Transportation
On the Move CHECK AHEAD Check traffic, road and weather conditions on-line before leaving home. Seattle: www.seattle.gov/trafficcams or for real time travel information, http://web5.seattle.gov/travelers. For downtown Seattle Parking updates, www.downtownseattleparking.com. Bellevue: www.bellevuewa.gov/trafficmap. Other King County cities: http://gismaps.kingcounty.gov/MyCommute. State highways: www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic. WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES Our state has the largest ferry system in the U.S. and the fourth largest in the world. Seattle’s downtown Pier 52 terminal has daily scheduled departures for Bainbridge Island and Bremerton. A passenger-only ferry connects Seattle’s Pier 50 with Vashon Island. The Fauntleroy terminal in West Seattle has sailings to Vashon Island, as well as Southworth on the Kitsap Peninsula. Tacoma’s Point Defiance Terminal connects to the south end of Vashon Island (Tahlequah). Ferries also run from Edmonds to Kingston on the Kitsap Peninsula, and from Mukilteo to Whidbey Island (Clinton). Sailings to the San Juan Islands and Sidney (Victoria) BC depart from Anacortes. (206) 464-6400, www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries. GETTING AROUND WITHOUT A CAR Transportation options abound in this region! Sound Transit, a regional public transit agency delivers a mix of rail, bus routes, and new transit facilities to urban King, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties. Sound Transit’s popular commuter rail line, Sounder, travels between Lakewood and Seattle (making stops in Tacoma, Puyallup, Sumner, Auburn, Kent and Tukwila) and between Everett and Seattle (stopping in Mukilteo and Edmonds.) Sound Transit’s Link light rail runs from SeaTac Airport to the University of Washington, making 13 stops including downtown Seattle. (One way: $2.25 to $3.25). Tacoma light rail travels through downtown Tacoma. www.soundtransit.org. Local and commuter express bus service is provided by Metro Transit in King County, Pierce Transit in Pierce County, Community Transit in Snohomish County, Skagit Transit in Skagit County and Kitsap Transit in Kitsap County. Everett Transit provides direct and frequent service throughout Everett. For help planning a bus trip within King, Pierce, or Snohomish Counties: (206) 553-3000, http://tripplanner.kingcounty.gov or download app for real time tracking. For another alternative, try a King County Water Taxi. These two passenger-only ferries connect both West Seattle and Vashon Island to downtown Seattle. The West Seattle route sails out of pier 50 in downtown Seattle and Seacrest Dock in West Seattle. The second route runs 94
GREATER SEAT TLE INFOGUIDE • 2016-17
weekdays only between pier 50 and the Vashon Ferry Terminal. (206) 477-3979, www.kingcounty.gov/watertaxi. Other fun ways to travel in downtown Seattle include the Seattle Center Monorail and Seattle Streetcars. The Monorail provides daily service between Seattle Center and Westlake Center with trains departing every 10 minutes. (206) 905-2620, www.seattlemonorail.com. Seattle Streetcars run from Southlake Union to downtown city center, with a second line linking First Hill to the Chinatown-International District. (206) 553-3000, www.seattlestreetcar.org. BICYCLING In 2015, the League of American Bicyclists named Washington the #1 Most Bicycle Friendly State in the nation. Transit buses are equipped with bike racks, and bike lockers are available at many transit centers and park & ride lots. The Bicycle Alliance of Washington provides support for bicycle commuters with maps & information. (206) 224-9252, http://wabikes.org. Greater Seattle has miles of bike trails, on-street lanes, and signed bike routes to accommodate both commuter and recreational bicyclists. For bike maps and information: In Seattle, (206) 684-7583, www.seattle. gov/transportation/bikeprogram.htm. In King County, (206) 2968100, www.kingcounty.gov/transportation/kcdot/roads/bicycling. Helmets are mandatory in King and most other local counties. OTHER OPTIONS Rental cars, limos, shuttle, car sharing, app-based car services (Uber, Lyft, and SideCar), and taxis are all readily available. Seattle taximeter rates run $2.60 for the drop charge with distance charges of $2.70 per mile, and a $30 per hour wait time. A flat rate applies for rides from the downtown hotel district to SeaTac airport and should be posted on the taxi. For ground travel out of Seattle, trains and commercial bus service are options. Amtrak runs out of the historic King Street Station at 303 S. Jackson St., (800) USA-RAIL, www.amtrak.com. The downtown Seattle Greyhound Bus Station is located at 503 S. Royal Brougham Way, (206) 624-0618, www.greyhound.com.
Transit Information Community Transit
commtrans.org
(800) 562-1375
Everett Transit
everettransit.org
(425) 257-7777
King County Metro metro.kingcounty.gov
(800) 542-7876
Kitsap Transit
www.kitsaptransit.com
(800) 501-7433
Pierce Transit
www.piercetransit.org
(800) 562-8109
Skagit Transit
www.skagittransit.org
(360) 757-4433
Sound Transit
www.soundtransit.org
(800) 201-4900
