SEATTLE (KOMO) — President Joe Biden visited the Emerald City Friday and Saturday as part of his reelection campaign.
Biden flew out of Seattle Saturday afternoon after a "campaign reception" in Medina, Washington. Biden departed Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) for Dover, Delaware, around 1:35 p.m.
Biden landed at SEA in Air Force One just before 5 p.m. Friday and was greeted by several elected officials including Gov. Jay Inslee, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, King County Executive Down Constantine, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) and Rep. Suzan DelBene (WA-01).
Biden participated in a campaign event in Seattle at 7 p.m. Friday, according to the White House.
The president’s visit to Seattle this weekend brought delays at SEA and road closures around the Puget Sound region.
With Biden in town, many security measures were taken. An Alaska Airlines spokesperson said security protocol for Air Force One arriving called for air traffic at SEA to be stopped at least 30 minutes before the plane landed, and all airlines could experience potential delays during that time.
Airport officials said if all goes as scheduled, the impact should be minimal for the time window, but they still recommend you check with your airline.
Roads were also closed in Seattle during Biden’s visit. The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) said it expected “significant travel delays and detours” around the Seattle area during Biden’s visit.
The U.S. Secret Service has the authority to intermittently close roads and freeways during Biden’s visit for security purposes. The SDOT said travelers could've planned ahead by “anticipating delays and temporary road closures,” including the flow of buses and cars in downtown Seattle and around the region being affected.
The SDOT said residents should consider options to get around the city without driving, like riding transit or biking to avoid traffic delays.
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The department also said engineers could adjust traffic signal timing based on the expected closures.
King County Metro also published service advisories online and sends transit alerts to riders. The SDOT said residents can see if a bus route is affected by closures on King County Metro’s service advisories page.
When Biden last visited Seattle in April 2022 for Earth Day, he visited Green River College in Auburn.
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