Puget Sound Agencies Offer Fare-Free Transit on New Year’s Eve

Ring in the new year with free transit on participating services.

Most Puget Sound transit agencies will be providing regular scheduled service fare-free, and select services will be extended into the night for New Year’s Eve, including Sound Transit’s 1 Line light rail. The fare holiday is intended to encourage transit use among New Year’s revelers and offer folks an affordable way to get home, bypassing the surge pricing likely to be prevalent among ridehailing operators.

Agencies offering fare-free service on New Year’s Eve include King County Metro, Sound Transit, Seattle Streetcar, Pierce Transit, Community Transit, Everett Transit, and Intercity Transit.

While there’s sure to be many events large and small across the region, the biggest of them all will certainly be the New Year’s Eve show at the Space Needle. Seattle Center will be teeming with revelers ringing in the New Year at midnight, though pre-show events start earlier for those who want to brave the cool temperatures (bundle up as it will be around freezing). The Seattle Monorail offers an easy ride to and from Westlake, with service running deeper into the night. Trains will temporarily pause service at 10:30pm and then resume service around 12:20am on January 1, just after the show (anticipated to end around 12:09am), and will continue transporting riders to Westlake from Seattle Center until 1:00am. 

The Link light rail 1 Line service will have corresponding service running late. The last southbound train from Westlake will be at 2:28am and the last northbound train from Westlake will be at 2:52am on January 1. Also, the last southbound train will depart Lynnwood at 1:57am and the last northbound train will depart Federal Way at 1:56am. 

A litany of bus routes near Seattle Center will also be running late to take revelers to local destinations. Those include the RapidRide C, D, and E Lines and Routes 1, 2, 4, 5, 13, 14, 21, 32, 40, and 62. Bus riders will likely need to bring patience if leaving right after the show, since surface streets are usually mired in car traffic, and should carefully check schedules.

As for the New Year’s Day holiday itself, riders should note that most transit agencies will have reduced schedules once the new day of service begins.

Here’s what you need to know to ride well as we arrive into 2026:

Transit Agency	New Year’s Eve	New Year’s Day
King County Metro	Metro will operate regular weekday bus service on New Year’s Eve in addition to regular weekday service on Water Taxi, DART, Metro Flex, and Access services. All services will be fare-free from 3:00am on December 31 to 3:00am on January 1. Metro will cover fareboxes during this time.	After 3:00am on January 1, all Metro services will default to the Sunday schedule. That means most Metro services will operate on reduced service levels on New Year’s Day, with some bus routes and services not operating at all, including full suspension of Water Taxi routes.
Sound Transit	Sound Transit will operate a mixed service schedule on New Year’s Eve, with reduced weekday service on Sounder, regular weekday service on ST Express bus routes and the Link 2 and T Lines, and extended weekday service on the Link 1 Line with 15-minute frequencies running later into the night. With the exception of Sounder, service on Sound Transit buses and light rail will be fare-free from 3:00am on December 31 to 3:00am on January 1.	Sound Transit services will default to the Sunday schedule on New Year’s Day after the end of late-night New Year’s Eve service. That means most Sound Transit services will operate on reduced service levels on New Year’s Day, with some bus routes and services not operating at all, including full suspension of Sounder.
Seattle Monorail	The Seattle Monorail will operate extended service on New Year’s Eve. Trains will run until 11:00pm, temporarily holding service during events at Seattle Center, and then resuming service at 12:20am until 1:00am on January 1. Regular fares will apply.	The Seattle Monorail will open late on New Year’s Day but have extended service in the evening for the Kraken game at Climate Pledge Arena. The transit agency’s new fare policy will also come into force, removing transfer credits for some riders.
Seattle Streetcar	Both Seattle Streetcar lines will operate regular weekday service on New Year’s Eve fare-free.	Both Seattle Streetcar lines will default to the Sunday schedule on New Year’s Day.
Pierce Transit	Pierce Transit will operate regular weekday bus service on New Year’s Eve in addition to regular weekday SHUTTLE paratransit and Runner services. The transit agency will provide these services fare-free throughout the service day.	Pierce Transit will default to the Sunday schedule on New Year’s Day.
Community Transit	Community Transit will operate regular weekday bus service on New Year’s Eve in addition to regular weekday DART paratransit and Zip Shuttle services. The transit agency will provide these services fare-free from 4:00am on December 31 to 4:00am on January 1.	Community Transit will default to the Sunday schedule on New Year’s Day.
Everett Transit	Everett Transit will operate regular weekday service on New Year’s Eve fare-free.	Everett Transit will default to the Sunday schedule on New Year’s Day.
Kitsap Transit	Kitsap Transit will operate regular weekday service on New Year’s Eve. Regular fares will apply.	Kitsap Transit will not operate service on New Year’s Day.
Intercity Transit	Intercity Transit will operate regular weekday service on New Year’s Eve. All services are fare-free on Intercity Transit, as part of the transit agency’s zero-fare demonstration program.	Intercity Transit will not operate service on New Year’s Day.
Washington State Ferries	Washington State Ferries will operate regular weekday service on New Year’s Eve.	Washington State Ferries will operate a modified schedule on some routes on New Year’s Day.

Riders should refer to online schedules or transit apps for detailed schedules.