FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Megan Postiglione July 20, 2017 Festivals Inc. (425) 295-3262 [email protected] THIS WEEKEND: Catch a Ride to the Groupon Bite of Seattle® The Groupon Bite of Seattle®, July 21-23 at Seattle Center, is a summer favorite! The Bite celebrates its 36th Anniversary this year and features 60+ restaurants and vendors, local chefs performing live cooking demonstrations and mystery ingredient cook-offs on The Bite Cooks! stage, all-new Bite Cooks! Lounge where guests can wine & dine with local chefs, local Craft Beer and Cider Tasting, The Wine Bar, 4 live music stages, a free movie night on Friday, July 21st at 8:30pm featuring Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and much more! With so much going on guests should plan for crowded streets as high attendance is anticipated for the 2017 festival. These transportation tips can help you save time, gas and some very sore feet! PLAN AHEAD The Groupon Bite of Seattle® is located at Seattle Center in the Uptown Neighborhood. Street address is 305 Harrison Street, Seattle, WA 98109. (See map for more details). Allow for time to park and maneuver through the crowds. Arriving early will ensure that you don’t miss out on any of the Bite events! There is possibility for continuation of ongoing Mercer Corridor road work affecting access to Seattle Center. Information on current road construction and alternate routes during construction may be found at www.seattlecenter.com. USE METRO SERVICE Bus service to Seattle Center is available via Metro routes 1 , 2, 3, 4, 8, 13, 29 & 32 and the RapidRide D Line. It is easy to navigate Seattle's transit system with Metro's Trip Planner and you can plan your trip to Seattle Center from anywhere in the region. For more information about bus service to the Bite, call Metro at 206-553-3000 or visit metro.kingcounty.gov. To find bus routes, visit tripplanner.kingcounty.gov. CARPOOL WITH FRIENDS The regular parking rate is $15 on Friday and Saturday and $20+ on Sunday. Invite your family, friends and neighbors to come along and split the cost of parking, or visit rideshareonline.com to find carpool partners. This free service, managed by the Washington State Department of Transportation, can help you locate fellow festivalgoers traveling to Seattle Center. Parking rates fluctuate with demand. Higher rates apply when heavy demand is anticipated. Lower rates are in effect when overall parking demand is low. For more information on parking, visit seattlecenter.com/transportation/parking. RIDE THE MONORAIL Seattle Center Monorail departs every 10 minutes and takes riders between Seattle Center (station is to the north of to the Space Needle, adjacent to Seattle Center Armory) and Westlake Center (at Fifth Avenue and Pine Street). The Monorail operates weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. and weekends from 8:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. One-way fares (cash only) are $2.25 for adults and $1 for youth. There are reduced rates for seniors 65 or older, Medicare Card holders, and U.S. Military which is $1 one-way. Children 4 or under ride free. For more information, visit seattlemonorail.com. TAKE CENTRAL LINK Central Link, Sound Transit’s light-rail system, has 15 stops along its route from Sea-Tac Airport to the University District. The light rail can connect you to a bus or the Monorail, which will take you directly to Seattle Center. For more information, visit soundtransit.org/schedules/central-link-light-rail. CYCLE TO THE CENTER If you’re looking for a free way to get to the center, consider riding your bike. Seattle Center is located between two major regional bike routes; it is accessible from the Myrtle Edwards Bike Trail (which connects Ballard to West Seattle and the Duwamish River Trail) and the Dexter Avenue Bike Trail (which connects downtown Seattle to Fremont, Wallingford, Green Lake and the Burke-Gilman Trail). A new two-way bicycle path is now open on the north side of Mercer Street between Dexter Avenue N and Fifth Avenue N. Seattle Center has bike racks so you can lock your bike during the festival. For maps of the routes, visit seattle.gov/transportation/bikemaps.htm. BOARD A STREETCAR Running at 15-minute intervals, the Seattle Streetcar runs from South Lake Union to downtown Seattle. Its Westlake hub connects to other public transit systems, including the Monorail, Metro and Sound Transit buses. The streetcar also connects to Metro bus route 8, which goes to Seattle Center. For more information, visit seattlestreetcar.org. OVER-SIZED VEHICLES Seattle Center cannot provide parking for large vehicles. Event staff advises against the use of RVs or trailers for transportation to the Bite. ACCESS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES All buildings at Seattle Center are fully accessible. Accessible parking is available at all Seattle Center garages. If garages appear to be full, ask a Seattle Center attendant for parking for people with disabilities. ALTERNATIVE ROUTES Besides the major routes to the Seattle Center via the Mercer Street or Stewart Street exits off I-5, consider using alternates routes, such as Highway 99, Denny Way and Elliot Avenue. OTHER TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS Festival goers have even more options, such as walking or using the King County Water Taxi or the Washington State Ferry System. For more information, visit kingcounty.gov/transportation.aspx. TRANSPORTATION HOTLINE Seattle Center offers a parking, traffic and transportation hotline. For current information call (206) 233- 3989. For current Puget Sound traffic conditions visit www.seattlecenter.com. ### .