Paying $50 or more for event parking in Seattle? Here are alternative travel options, tips

Parking prices around downtown Seattle can be ridiculously expensive, making sports lovers or concertgoers pay more than they were planning during events.

As Seahawks fans will be making their way to Lumen Field for home games this season, finding alternative transportation to avoid parking costs could save on time and money.

Parking near Lumen Field for the Sept. 25 Seahawks game ranges between $35-$50, according to SpotHero, a parking reservation website. Parking is available in Lumen Field’s lots for concerts and typically costs $20.

McClatchy contacted the City of Seattle to investigate whether private parking facilities are legally allowed to charge any price for parking spots during events, but did not get a response by time of publication.

Read Nicole Z.'s review of Lumen Field on Yelp

Transportation into downtown Seattle

When going into the downtown Seattle area, there are a few ways to avoid paying high parking prices by taking alternate transportation.

Seattle has buses, trains, light rails and ferries that allow visitors to avoid taking their own cars into the city. Parking garages farther away from event venues typically cost less than those close by, so parking farther away and using bike or scooter services could also save your money. Veo bikes can be rented around downtown Seattle.

Sound Transit currently runs a light rail system, bus system and trains from Everett to Tacoma, with stops in Seattle such as the Lumen Field and TMobile Field area.

Sound Transit’s bus system connects cities all around Seattle such as Bellevue and Tacoma with easy access to the downtown area for events. Before heading to Seattle, find your route on Sound Transit’s website and see what train, bus or light rail you will need to catch, and where you can park your car.

When planning a trip to Seattle from the north, park your car at the Northgate Link Light Rail station and take the light rail south to Seattle. The light rail has stops in the UDistrict, Pioneer Square, Chinatown, and Lumen Field and TMobile Field area.

For those in Tacoma, park your car and hop onto the Sound Transit Sounder train S Line to head to Seattle, or take a bus to the light rail station.

The Seattle Streetcar metro system also helps connect visitors to the light rails and buses by providing transportation on the South Lake Union and First Hill lines.

How to pay for Seattle public transportation

There are multiple ways to purchase tickets for buses, trains, ferries and light rails.

Whether you are riding a ferry, train, link rail or bus you can use an ORCA card.

ORCA cards cost $3 and can be refilled as you use them. Cards can be purchased online, by calling 888-988-6722, by visiting a ticket machine at Link light rail stations or Sounder train stations, or by mailing an order form to the ORCA Regional Mail Center through postal mail.

ORCA cards are accepted on Sound Transit, Community Transit, Washington State Ferries, King County Metro, Seattle Monorail, Seattle Street Car, Pierce Transit, Everett Transit, Kitsap Transit and King County Water Taxi.

Tickets can also be purchased on your phone using the Transit GO Ticket app.

Single one-way, return or all-day rail tickets can also be purchased at ticket machines that accept cash or card. Sound Transit buses accept exact cash payments.

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