar lines in Seattle, South Lake Union and First Hill. Both connect to multiple bus routes and the Link light rail.

South Lake Union Line also connects to the Monorail at Westlake Center.
First Hill Line also connects to Amtrack and Sounder trains at King Street Station.

Two women sit next to each other, smiling, inside a streetcar. A man stands behind them. Further in the distance, another man boards the streetcar holding a child. — *Passengers inside a streetcar that moves along the First Hill Line. Photo: SDOT*

Shared bikes and scooters:

Seattle’s bike and scooter share program hit a record-breaking 10.5 million rides last year. During that same time, we added and upgraded more than 13 miles of protected bike lanes to improve safety and connectivity.

Please remember to always wear a helmet, plan your trip to use bike lanes whenever possible (check out our interactive bike map), and park out of the way at the end of your ride.
If you see a designated parking spot, please use it. We’re adding more than 200 of them downtown ahead of FIFA!
We have a bike rack map and more information about parking here.

A person wearing a yellow jacket and black helmet rides a bike inside a bike lane. To the right, four green and white electric scooters are parked on the sidewalk. The ground has white markings making a rectangle, where the scooters are parked inside. — *A person rides a bike in Downtown Seattle. To the right, shared scooters are parking inside a parking corral. Photo: SDOT*

Light Rail:

Sound Transit, which manages the Link light rail system, Sounder Trains, and ST Express bus service, also has a handy trip planner tool.

Be sure to check out Judkins Park Station, the newest light rail connection between Seattle and Eastside across Lake Washington!
Whether you’re walking, biking, rolling, or taking transit, here’s a guide to help you get there.

The light rail travels across Lake Washington on the I-90 floating bridge, which connects Seattle and the Eastside. The world’s first light rail passenger service across a floating bridge took place on March 28, 2026, during Sound Transit’s Crosslake Connection grand opening. Photo: Sound Transit

Bus:

Our friends at King County Metro, which operates many buses and other transit services in Seattle, have a helpful Metro Trip Planner tool.

Monorail:

The Monorail moves back-and-forth between Westlake Center Mall and Seattle Center. We made a video to help you find it starting from Westlake, which you can watch here.

Ferries and water taxis:

The Seattle Ferry Terminal and Pier 50 are a short stroll from major downtown attractions and have boats to Bainbridge and Vashon Islands, West Seattle, Kingston, Bremerton, and other Kitsap County destinations.

It’s a great time to leave your car behind and set sail, because summer season means more sailings! For example, Kitsap Transit Fast Ferries operate on Saturdays from May through September.

Ferries in Seattle are operated by partner agencies, like Kitsap Transit and Washington State, and water taxies are operated by King County.

Stay connected

Visit FlipYourTrip.org for all your travel options.

Learn more about SDOT projects and programs on seattle.gov/Transportation.

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