Free Waterfront Shuttle Returns
Hop on and off all summer
By Sarah Stackhouse May 6, 2025
Getting around downtown during the city’s best months just got easier for everyone.
Seattle’s Free Waterfront Shuttle began last week, with six stops along Seattle’s waterfront. Three shuttles operate daily, arriving every 15 minutes at each stop. Running from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and likely continuing into September, the shuttle connects key spots such as Pike Place Market, Seattle Center, Pioneer Square, and Chinatown-International District.
New this year is an evening loop from 5:50 p.m. to 7:45 p.m., connecting the Sheraton, Grand Hyatt, Kimpton, Crowne Plaza, and Four Seasons to the waterfront and Pike Place Market.
Each bus has 22 seats, available first-come, first-served. Pets, luggage, and accessibility are accommodated.
Originally launched in 2018, the free shuttle service paused for three years during the pandemic and returned in 2023. More than 66,000 rides were logged last summer.
The return of the shuttle is part of the lead-up to the grand opening later this summer of Seattle’s new 20-acre Waterfront Park. From May 31 through September, Friends of Waterfront Park is hosting 270 free public events — music, fitness classes, and weekly performances by groups such as Daybreak Star, The Residency, and Black and Loud Fest. Highlights include the Indigiqueer Festival, Seattle Disability Arts Festival, Africatown Soul on the Water, and Salmon Homecoming. A new open-air market starting will run Thursdays through Sundays starting June 5 along the promenade.
The shuttle service is funded through a collaborative effort by the city of Seattle, King County, Friends of Waterfront Park, Alliance for Pioneer Square, and the Seattle Historic Waterfront Association.
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