The final day to catch a direct bus from downtown Ballard to Golden Gardens Beach is approaching.
Golden Gardens Direct will complete its summer pilot on Sunday, Aug. 30. The seasonal service has operated daily since June 27, providing rides between the Market Street corridor and Golden Gardens Beach.
Buses run every 30 minutes from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The route begins at 15th Ave NW and NW Market St, shares several stops with Route 44 along Market St, and continues down Seaview Ave NW to Golden Gardens.
Councilmember Dan Strauss was a primary proponent of the bus service. He proposed and funded the new bus through a budget action last fall to improve access to Golden Gardens. “This is one of our city’s most beautiful but least accessible public spaces. Now, this summer, everyone will have better access to the beach,” Strauss wrote in a newsletter earlier this year.
Strauss said when the pilot ends, ridership stats will be reviewed to inform longer-term decisions about the future of the bus. “If you like it, let us and Metro know!” he said.
The fare is $3 for adults, while riders ages 18 and younger can ride free. Reduced $1 fares are available to ORCA LIFT riders and Regional Reduced Fare Permit holders. Riders can pay with an ORCA card, the Transit GO Ticket app, or cash.
King County Metro and the City of Seattle launched the Golden Gardens Direct pilot. Before the pilot began, the nearest transit stops left riders with either a steep half-mile trip involving roughly 300 vertical feet of stairs or a walk of about 2.5 miles along Seaview Avenue.
Golden Gardens Direct is funded through the Seattle Transit Measure and is currently funded for this summer only.
Featured photo: From Left to Right: City Councilmember Dan Strauss, County Councilmember Jorge Baron, and Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson on one of the buses used for the Golden Garden’s Direct service. Photo by King County Metro