The City of SeaTac’s Free Shopping and Dining Shuttle Now Back in Operation

Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority announces return of free shuttle.

Southside Regional Tourism Authority (RTA) and the City of SeaTac recently announced the return of free transportation for area visitors to and from their SeaTac hotel to Westfield Southcenter Mall—Washington State’s largest shopping center and home to over 250 national and regional brands. The shuttle was on hiatus since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The year-round complimentary shuttle is available to pick up guests right from their hotel every hour Thursday – Sunday from early afternoon through early evening. Guests can reserve their seat, view detailed schedules, and see a list of participating partner hotels on the Seattle Southside RTA website. Seattle Express, which operates the SeaTac Shopping and Dining Shuttle, reports transporting approximately 25,000 SeaTac hotel guests each year.

Funded with City of SeaTac lodging tax dollars, the SeaTac Shopping and Dining Shuttle was approved by the City Council in July 2021 upon the recommendation of the Hotel Motel Advisory Committee. During its initial operation, between 2016 and 2019, the shuttle annually supported $2.5 to $3 million in lodging-related expenditures and just above $4 million in estimated spending at Westfield Southcenter Mall.