SEATTLE — Nearly half a million fans are expected to gather in Seattle for part of MLB All-Star Week, and the roads around T-Mobile Park and Lumen Field will see above-average congestion throughout the schedule of events between July 7-11.
The Mariners have created a fun way for fans to beat the traffic, with walking and biking maps for fans of the surrounding areas involved in the various All-Star Game events.
"Our paths kind of take our fans through the different neighborhoods of Seattle and gets them right here," said Kelsey Smith, the Mariners' senior manager of ballpark operations.
Smith rides a bike to the ballpark for work most days. She said the team reached out to fans in advance of All-Star Week for help creating the routes.
"We've compiled this list from Ballard, to Cap Hill from Fremont district, U-District, Chinatown International District," Smith said.
There are maps available to guide fans from transit stations to major event areas.
Accessibility for all is the main goal for Smith's team.
"So really focusing on not having too many strenuous hills, we all know Seattle can be pretty hilly," Smith said. "To trying to find the lowest number of hills possible to get to the ballpark.:
There will be 150 bike spaces available for free. A new ride-share lot was unveiled to make pick-ups and drop-offs easier for users of Uber or Lyft.
For the remainder of All-Star Week, these kinds of transit alternatives will be necessary.
"On a typical day, we are still rolling over 100 routes," said Al Sanders of King County Metro. "And we are carrying over 250,000 people every day. With this event, we're going to we're asking people who work here and who go to regular Mariner games to think of this as a sold-out game."
Sanders said King County Metro has been planning for months. Service on the King County Water Taxi will be extended for both the Home Run Derby on Monday and the All-Star Game itself on Tuesday.
Extra buses will be on standby just minutes away from the ballpark.
"If there is an overflow, we've got large crowds waiting to leave the game," Sanders said. "A call will be put into the bullpen we'll have buses ready to come in and pick up passengers and get them away from the fields."
Agencies will be monitoring traffic throughout the week and adjusting transportation plans accordingly, so keep an eye out for updates from the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) as well as King County Metro.