Transit agencies extending service and offering free rides for New Year's Eve

Photo courtesy Metro Transit

From the Seattle Transit Blog

Transit agencies around the region will be free to ride all day (and most of the night) on New Year’s Eve. Some agencies are extending late-night service to accommodate riders celebrating the end of 2025 and the start of 2026.

These agencies will operate fare-free tomorrow until end of service:

• King County Metro Overnight routes will be free from 3 am on New Year’s Eve to 3 am on New Year’s Day
• Sound Transit Overnight ST Express routes will be free from 3 am on New Year’s Eve to 3 am on New Year’s Day
• King County Water Taxi, DART, Metro Flex, and Access services
• Community Transit Overnight routes will be free from 4 am on New Year’s Eve to 4 am on New Year’s Day
• Everett TransitPierce TransitSeattle Streetcars The Seattle Monorail will still charge regular fare.

Most agencies will run regular weekday schedules on New Year’s Eve. These services will have additional late-night operations:

• Sound Transit Link 1 Line 
• will operate every 15 minutes after 11pm with last trains departing around 2 am.The last northbound trip will leave Federal Way Downtown at 1:56 am, depart Westlake at 2:52 am, and arrive at Lynnwood City Center at 3:24 am.
• The last southbound train will leave Lynnwood City Center at 1:57 am, depart Westlake at 2:28 am, and arrive at Federal Way Downtown at 3:23 am.
• Service hours will not be extended on the 2 Line.
• Seattle Center Monorail will operate from Westlake to Seattle Center until 10:30 pm pausing operations for the “New Year’s Eve at Seattle Center” event culminating in a fireworks, laser, and drone show. 
• The Monorail will reopen after the show is over around 12:20am and continue running until 1 am.
• Unlike previous years, the Seattle Streetcars will operate on their normal schedule (running from about 6am to 9pm), with no extended service on the South Lake Union Streetcar.

On New Year’s Day in 2026, most agencies will run Sunday service schedules as usual for holidays. Check your agency’s website for details. This weekend (Jan 2-5), Link light rail service between Stadium and Capitol Hill stations will end early on Friday night and be replaced by a shuttle bus until start of service on Monday for ongoing tunnel upgrade projects.