Driving used to be fun but not anymore…read more I took Driver's Ed in high school. Studied the WA DOL manual. Got up at 5am on the weekends and mastered parking maneuvers in empty parking lots. Practiced driving on I-5 and steering control on E Mercer Way. Passed the written and driving tests. It was a milestone celebration unlocking freedom and independence at 16 years old. Learned how to use the stick shift and feared the red light at 15th & Spokane St. on rainy days. Drove to Dick's on Capitol Hill with friends. Never had to share the road with electric bikes and scooters because they didn't exist. Never saw distracted drivers with smartphones because these devises weren't available to the public yet. We only had to worry about cars with California plates, the occasional BC plate, or someone who said, "DMV." ;p Driving in Seattle is different now. Traffic is worse. Nobody gives the "Thank you" wave anymore. I know someone who's been driving well over 10 years and they slapped a yellow New Driver sticker on their car and uses it as an excuse to drive like a crazy person. On I-5 I saw a guy texting at the wheel, saw a girl playing a game on her phone at the wheel. Cars without license plates, cars with expired tabs. People driving in the Bus Only lane, people driving with high beams. Motorcycle lane splitting. Witnessed illegal left turns from the far right lane and people driving down the yellow center lane. A lot of these habits and behaviors didn't happen when I first started driving. Seems like the WA DOL manual doesn't apply anymore. Unwritten driving rules taught and passed down by old school Seattleites are fizzling out. Those OGs have moved to Clark County near the WA/OR border, Eastern WA, out of state, and out of country. Gas is over $6+ a gallon and if theres an event near the stadiums parking can be between $70-$120. So if someone asks me why I take public transit, I have many reasons why. I take the light rail when my destination is near a station. I take it for peace of mind. I take it to save money. I've become mindful of my carbon footprint. The 2 Line trains from the Eastside are newer and cleaner than the workhorse 1 Line trains. There's the occasional smelly person, the sleeper, and the tweaker but I know have a choice to sit or stand away from them or get up and move. No fare gates or platform screen doors at the stations. Signage and announcements could be better too. As for the near future, I want to attend roll out celebrations for the Graham St. and Boeing Access Road infill stations. I'm also looking forward to the West Seattle and Tacoma expansions.

Overall pretty good with my experiences with Link. On our trips to Seattle if we are planning to…read morejust go to neighborhoods where the train stops through then we definitely utilize that over driving. There are a lot of shortened operation times due to upgrades, maintenance and expansion. As large as the Seattle metro area is I'm surprised there wasn't public transit train installed and with good coverage of stops long ago. But it seems to be happening now. I think of Campbell Scott in the movie Singles and how his plan gets shot down for a broader commute expansion with trains for a plan he submitted. It almost feels like an inside joke and maybe it always was or has been for a long time living in the metro area. Recently we rode on the new expansion that goes to Federal Way. We rode the train up from the large transit center and garage there and it was nice and smooth. A bit long but so much less stress not having to drive. I have my Orca Card handy with me and it's easy on and easy off. Overall good experiences with this train system!

While it is timely, clean, and consistent, figuring out how to buy a ticket for the appropriate…read morelength of time or distance is freakishly challenging. Between us we have two masters degrees, and we finally just guessed. $42 + cards for two day regional passes. (By the price I'm guessing we surely did it wrong!) (Which is risky, because last time we were up here we saw a guy get challenged for his card and escorted off the train to be given a ticket) for noncompliance.

So many delays on sound train. It really sucks and is frustrating. I experienced 2 delays last 3…read moreweeks and each delay was at least 30minutes causing me being late at work. I cannot trust their time management at all.

The train takes you straight from the airport to the city. I paid $6 for a round trip. One way is…read more$3.50 or $3 I think. This is a lot cheaper than the train in Denver that does the same thing! Very convenient as you don't have to deal with traffic. Also lots of staff present! So it feels very safe. It makes many stops

SoDo Station. South of the Kingdome. I remember the implosion of the Kingdome. It was an iconic…read morestadium and I saw games here but after those ceiling tiles fell I was ok with the demolition. Art commissioned at this station is "Made in USA". What's unique about this location are the murals along E-3 Busway. Doesn't matter how many times I ride the bus or light rail I alway notice something new. You can also catch a glimpse of Starbucks HQ on 1st Ave. The light rail also parallels the SODO bike trail. Not much goes on at this station but if you're on the bus and want to take the light rail into downtown this is a transfer point. Metro and Sound Transit Buses roll through E-3 busway. I'm not going to list the details but here are the numbers: 50, 101, 102, 150, 177, 190, 590, 594, and 595.

Great deal to use when getting away from Portland to Seattle! We had great WiFi going but no WiFi…read morecoming back. Good thing I downloaded a couple videos for the ride! But for the price, the comfort and way of boarding was much better than catching a plane or driving when the price of gas is so high!

Amtrak Cascades is a regional Amtrak line that runs from Eugene, Oregon up to Vancouver, Canada…read more Currently there are 6 trains each day that operate on the Seattle to Portland portion of the line. I took a train from Portland to Seattle on this train and found the legroom to be disappointing compared to the Coast Starlight train that operates the same route daily. While the Cascades train is faster by about a half hour, I would choose the Coast Starlight if you prefer comfort over speed. On the positive side, the train has Wi-Fi and a frequent train schedule which makes it worth considering in spite of the smaller amount of seat legroom.

This place is super easy to get off to go to either one of the stadiums sometimes it can be full…read moreand sometimes it's not but it's definitely super convenient and the price is very affordable. Definitely saves you gas and I would highly recommend taking the light and getting off at the stadium and it's a lot easier to get off at the stadium light rail station instead of the international district Chinatown one.

The train takes you straight from the airport to the city. I paid $6 for a round trip. One way is…read more$3.50 or $3 I think. This is a lot cheaper than the train in Denver that does the same thing! Very convenient as you don't have to deal with traffic. Also lots of staff present! So it feels very safe. It makes many stops

Marshawn not getting the football. Seattle without an NBA team. The Sounder train service. These…read moreare all regional disappointments. Reliability, security, communication, and fare enforcement is at an all time low. The cost of taking the Sounder is expensive and I'm not just talking about the fare. A train delay or a no-show causes a domino effect of wasted time, money, and opportunities. Maybe you'll have to deal with the rideshare peak-time scramble. Maybe your only option may result in driving your own car from the suburbs, dealing with the morning I-5 traffic jam and paying for expensive parking. Maybe you have to take an uncomfortable, already crowded bus. Maybe you have to extract PTO from your vacation leave for loss time or accept Leave Without Pay. Maybe you missed your medical appointment, a lecture, a class, or an in-person interview. I understand how delicate the downtown ecosystem is right now, but if a fundamental transportation system fails to bring people to and from their destination, then it's a loss for all the cities in the Puget Sound that the train runs through. Now if their unreliable service is a pre-cursor of what's to come for the 2025 Club World Cup and World Cup 2026, then fans should make alternative transportation arrangements. National and International travelers shouldn't be waiting on a platform for a train that may never come. I know sometimes things are out of their control. Unavoidable accidents can happen on the tracks which is rare. Luckily the cars have bathrooms, heat, and AC. Sorry, no lounge/cafe for snacks. Bring your own.

The Sounder is a very efficient transportation method in and around the Seattle-Tacoma area. It's…read morevery easy; you tap your card, or you go to the machine and pay for a fare, and it's. Don't forget to tap or buy a ticket because they have random checks for fare during travel. Remember to be on time and read the schedule before you come because the trains are on time mostly, and they only stopped for about a minute. As far as the train, some of the bathrooms on the train require some maintenance; sometimes there are people that are homeless who will come on, and they will stay in the bathrooms throughout the duration of the trip. The Wi-Fi sometimes is sporadic, but at least it's a luxury for those who have work to do while committing. One other advantage while riding the Sounder is the scenic view. There's a beautiful view of Mount Rainier, which you can observe from any seat on the train. Oh, and you also get to meet some very nice people. Overall, the Sounders is a very good mode of transportation. I'm satisfied with it.

Lots of options in payment as well as reasonable fares that people can afford you can pay using…read morecards that can be used long term or purchases a hourly fare that lasts just few hours.

As a long time metro rider (34 years) I've ridden the 3, 4 , 7, 49 , 42 and 106. I've encountered…read moremy fair share of interactions primarily on the 3 and 7 and have always respected drivers on these routes that use courtesy and don't yell. Fast forward to the 522. I've noticed that the majority of drivers on this route, specifically at the lake city stops appear to be like security officers. They don't smile, greet, and have any type of personality. I can name just two drivers who were nice and one driver even yelled at me. Some of the drivers appear to be senior drivers. I heard that sound transit is metro and metro drivers drive the 522. I have not experienced this perceived disgruntled ness on the 372 and 61. I hope metro can address my observations and provide additional training to these drivers. It's the same stand off ish attitude at the Roosevelt staff. Thank you!

I've seen the Transit Fairy. I've smiled at the Football Guy. I've waved to Fluffy. I've hopped on…read moreNathan's bus. I like taking public transit into downtown Seattle because I don't have to pay for parking and there's a chance of meeting any one of these local celebrities. I usually take the 7 up to the Pike/Pine area or to the C-ID because of its frequency. I know if I miss a pick up I don't sweat it because I know another one will be on its way. When I get on the bus I mind my business but I pay attention. Articulated trolleybuses are used for the 7. It runs on a historic route. Read up on the Rainier Avenue Electric Railway & the Seattle and Rainier Valley Railway if you have any interest. It starts from the South End and makes its way into downtown. Rainier Beach (RB), Columbia City, and Mt. Baker are some of the neighborhoods the 7 rolls through. I started catching the 7 more often when I joined the downtown Seattle workforce. This was around the time when the bus seats were brown. Vintage Breda's :) Those old school buses have since been replaced with modern ones. Anyone who's ever grown up or lived in South Seattle has a number 7 bus story. It's like a rite of passage. IYKYK lol

If you've ever seen the word "SMILE" on a cardboard sign you knew you were in for a unique bus…read moreriding experience. This particular bus driver had good, positive energy. He sang too! That sign on the 36 bus was like a welcome mat and it changed the monotony of the workday. If I was on break walking down 3rd Ave and saw that SMILE sign on the front window I'd wave to the driver. It's been years since I've seen "Mr. Smiley" but I hope he's doing well. The 36 route rolls through Beacon Hill on a historic streetcar route. It passes by the VA, the Jefferson Community Center (a place where my friends and fam celebrated many special occasions), the park, the golf course, the light rail and El Centro de la Raza. It also passes by the Shell gas station which is famous for its catfish. It goes by Dr. José Rizal Park where the East Is West public art is located. Also, the Ron Chew Healthy Aging and Wellness Center is set to open later this year. Before the 36 crosses the Dr. José Rizal Bridge photographers usually set up their tripods and cameras to take photos of the Downtown Seattle skyline. The bus then travels into Chinatown-International District known for parks, a library, community centers, restaurants, retail, grocery stores, museums, and services. Lastly, it travels into downtown.

Before the light rail existed my fam would meet up at the Tukwila Park & Ride off Interurban and…read moretake the 150 into town for baseball games. Downtown parking was still expensive back then and since parking was free at the Park & Ride we chose this option instead. It was also nice taking the carpool lane for most of I-5. The Kent Des Moines light rail station opens next year but people will still take the 150 for many reasons. For one, the light rail doesn't pass by Southcenter Mall. Another is that people depend on this route to get to work. It starts out at Kent Station. This shopping center is known for retail, restaurants, and a movie theater. The community looks forward to Kent Cornucopia Days during the summer. It's also a stop for the Sounder train. It passes by ShoWare where they hold special events. The bus then travels on West Valley Hwy where there's a bunch of warehousing, then to Southcenter Mall, and onto Interurban Ave. It hops onto I-5 then goes through E-3 Busway which is a Transit Only corridor. You'll get to see Sodo Track which is a collection of large scale murals.