The City of Seattle is working with local and federal agencies to manage traffic on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week during the visit of a large Chinese delegation. Seattle officials are working to support U.S. Secret Service efforts to provide security.
“Seattle is honored to host President Xi and his delegation during his visit to the United States,” said Mayor Ed Murray. “With an international visit of this stature and the accompanying federal security requirements, we want all travelers to be advised of the impacts to business as usual. Everyone needs to be patient, reevaluate their commute plans, add in extra travel time, and monitor traffic alerts for the latest information.”
Intermittent closures of freeways, regional arterials and downtown streets are expected. The flow of buses and cars in downtown Seattle and around the region will be disrupted.
Travelers in Seattle are advised to plan ahead and expect traffic delays on all three days. Those who can postpone trips downtown or work from home are encouraged to do so.
Drivers should consult local media and follow reports on Facebook and Twitter to learn the latest developments; consult the City of Seattle’s website, SDOT’s Traveler’s Information page and WSDOT’s website for current traffic conditions; sign up to receive emergency alerts from the City of Seattle. (See additional information sources below.)
Vehicle access to the area bounded by Olive St., 7th Ave, Lenora St and 4th Ave. may be limited all three days. Drivers should expect street closures and restricted access. Commuters are encouraged to use transit or park outside the area and walk in. People entering the area should expect delays and additional security screening.
Buses on surface streets in the north part of downtown will be rerouted; check with King County Metro Alert for routes impacted. The South Lake Union Streetcar will continue to operate, but the stop at the Westlake Hub at McGraw Square will remain closed. The downtown transit tunnel is expected to remain open and operating.
Parking on downtown streets will be restricted as needed.
Fans attending the Seattle Sounders game at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at Century Link Field should expect significant traffic delays and allow more travel time than usual.
SDOT engineers will adjust traffic signal timing within the city based on expected closures and re-routing. The SDOT Transportation Operations Center will monitor traffic and provide ongoing advisories to the public on Twitter. SDOT will post messages on dynamic message signs as needed.
Sources of traffic information during President Xi’s visit
Local media TV and radio stations and their social media
City of Seattle
- City of Seattle website: http://www.seattle.gov/
- SDOT Traveler’s Information, including traffic condition map, travel times and live streaming camera views of traffic: http://web6.seattle.gov/travelers/
- SDOT on Twitter: https://twitter.com/seattledot/
- SDOT on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SeattleDOT
- Sign up for alerts from City of Seattle: http://alert.seattle.gov/
WSDOT
- WSDOT real time traffic information: http://www.wsdot.com/traffic/
- WSDOT on Twitter: https://twitter.com/wsdot_traffic
King County Metro Transit
- King County Metro Transit: http://metro.kingcounty.gov/
- King County Metro Transit on Twitter: https://twitter.com/kcmetrobus
Sound Transit: http://www.soundtransit.org/
Community Transit: https://communitytransit.org
Sounder’s game day information: http://www.soundersfc.com/matchday/transportation/guide