Lakeside School

Lakeside School’s custom bus program provides six specially designed AM/PM and two evening routes that our students can use traveling to and from school. Buses are provided by King County Metro and ZUM, a private school bus provider, and the program is a partnership with University Prep and The Evergreen School.

Please read the following information closely and, if you have questions about the custom bus program or other transportation-related concerns, please contact Ying Canfield at 206-440-2941 or transportation@lakesideschool.org.

Students must be enrolled in the custom bus program in order to take the bus; the program does not allow for occasional riders. Ridership is nontransferable and nonrefundable. Students enrolled in the program receive a custom bus sticker to be affixed on the back of their student ID card that must be shown to the driver when embarking. Riding the custom buses while not enrolled in the program is against Lakeside’s Statement of Community Expectations. 

Costs

Program costs are based on the direct costs that Metro and ZUM charge the school. The school covers all overhead costs of the program. For the 2025–2026 school year, the cost of the custom bus program is $375 per month. Families receive bus registration information in May.

Financial aid is available and automatically applied for students receiving tuition financial aid. Please contact financialaid@lakesideschool.org with questions about financial aid.

Routes

The custom bus routes are commuter-style, running on major arterials with occasional stops, and serving the greatest number of families in the shortest amount of time. Families generally drive or carpool to the stops.

The program does not allow for mid-year route changes. Requests for route changes are reviewed each December for implementation in the following academic year. Route-specific information and maps are located below.

Bus Stops

Students should be waiting at the bus stop at least five minutes before the bus is scheduled to depart. Riders must be at the stop, not sitting in cars where the driver cannot see them. Students should not ask drivers for special stops. 

What are the buses like to ride?

The majority of our custom buses are regular King County Metro buses designed to meet the needs of commuters. If a student has never ridden a Metro bus before, we encourage parents and guardians to take a trip on a Metro bus with their student before the beginning of the school year and discuss expectations and respectful and safe behavior on public transit. As on all Metro buses, there are occasions where students may need to stand. In the 2025-2026 school year, ZUM, a private yellow school bus provider, is operating two routes for our students.

While the special routes are used primarily by our students and employees, non-students looking for transportation along the Metro routes can find them on Metro’s website and use these buses if they pay the custom fare. This does not happen often.

All bus timetables are constructed to take traffic into account. However, traffic and weather are beyond our control, and buses can sometimes run late.

What happens during inclement weather?

If Lakeside is in session, the buses will be running. When snow or ice is present, bus routes with hills will be affected, some stops may be eliminated, and there will most likely be significant delays. Find more details about snow routes below, and sign up for transit alerts from King County Metro to stay up-to-date. 

ORCA cards

An ORCA pass is not required nor valid on the school’s custom buses; however, it can be used to ride regular Metro transit, including the Light Rail, for free. We encourage students to apply for a Youth ORCA Card at Free Youth Transit Pass. See the "Public Transportation" tab for more information.

Helpful links  

2025-2026 Bus Schedule 

2025-2026 Google Maps

Custom Bus FAQs and Expectations for Riders

Light Rail Transfer Bus Service 

Light Rail 1 Line Train Schedule

King County Metro Service Advisories

Custom Bus Snow/Adverse Weather Routes

Lakeside School is accessible via several bus routes; check Metro's trip planner to find your best route.

Our campus is accessible via the 1 Line on Link light rail: the Shoreline S / 148th St. light rail station is about a 10-minute walk to our Upper School campus. See Sound Transit's trip planner for more information; you can also check out the Light Rail 1 Line Train Schedule.

Lakeside offers a morning, afternoon, and evening transfer service between the Shoreline S / 148th St. light rail station and both the Middle School and Upper School campuses. This free service is for Lakeside employees and students. In order to use the free transfer service, students must register with the school’s custom bus program. Learn more about the transfer service. If your family would like to register for this transfer service for the 2025-2026 school year, don't hesitate to contact the business office at transportation@lakesideschool.org.

Did you know that all youth 18 and younger can ride regular Metro transit, including the Light Rail, for free? Students are highly encouraged to use a Youth ORCA card (also known as a Free Youth Transit Pass) when they ride transit. Alternatively, youth can show their Student ID to the driver as they board and to any transit official upon request. Youth who do not have a Youth ORCA card or Student ID can still ride for free. We encourage students to apply for a Youth ORCA Card at Free Youth Transit Pass.

Many families form a carpool, driven by older students or parents and guardians. There are designated carpool parking spots in all student parking lots on the Upper School campus.

It’s easy to form a carpool with other Lakeside families. Here’s how:

• Current parents and guardians can sign in to the Veracross family portal; students can sign into the Veracross student portal.
• Parents and guardians click on the “Online Directories” button; students click on “student directory.”
• From the "Households" tab, click on the "Nearby Student Households" link to access a list of families living near you.

 

 

 

 

 

Bike racks are available at the Middle School, between the gym and main building, and at the Upper School next to Pigott Memorial Library in Red Square and at the southeast corner of The Paul G. Allen Athletics Center parking lot.

Lakeside has several on-campus parking areas. Street parking is also available.
View a map of parking at and around both campuses.

Please note that cars parked on campus without proper identification or inappropriately parked on campus or neighboring streets may be towed.

Visitor parking and check-in
Middle School visitor parking is located near the flagpole at the school’s main entrance on NE 137th St. Please start your visit by checking in and registering your vehicle with the main office. The office staff can answer questions. Please note that the Middle School admissions office is located in the main office of the Middle School.

Upper School visitor parking is located in front of Allen-Gates Hall. Turn into the main driveway from 1st Ave. NE, and then take an immediate right followed by an immediate left. Please start your visit by checking in and registering your vehicle in the main office in Bliss Hall (the building with the clocktower). The main office staff has maps available and can answer questions. Prospective students and families with pre-scheduled visits to campus should check into campus at the admissions office in Fix Hall.

Accessible parking
The visitor parking lot, between Allen-Gates Hall and 1st Ave. NE, has four stalls reserved for accessible parking; The Paul G. Allen Athletics Center parking lot has two spots reserved. Cars must have a valid accessible parking permit to park in these spaces.

Event parking
For major events, signs will direct attendees to available parking.

Parent and guardian parking
Parents and guardians may park in any available spot in the Middle School lot (enter off NE 135th Street). Parents and guardians visiting the Upper School should park on the street.

Street Parking
There is limited street parking in the area around Lakeside. Please be considerate of our neighbors; Seattle’s municipal code states that there is no parking within five feet of a driveway, mailbox, or alley.

Student Parking
At the start of the school year, students can request a permit through the end of the first week of classes. Following that date, student permits will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis with seniors receiving priority, then juniors, then sophomores. Permit requests made after the end of the first week of classes will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis throughout the year until there are no more available permits and parking spots. Permits will only be issued for the number of student parking spaces on campus. 

Vehicles parked in student parking must be registered with the school and must display a parking permit at all times. Parking lots available for students include Stimson lot; the athletics center lot; and the senior lot. There are designated carpool spots in all student lots. Spaces in all lots are first come, first served.

Please note that construction in the neighborhood may impact travel to and from our campuses. See our Construction and Neighborhood News page for links and more information, and the "Parking" tab above for information about where to park on and near our campuses.