For the 2026-2027 school year, the SAAS Transportation Department offered the following services.

Bus Routes to and from SAAS 
SAAS will offer eight morning and afternoon routes in the Fall of 2026, serving the Eastside along I-90 and 520, West Seattle, South Seattle, Northwest, Northeast, Magnolia, Queen Anne, and north Capitol Hill neighborhoods. We also offer an after-activities shuttle to 3rd and University for students wishing to catch a bus or the light rail. During the Fall Trimester, SAAS will offer an abbreviated After-Activities bus route to the Eastside. This route will be offered during the Fall Trimester only. The last day of service will be on Tuesday, November 24, 2026. 

More details can be found on the Bus Route tab at the top of this page. We will have open registration throughout the school year. 

Carpool Program 
We 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 tab above.

Limited On-Campus Parking 
We offer limited on-campus parking. Each May, registration for the following school year opens 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 for all students is on 13th Avenue between E Union and E Spring. Vehicles are asked to approach south board from E Union. 

Please read the detailed directions and maps that 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 eight morning and afternoon routes in the Fall of 2026, serving the Eastside along I-90 and 520, West Seattle, South Seattle, Northwest, Northeast, Magnolia, Queen Anne, and north Capitol Hill neighborhoods. You can see additional details regarding the 2026-27 routes, stops, and times below.

We will offer an after-activities shuttle, free of charge, to 3rd and University for students wishing to catch a Metro bus or the light rail north, south, or east. The Metro G Line also serves 3rd Avenue every 6 minutes. We will offer an abbreviated After-Activities route to the East Side during the Fall Trimester only. The last day of service will be Tuesday, November 24, 2026. 

• All morning routes stop on 12th Avenue to drop off students for the main campus (including the Middle School Building).
• Afternoon buses depart from both 12th and 13th Avenues promptly at 3:15 PM. Students will need their student ID card to get on the afternoon bus. They should plan to be on 12th or 13th with their ID cards no later than 3:10 PM to be ready to board the bus. Specific afternoon bus departure locations will be updated in August. 
• The after-activities shuttle to 3rd and University departs from 13th Avenue at 5:45 PM. 
• The East Side After-Activities bus departs from 13th Avenue at 6:15 PM. The bus will be offered during the Fall Trimester only. The last day of service will be Tuesday, November 24, 2026. 

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 for 2026-27 will begin on
Wednesday, September 2, 2026. 

More Bus REGISTRATION Details for 2026-2027 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 the 2025-2026 school year is available by clicking on the button below.

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

2025-2026 Bus REGIstration

Bus Routes 2025-26: 

AM and PM Route Information

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

2026-2027 Bus REGIstration

Bus Routes 2026-27: 

AM and PM Route Information

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

After-Activities Transportation Options

SAAS is well served by public transportation. The G Line runs along Madison to Seattle's downtown core every 6 minutes. Students can ride the G Line to the Symphony stop of the Light Rail System and catch a train going north, south, or east. In addition, the G Line connects with other major Metro bus routes on 3rd Avenue. Students ride for free with a Youth Orca Card. 

The SAAS Transportation Team will provide bus service to take students from the main campus to 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 (Symphony) station, allowing them to transfer onto Light Rail and ride to destinations along the “1” line between Angle Lake and Northgate as well as the "2" line to the East Side including Mercer Island, Bellevue, and Redmond. Neighborhood bus connections can also be made on Third Avenue near University Street. Again, students ride for free with a Youth Orca Card.

SAAS will offer an abbreviated After-Activities route during the Fall Trimester only. The last day of service will be on Tuesday, November 24, 2026. 

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 Program

SAAS partners with King County Metro to offer a carpool option for families.

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

Carpool Program 

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. 

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 the Transportation Team. 

STUDENT PARKING PERMITS

Parking permit applications for the 2026-2027 school year are now open. Parking permits are open to juniors and seniors only. Please review the information below regarding out timeline. If you would like to submit an application, please click on the red application button at the bottom of the page. If you have any questions, contact the Transportation Team. 

Parking Permit Application Important Dates
First-Round Registration Deadline: June 19, 2026. 
Parking Assignments and Payment Information Sent to Families: July 13, 2026
Payment Deadline: July 24, 2026
Permits Available: Late August 2026 - permits will not be issued until payment has been received.

2026-27 Parking Permit Fees:
Carpool Permits: $2,901
Individual Permits: $3,336

The average cost of daily parking on Capitol Hill is $15-30 per day. The carpool costs above breaks down to roughly $16.00 per day. The individual permit cost is roughly $18.00 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 19 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 Seattle Academy students, with priority going to seniors;
• Student drivers of carpools serving 2 Seattle Academy students, with priority going to seniors;
• Individual Seniors
• Individual Juniors

student driver EXPECTATIONS

2026-27 Parking permit application form

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 recommended walking routes that students, faculty, and staff should follow when traveling between the Main Campus and the 16th Avenue Parking Lot, the Main Campus and the Madison Garage, or to and from the light rail station.

Main Campus to/from the 16th Avenue Parking Lot

• 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 to/from the Madison Garage

• Travel on the south side of Madison between 12th Avenue and Boylston or Summit OR travel through the Seattle University campus via E Spring Street to the corner of Madison and 10th Avenue. 
• Cross Madison at the light on Boylston or Summit.
• Enter the garage through the main entrance off of Summit Avenue. 

Main Campus to/from the Light Rail Station

• Travel northbound on 12th Avenue from Madison to Olive. 
• Turn west on Olive Street.
• Proceed to the Light Rail Station at the corner of Olive and Broadway. 

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 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.

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.