For the 2025-2026 school year, the SAAS Transportation Department will offer the following services.

Bus Routes to and from SAAS 
SAAS will offer seven morning and afternoon routes in the Fall of 2025, serving the Eastside along I-90 and 520, West Seattle, South Seattle, Northwest, Northeast, and Magnolia/Queen Anne neighborhoods. We will offer a limited after-activities bus serving the south and west via Jefferson Park as well as the Eastside. We will also continue to offer an after-activities shuttle to 3rd and University for students wishing to catch a bus or the light rail. 

More details can be found on the Bus Route tab at the top of this page. Registration for the 2025-26 buses will open in April 2025.

Carpool Program 
We will continue to offer a carpool program using a software platform through King County Metro to connect families in specific neighborhoods. Registration will be open to all SAAS families.

This system also allows families to connect for walking, biking, or light rail routes. We are also looking at ways to help connect teams or cast families within the system.

Families will be able to opt into the service by completing an online profile if they wish to participate. More information and registration instructions are available on the Carpools / Vanpools tab above.

Limited On-Campus Parking 
We offer limited on-campus parking. Registration will open in early May 2025 to juniors and seniors only. 

More details can be found on the Parking Permits tab at the top of this page. 

Family Drop Off and Pick Up 
Drop off and pick up locations will remain the same for the 2025-26 school year. Students who start or end classes on the main campus should be dropped off/picked up on 13th Avenue. Students can also be dropped off or picked up on 15th in front of the Temple Building (heading north) if their first or last class is held there

Detailed directions and maps can be found on the Drop Off and Pick tab at the top of this page.

Public Transportation
SAAS is well served by King County Metro via bus and light rail. They offer a free Youth Orca Card to anyone under 18 years of age. The Youth Orca Card is valid on neighboring transit systems as well, including the Washington State Ferries. 

More details can be found on the Orca Cards tab at the top of this page. 

Please contact transportation@seattleacademy.org with any questions.

Seattle Academy provides morning and afternoon bus service in many areas where our students live. Bus service enables students to arrive safely and on time to classes, reduces traffic congestion from individual cars on Capitol Hill, and relieves the pressure on parking.  We feel it provides a service to our families, makes us better neighbors as we reduce traffic in the area and provides a transportation alternative that reduces our overall carbon impact. 

SAAS will offer seven morning and afternoon routes in the Fall of 2025, serving the Eastside along I-90 and 520, West Seattle, South Seattle, Northwest, Northeast, and Magnolia/Queen Anne neighborhoods. We will offer a limited after-activities bus serving the south and west via Jefferson Park as well as the Eastside. We will also continue to offer an after-activities shuttle to 3rd and University for students wishing to catch a Metro bus or the light rail.

All morning routes stop on Spring Street to drop off students for the main campus (including the Middle School Building). All morning routes also stop on 16th Avenue for the Temple Building. 

Afternoon buses depart from 13th Avenue promptly at 3:15 PM. Students will need their student ID card to get on the afternoon bus. They should plan to be on 13th with their ID cards no later than 3:10 PM to be ready to board the bus. 

The after-activities shuttle to 3rd and University departs from 13th Avenue at 5:45 PM. The after-activities bus to Jefferson Park and the Eastside departs from 13th Avenue at 6:15 PM. Students will need their ID cards to board the after-activities buses.

Additional details, including stop locations, stop times, fees, and the registration form are located below.

Families who already receive financial aid for tuition will automatically qualify for bus financial aid. We will calculate the financial aid for families when they are billed in September. 

Bus service begins on Thursday, September 4, 2025. 

More Bus REGISTRATION Details Here

Bus RIDER EXPECTATIONS

If you have any questions, please contact transportation@seattleacademy.org.

Sign Up to Ride the SAAS Bus:

Online registration for morning, afternoon, and after activities buses for both the 2024-2025 and the 2025-2026 school year is now available. 

2024-25 Bus Registration

If you are interested in registering for our route buses for the remainder of this school year, please reach out to the Transportation Team for additional information. 

2025-26 Bus Registration

If you would like to sign up for next year's bus service, please click on the red button below. 

If you have any questions, please reach out to our Transportation Team.

2025-2026 Bus REGIstration

Bus Routes: 

AM and PM Route Information

These routes are applicable for both the 2024-2025 and the 2025-2026 school years.

Please Note: These routes could be changed based on demand and ridership numbers.

After-Activities Route Information

The SAAS Transportation Team will provide bus service to take students from main campus to Link Light Rail and Metro Bus connections, at no charge, every day at 5:45 PM.  This bus will drop students off at the University Street station, allowing them to transfer onto Link Light Rail and ride to destinations along the “1” line between Angle Lake and Northgate. Neighborhood bus connections can also be made on Third Avenue near University Street. As you are likely aware, King County Metro and Sound Transit provide service to students at no charge. 

We also will provide, for a fee of $300 per trimester, a bus that will leave SAAS at 6:15 PM and take students closer to their homes to the south, west, and east. The $300 fee will be in addition to charges for our existing morning and afternoon route buses. We anticipate the commute taking less than an hour to the outermost destination. 

We will continue to evaluate the after-activities bus service each school year and may make modifications based on ridership. Please contact us at transportation@seattleacademy.org if you have any questions or comments.  

The bus will depart from 13th Avenue each evening at 6:10 PM. Click on the Bus Registration and Payment Form above to sign up for the service. 

Contact:

When we have route delays or other changes, we will text that information to those families signed up for the specific route. Please make sure your correct cell phone numbers are on file with the school. If you have any questions, please contact SAAS Transportation. 

Carpool and Vanpool Programs

SAAS partners with King County Metro to offer two student transportation options each fall – a carpool option and a vanpool option. Last year, we hosted an online information session to share more details and answer questions regarding the programs which are outlined below.

View the video here: Seattle Academy Metro Carpool/Vanpool Meeting for All Families (Online)

If you have any questions, please reach out to transportation@seattleacademy.org. 

SchoolPool Program (Carpool)

The SchoolPool Program is a school-based version of Metro’s carpool matching system, with a private network set up exclusively for use by Seattle Academy families. 

• All families are eligible to enroll in the Seattle Academy’s private network.
• You may update your profile or opt out at any time.
• Your information will only be shared with other members of Seattle Academy’s private network.
• You may offer and/or request rides.
• You may list trips to and/or from school, as well as extracurricular activities.

DIRECTIONS FOR JOINING THE SAAS / KING COUNTY METRO NETWORK AND PARTICIPATING IN THE CARPOOL PROGRAM:

1. Log onto RideshareOnline.com and create an account if you do not already have one.
2. Initiate Join SchoolPool network process (IMPORTANT NOTE: if you join an employer network this option will not appear). 
3. Choose Join School Network (School Pool is the 4th option with an icon of a school graduate)  - type in SAAS in the box for Network name.
4. Choose: SAAS - Seattle Academy of Arts and Science option will appear then click on Select. 
5. To join the SAAS network requires administrator approval. In the box type your full name and email address so we can verify your connection to SAAS.
6. List your children at the school.

If you have any questions, please reach out to transportation@seattleacademy.org. 

Vanpool Program

The Vanpool Program is modeled after Metro’s long-standing vanpool program, using volunteer drivers and Metro vanpool vehicles for student trips to and from school and/or after-school activities. The School Vanpool Pilot offers participants many solutions and benefits:

• Students ride free with a Free Youth Transit Pass.
• Gas, van maintenance, and insurance are covered by King County Metro.
• Volunteer drivers (parents, guardians, and other adult school volunteers) recommended by the school,  are screened  by Metro  for safe  driving records.
• Flexible scheduling -  students can ride one-way or round trip, for after school activities, or to connect to transit.

If you are interested in participating in the School Vanpool Pilot as a driver, please contact Transportation@SeattleAcademy.org  so we can follow up with more information and next steps.

King County Metro has several routes that service Seattle Academy. 

RapidRide G Line - from Madison Valley to Capitol Hill and then downtown

Route 2 - from Queen Anne to the Madrona Park

Try Metro's Trip Planner if you would like to see how public transportation can serve your family.

ON CAMPUS PARKING OVERVIEW

Seattle Academy has limited on-campus parking that is available to faculty and staff as well as juniors and seniors. The school makes every effort to provide sufficient parking, while acknowledging the fact that our location is increasingly making parking scarce. Seattle Academy secures parking in the neighborhood through volume leasing of parking lots and spaces.

Everyone who parks on campus, including faculty and staff, pays for a parking permit in order to help defray the high cost of providing parking in an urban area. Permits specific to an assigned lot will be issued, and cars will be monitored for display of permits. Any car without the correct permit for the lot in which it is parked may be towed at the owner’s expense and parking privileges may be revoked. Student parking permits are intended for student use only and not intended to be utilized for parent parking.

Questions regarding parking can be directed to Transportation. 

STUDENT PARKING PERMITS

The first-round application period for the 2025-26 school year will open in early May. The deadline for the first round is June 20. All applicants will be notified of the status of their application on July 14. 

Parking Permit Application Important Dates
First-Round Registration Deadline: June 20, 2025. 
Parking Assignments and Payment Information Sent to Families: July 14, 2025
Payment Deadline: July 25, 2025
Permits Available: Late August 2025 - permits will not be issued until payment has been received.

2025-26 Parking Permit Fees:
Carpool Permits: $2,763
Individual Permits: $3,033

The average cost of daily parking on Capitol Hill is $15-30 per day. The carpool costs above breaks down to roughly $15.35 per day. The individual permit cost is roughly $16.85 per day. If your student will be parking one or two days per week, you are better served by finding pay parking near the school. If your student will be driving every day, SAAS is a better deal overall. (Nearby Pay Lot Information)

Our rates have increased this year and are due to increasing rental costs of area lots. SAAS does not make money running this service. We offer and manage parking permits to enable easier transportation to and from the school for those families who need their students to transport themselves. 

Families that meet the June 20 deadline will be considered in the first pool for permits. (SEE ALLOCATION INFORMATION BELOW). Families that submit their application after the deadline will be considered on a first-come basis depending on availability.

If you apply for a parking permit, we ask that you please know and follow the rules that have been established for parking (SEE STUDENT DRIVER EXPECTATIONS BELOW). Everyone who parks on campus, including faculty and staff, pays for a parking permit in order to subsidize the high cost of providing parking in an urban area.

The school makes every effort to provide sufficient parking, while acknowledging the fact that our location is increasingly making parking scarce. Seattle Academy secures parking in the neighborhood through volume leasing of parking lots and spaces.  

Permits issued are for the assigned lot only, and cars will be monitored for display of permits. Any car without the correct permit for the lot in which it is parked may be towed at the owner’s expense. Parking permits are intended for student use and not intended to be utilized for parent parking.

STUDENT PERMIT ALLOCATION INFORMATION

• Student drivers of carpools serving 4 or more Seattle Academy students, with priority going to seniors;
• Student drivers of carpools serving 3 or more Seattle Academy students, with priority going to seniors;
• Student drivers of carpools serving 4 or more Seattle Academy students, with priority going to seniors;
• Individual Seniors
• Individual Juniors

student driver EXPECTATIONS

Seattle Academy encourages faculty, staff, and students to ride public transportation in order to reduce our impact on the neighborhood.  

Faculty/Staff

Faculty and staff who are interested in Orca Cards should contact orcacard@seattleacademy.org. 

Free Transit for Youth

Riders 18 and younger can take transit for free due to Move Ahead Washington, a statewide transportation funding package!

Riders age 13 and older are encouraged to show one of the following to the driver, if they have it:

• Youth ORCA Card
  • Click here to register for a free Youth Orca Card.
  • Please “tap” your card when you board. On Sound Transit light rail, please also “tap” when you exit.
  • Students/youth should register their card at myORCA.com so they can manage their card (e.g., apply for a replacement if/when needed). 
• Current High School or Middle School Student ID
• Youth who do not have one of these can still ride for free.

Across the Puget Sound region, youth with Youth Orca Cards are able to ride free on any of the following transit agencies:

• Community Transit
• Everett Transit
• King County Metro
• King County Water Taxi
• Kitsap Ferries
• Kitsap Transit
• Pierce Transit
• Seattle Streetcar
• Sound Transit
• Washington State Ferries (including cyclists, pedestrians, and vehicle passengers, but not vehicles)

Visit the Youth Orca Card website for the latest information. 

Below are the walking routes that students, faculty, and staff should follow when traveling between the Main Campus and the Temple Building. 

Main Campus / Temple Building

• Travel on the south side of Union between 12th Avenue and 14th Avenue.
• Travel on the north side of Union between 14th Avenue and 15th Avenue. 
• Cross Union at the light on 14th Avenue. 

Main Campus / Madison Building (for those students assigned to the Madison Garage)

• Travel on the south side of Madison between 12th Avenue and Boylston.
• Cross Madison at the light on Boylston.

We recognize that our campus can be difficulty to navigate for students with mobility challenges. We offer a mobility shuttle between the main campus, the Madison Building, and the Temple Building for students with documented needs. Families should send documentation from a doctor detailing the injury and recovery timelines to our Transportation Team. The accommodations office and transportation team work together to coordinate services.

SHUTTLE STOPS

• Spring Street cut out
• On Boylston Avenue in front of the Madison Building entrance
• On 15th Avenue in front of the Temple Building entrance
• To be added to the mobility shuttle list and/ receive information regarding the shuttle, please reach out to our Transportation Team.

SHUTTLE GUIDELINES

• The mobility shuttle is intended for students with mobility issues. Please let us know when your mobility challenges are resolved.
• Students may invite one friend to ride along to help as needed. We can only accommodate one friend per rider.
• The mobility shuttle does not run prior to the beginning of the school day. If arriving by bus, students should depart the bus at their first class location. If arriving by car, please be dropped off at your first class. 
• If a student has extenuating circumstances in the morning and cannot be dropped off at their first class location (early morning meeting, rehearsal, practice, etc.), they will need to catch one of the route buses at the designated pick up locations (in front of the Madison, Spring Street cut out, 16th Avenue) no later than 7:50 AM to catch one of the route buses to their first class location.
• Students should try to be at the designated pick up spaces as soon as possible when a block ends. The mobility shuttle will run throughout our transition times, but if you arrive later during the transition time, you might need to wait for it to loop back around. This may make you late to the next class. We do not provide excused tardies due to the mobility shuttle schedule.

QUESTIONS

You can stop at any front desk or reach out to our Transportation Team.

The Seattle Academy Transportation Department falls under the oversight of the Chief Operations Officer. The department is currently staffed with a Logistics and Transportation Director, a Transportation Manager, and a Transportation Coordinator. 

Seattle Academy partners with A&A Limousine and Seattle Quik Tours for our daily route buses, our mobility shuttle, and field trip needs. We use a number of other area bus companies for our athletic transportation and grade-level retreat needs. These bus companies are required to maintain all applicable licenses and registration for school bus services and operators, maintain their vehicles and other equipment in compliance with applicable laws, maintain appropriate insurance, provide fuel, and perform all background checks and drug and alcohol testing on their personnel as reasonably requested by Seattle Academy. 

At least annually, emergency drills are held with drivers and students to ensure that the driver and the riders know what to do in case of an emergency. In addition, the Transportation Manager is responsible for the daily review of duties, incident reports, and training of drivers as needed.

Below are links to two documents for bus drivers should an incident occur.

• emergency protocols for drivers

• preliminary incident report for bus drivers

Students, families, teachers, or community members who wish to report incidents or ask questions, can reach out to transportation@seattleacademy.org or safety@seattleacademy.org. They can also call the SAAS Safety Line at 206-676-6868.