Free shuttle returns to a new era of Seattle’s waterfront

May 1, 2025 at 7:33 am

By Kai Uyehara Seattle Times staff reporter

The downtown Waterfront Shuttle restarted services on Friday, offering free rides to Seattle’s Waterfront Park just in time for its packed season of free events. 

The shuttle service operated by TransWest returns this year with three shuttle buses and will run every day through mid-September. 

With pickups and drop-offs every 20 minutes from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., the service is designed to help people visit the waterfront, featuring stops close to the Seattle Aquarium, Pike Place Market and Colman Dock.

Visitors can catch the shuttle at Seattle Center/Space Needle, Pier 69, Pier 62, Pier 56, Pioneer Square and King Street Station in the Chinatown International District. 

A second “hotel route” runs from 5:50 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. each evening between the waterfront and the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Kimpton Hotel, Sheraton Hotel, Grand Hyatt Hotel, Pike Place Market and the Four Seasons Hotel.

Last year, the Waterfront Shuttle provided free rides for over 66,000 people during four months of operation, according to the Friends of Waterfront Park.

The service is funded by King County and the city of Seattle and supported by Friends of Waterfront Park, Seattle Historic Waterfront Association and the Alliance for Pioneer Square.

Shuttle riders this year will visit a new era of the Seattle waterfront. 

The Overlook Walk connecting Pike Place Market, downtown and the waterfront opened in October.

The park will host more than 270 public events from May through October, including musical performances, fitness classes, cultural festivals and more.

The slate of events will all culminate in the grand opening of the park in September. 

Visitors can travel to the downtown waterfront via Link light rail, King County Metro buses, the Seattle Streetcar, bike and scooter share programs and various ferry services.