Page last updated: June 29, 2020

Hours of Operation for Seattle Center Monorail are as follows:

Monday-Friday: 7:30am-7:00pm

Saturday-Sunday: 10:00am-7:00pm

*Please check our “Rider Alerts” for current updates.

Below is a comprehensive list of COVID-19 safety measures at the Seattle Center Monorail.

Social Distancing at the Monorail

The following social distance strategies are currently being implemented at the Seattle Center Monorail:

• To reduce our cashier’s exposure to germs, the Monorail is only accepting ORCA cards, credit/debit cards, and mobile tickets through the Transit GO Ticket app. The Monorail is temporarily suspending the acceptance of cash, which requires the cashier to handle bills and coins from the customer and increases risk to our employees.
• The cashiers are working exclusively inside the ticket booths at all times and will not be selling tickets on the train where they have more exposure to germs.
• At each ticket booth, markings are placed on the ground (6’ apart) to indicate spacing between people waiting in line.
• PA announcements are being made by the cashiers and monorail drivers encouraging people to spread out on the platform and inside the train to abide by social distancing guidelines.
• It is REQUIRED to wear a non-medical mask or face covering per the King County Directive.
• To protect monorail drivers and comply with social distancing, we have placed stanchions to block off the far ends of both trains to provide distance between where the public sits, and where our monorail drivers sit and operate the trains. We ask the public to find a seat anywhere else on the train, but not next to or behind the monorail driver. The doors closet to the drivers (at the very far ends of each train) are temporarily turned off to prevent passengers from boarding or disembarking near the driver.
• To promote social distancing on the train, certain seats on the trains are marked off as unavailable.

Employee Safety Protocols

Seattle Monorail Services (SMS) has provided all employees with mandatory online safety training. All employees have completed the training before returning to work. Hands-on training is also provided on-site . Safety and disinfecting processes are audited by managers and supervisors.

In order to protect our employees from COVID-19, SMS has provided the following instructions for employees based on CDC and FTA guidance. For transit workers, potential sources of exposure include close contact with a coworker with COVID-19, contacting surfaces touched or handled by a person with COVID-19, or by touching your mouth, nose, or eyes.

• Limit close contact with others by maintaining a distance of at least 6 feet, when possible.
• Avoid touching surfaces often touched by transit passengers.
• Practice routine cleaning and disinfection of frequently touched surfaces following the directions on the cleaning product’s label.
• Proper hand hygiene is an important infection control measure. Wash your hands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.
• Key times to clean hands include:
  • Before, during, and after preparing food
  • Before eating food
  • After using the toilet
  • After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
• Additional times to clean hands on the job include:
  • Before and after work shifts
  • Before and after work breaks
  • After touching surfaces in the vehicles frequently touched by passengers
  • After putting on, touching, or removing cloth face coverings
• Avoid contact with body fluids.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.

Additionally, SMS has implemented the following protocols for all employees:

• Mandatory temperature checks occur for all SMS employees before they begin a shift.
• All employees are  provided with Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) which includes washable cloth masks, nitrile gloves, and optional coveralls to wear over their clothing.
• All employees are required to wear masks during their shift.

Cleaning and Disinfecting Protocols

The following protocols are implemented to help reduce the transmission of COVID-19:

• Seattle Monorail Services (SMS) is only operating one train per day to ensure concentrated effort on sanitizing the train that is carrying passengers.
• Each day, a deep clean will occur on the train that will be in service the next day. Additionally, SMS disinfects high touch surfaces of the train that is in service throughout the day (every 3-4 hours). High touch surfaces include cashier booths, train seats, handrails, railings and countertops.
• All employees are provided with paid breaks throughout their shifts to go and wash their hands and wipe down their workstations. SMS employees will clean their workstations before and after their scheduled shift and their designated breaks; all employees will be provided with ample paid time to do this
• SMS is providing all employees with optional cotton coveralls that can be worn over an employee’s clothing to protect from germs. An outside vendor launders these coveralls.

Signage

The signage below reflects current safety protocols and is posted in stations, on ticket booths, and throughout the trains.