How to Avoid Seattle Traffic for Your Meeting's Attendees

Seattle is notorious for its rain and rush hour traffic, when you combine the two, it's nearly impossible to get to your destination on time. This can pose a big problem when you're planning your meeting in the Seattle area, but fear not! I have some solutions to help you avoid sitting in traffic.

Travel times: know before you go! It’s important to understand Seattle’s peak hours so you can avoid them. Visit WSDOT.com for live updates on how traffic is flowing in and out of the city. The online map shows traffic speed on the major highways and stretches from Mount Vernon in the north to Tacoma in the south. You can also use the interactive map to view cameras throughout the city. It’s common knowledge in the area that in the morning, between 8:00am-10:00am, traffic will be heavier going into Seattle. In the evening, between 3:00pm-6:00pm, traffic is heavier leaving Seattle. If your attendees must drive, try to encourage them to carpool, as the carpool lanes typically move faster than all other lanes.

Public transportation: Seattle is equipped with the Link Light Rail that takes guests from the Seattle Tacoma International Airport, to as far north as the University of Washington. Adult fares range from $2.25-$3.25 if you purchase a one-way ticket. All day passes are also available for less than $7.00 and enable the rider to hop on and hop off for the entire day the ticket is printed on. The ride from Sea-Tac Airport to Westlake Station (downtown Seattle) takes about 45 minutes during peak traffic times.

Stay at a hotel outside of the downtown core: There are nearly 60 hotels in the area around Sea-Tac Airport, all of them offering an airport shuttle. If you want your attendees to completely avoid the Seattle traffic, plan your meeting at one of the properties near the airport. It’s convenient and is much more efficient option over staying downtown. Other benefits to the area include affordability, with rates 20-30% less expensive than downtown, and Seattle Southside offers a wide variety of complimentary services for your groups. It’s an affordable and accessible area, and when your attendees want to experience downtown, they can take the Link Light Rail without ever having to rent a car or sit in traffic. Check out some of the destination’s highlights here, or call us, at 206-686-7262 to start planning your meeting today!

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Author

Jené Iceberg