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!

4 and a half our in on our 20 hour journey.... So far so good…read more... A few rough looking passenger and one of them loud , know it all lady who cut in line cause she gets priority. Privilege people. LOL -Coast Starlight: was very hesitant at first. Paid twice as much as i would for a plane ticket and 10 x the travel time...yaaaYy... -Seat is spacious and comfortable. -View is amazing, even from the seat. They also have an observation cart. It's cool. -and we're off....will update of anything changes and at the conclusion of the journey....

We traveled on the #8 Empire Builder train route from Seattle to Chicago in approximately 44 hours…read moreand through 3 time zones. The food was terrific. The train car attendant, cafe car attendants, conductor, engineer, and station attendants were all great. The Roomette sleeping compartment was a great choice for this longer journey. I sleep quite well when I'm on the train other than a few times when we hit rougher tracks. The train cars could probably use a good refurbishment. Bathroom and shower facilities were okay. It's not the same as a hotel since it's constantly moving, but it suffices. Would repeat the trip with no hesitation. Saw gorgeous countryside via passing through the United States, which is epic.

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.

The transit guys don't really do anything when they see someone high as a kite. They just tap them…read moreon the shoulders and walk away. Yes it's very convenient to get to the airport . Only if it can go a bit faster-would be great. However, I still recommend versus paying for parking and leave my car at the airport is not necessary for me. Just make sure you purchase in advance for your Orca ride

If you take Amtrak, definitely go business classes there's legroom and it's really close to the…read morebar... The snack bar that is. I enjoyed the trip to Tacoma from Portland. It was relaxing better than me having to drive because man that drive is not something look forward to and people who love driving... More power to you. The staff on the train is really nice and informative and a little humorous at times. It was great to take the train for Christmas to my sisters.

Reasonable pricing for a round trip to Portland. COVID travel restrictions no food or beverages…read morebeing sold, but the offer free water and snacks. Mask required but no social distancing seating enforced. A little over two hours of beautiful Nice was to travel .. round trip great experience.

The Sounder has always been on time when I've used it for commuting to work the last 3 weeks and…read morehas been clean every time as well. Love the comfy seats and those with a table to get some work done on a laptop with power outlets really help. Swiping the Orca card at the post before and after boarding is super easy. Over 200 parking spots are at this station for just the Sounder, not the ferry. There are no other services available at the station but there are restaurants nearby. The ferry is just around the corner.

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.

What a wonderful way to avoid traffic to and from the airport! This is a "NO BRAINER" convenient,…read moreclean and fast. $3.25 on way from the airport to the UW. You guy your ticket before you enter and boom you are on. It's monitored by persons on the train to check your ticket. I would only ride this during the daytime - it cuts through some shady parts of town. If you are traveling with large luggage- it could be tricky if trains are full- no real area for them to store except on small nook which is reserved for bikes and luggage, but if your luggage has wheels- it will roll away unless you stand by it and if full- good luck. You cannot fit a large piece with you on the seats. Too narrow ( only bad thing) Give it a try!

The light rail is wonderful. It is very crowded at times for Seahawk or Mariners games, but a…read moregreat way to travel. It is particularly useful during trips to SeaTac. It will be even more useful as it is extended.

So far so good this is my favorite mode of transportation! I love how quick that I make…read moreconnections. It is laidback and there is more security on there than on buses. I love that. And I love how often and quickly it comes. It gets you to a lot of fun stuff to do! It connects you to major Hospitals like St Joseph and Tacoma General. I rate all my experiences a big 5! The only downside is side is it comes late on Sunday's . But that is okay. Thanks Tacoma Link!

What great way to get from Tacoma to Seattle! Taking it to the airport is so easy! Clean and…read moreefficient!

My daughter and I took the Northbound direction of the RapidRide B Line, connecting downtown…read moreBellevue to downtown Redmond, connecting the two sister city's transit center. It runs every 10 minutes during daylight hours, and is one way to go to Microsoft's main campus. The cost is $2.75 each way with free transfers, most easily accessible via an Orca card (rechargable on-line, but not yet replaceable with a smartphone). We used the NE 24th St & Bellevue Redmon Rd stop, which was covered and had a display showing when to expect the next bus. It's a busy route, serviced by an articulated bus for both routes...definitely too long for streets (and corners) not equipped for it.

I like this RapidRide route. It is the only one servicing the Eastside. B Line travels between…read moreBellevue Transit Center and Redmond Transit Center. The bus services downtown Bellevue, Crossroads, Overlake, Microsoft and downtown Redmond neighborhoods. The route replaced two King County Metro routes, 230 and 253. Basically combining these services to offer more frequent service that were faster as they skipped bus stops that used to be serviced by the old routes. The RapidRide buses are new and have free Wi-Fi. You can also swipe your ORCA card to pay for your fare at the bus stop card reader before the bus arrives. This allows you to board the bus at one of the exit doors rather than having to pay at the driver side door upon entering. In general, buses run every 15 minutes for most of the day. During weekday rush hours, there is service every 10 minutes. While in the late evenings, there is a 30 minute wait. I don't use the bus often, but do when I am headed to the airport as I can take this bus to connect with the Sound Transit route 560 at Bellevue Transit Center. Though it takes longer to get to the airport, it saves me a bundle over parking at or taking a taxi/Uber to the airport. More often than not, it takes longer to get where you need to on public transportation. But I think this RapidRide line is great since it is convenient and is helping to minimize the delay. Particularly useful when I need to get to downtown Bellevue in a timely manner.