Fauntleroy - what an unusual name. hehe. What a…read morespontaneous visit and ride on the Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal and a great experience too!! We were on our way to Point Robinson Park to see the Troll but didn't know we had to take a Ferry to get there, hehe. Even though it was later during the day, I told the other half lets do it, lets go on the Ferry!! hehe. I always wanted to see how the Ferry works with vehicle, last Ferry ride we parked our car and hopped on the Ferry this time we got to try it out, pretty cool. Made me wish Oahu had the ferry- to go to the other islands, so junk that they had to stopped the ferry! I didn't see any info. posted for the cost to bring your car on the Ferry, there wasn't any info. on Ferry schedule either. After asking attendant, we paid $24.95 per car which includes the fare for driver and $14.90 additional per adult. This is for round trip. Need to let the attendant know where you are going, for us its Vashon Island with a V!! Staff will assist you on where to go and when to go on the ferry, pretty cool experience, once the Fauntleroy Ferry runs, I loved the scenic views of Olympic mountain, just loved the experience! So cool, upon arriving we drove off to see and explore Vashon Island. The junk part is we arrived late so not much time, will start bright and early to have an entire day.

I was a little stressed driving to Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal as it was my first time driving a…read morevehicle aboard a ship, but the process was actually fairly straightforward. I would definitely recommend arriving early as the line to board can span the length of Fauntleroy St. Roundtrip tickets are reasonably priced, with adults being $6.75 pp and cars being $29.55 (price also includes driver). You are directed to a lane after purchasing your tickets, which you will stay in as it leads aboard to the ferry. There are also workers who will direct you in case you get confused. I thought it was a very cool experience and loved that you could turn your car off and go upstairs to the deck and take in the views. The ferry ride is pretty short-- about 20 minutes or so and there are restrooms, board games, and concessions available. I picked up some hummus and pretzels for $6.52. PS- The ferry terminal has two destinations; Vashon and Soundworth. Make sure you go to the right lane!!!

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.

Absolutely love the new SR - 99 tunnel under the city of Seattle…read more The use of the tunnel saves time on driving and saving time means saving money. Sure I pay a toll but who cares, I can afford it ! With several entry points I merge onto by the stadiums or come off West Seattle bridge to go north bound. Only a slight complaint for getting on after a Kraken game but I'm sure it will be addressed in the future.. Inside the tunnel is well lite so no reason harsh transition for daylight to tunnel like the old days... Now if you option to grab a Good To Go pass which ill recommend you'll get a nice discount on the toll. And should not have one you'll get a bill in the mail for your laziness. Anyways that's how I feel about the new tunnel and I'm sticking to it!

In what can only be described as a project of epic scope and proportions, the much-anticipated new…read moreSR-99 Tunnel is finally open for business. First envisioned after the deadly 2001 Nisqually Earthquake, the tunnel's purpose was to replace the condemned 2-level concrete monstrosity known as the Alaskan Way Viaduct. Luckily for the drivers of Seattle, engineers were able to hold the Viaduct together with duct tape and chewing gum so that traffic could keep flowing during the ensuing 18-year path to construction that included, among many delays, a multi-year struggle to repair Bertha (a drill bit so huge it needed its own name). While the arrival of the tunnel was much anticipated, as construction dragged on it also created a lot of anxiety in the Seattle driving community. How would we get into the tunnel? How would we get out of it? How would we get downtown when the Viaduct's crumbling-but-effective off-ramps to that area were not going to be replaced by tunnel exits? And, of course, the big question was: would the city survive three weeks of the viaduct being closed so that the tunnel could be finished and opened? Well, my transportation-loving friends, I am pleased to report that the tunnel is finally open for business. And it's really quite lovely. The lights are bright, and the walls are white and clean. On this particular morning, traffic was flowing freely through it at 7 am. And while it's true that you're in trouble if you need to get into downtown, it's really quite a nice fast route *through* the city. As long as you don't need to stop in the *actual* city. So while we drivers will miss the beautiful views from the (former) Viaduct, we will not miss the ugly views *of* the Viaduct. Yes, plans are in the works to replace the ancient structure with a park. And in another 10 years (or maybe closer to 18) people walking through that park might not even realize that there's a tunnel underneath - or the arduous process it took to complete it. And yes, I'll update this review when they start charging us to use the new tunnel sometime later this year.

The highway could use upgrades - some of which are underway - but gets you from point A to point B…read moreand often quite undisrupted. One lane usage on weekends throughout the summer of 2019 make for long north/south-bound trips when construction and upgrades are being made, but the end result is better. Fewer potholes, better conditions all around. The highway itself is quite long, making its way from south of SeaTac Airport and up north beyond Shoreline/Edmonds. It's a great thoroughfare that allows one to see the city while traversing through it - including the vibrant and shady aspects of a big city not unlike others.

The First Hill Streetcar runs through the historical neighborhoods of Pioneer Square,…read moreChinatown-International District (C-ID), Little Saigon, First Hill and Capitol Hill. This includes 12th & Jackson. Lately I've been reflecting on this intersection. It wasn't always a bad part of town. I remember visiting this neighborhood as a kid. My family shopped for groceries at Viet-Wah. We ate at this one Filipino restaurant at a strip mall. I think it was called Tropical Hut? It was a welcoming, thriving business district of services, dining, and retail for multi-generations. Things took a turn in the late 2010s and hasn't recovered since. Jackson Street, the streetcar route from Pioneer Square up to Little Saigon, used to have a vibrant music scene. I read up on the Jackson Street Jazz Trail and the Seattle Self-Guided Green Book Tour. Seemed like it was the place to see and be seen between the 1920s-1960s. I'd love to see interpretive signs and markers celebrating those spaces and artists. If you still need a music fix you can hop on the streetcar and visit the Jimi Hendrix, Chuck Berry, and Elvis statues on Capitol Hill. Some people catch the streetcar for work at Harborview or Swedish. Some might catch it up to school at Seattle U or Seattle Central. The streetcar shares the road with other vehicles, bikes and scooters. It's painfully slow compared to the light rail and buses. Transit enthusiasts and tourists might test out the streetcar this summer. Consider it a leisurely scenic route. The South Lake Union Trolley is empty and boring af (I honestly don't know why it's still operating) compared to the workhorse First Hill Streetcar. The First Hill streetcar carries a diverse crowd. It can get crowded if there are major events like the Capitol Hill Block Party, festivals in the C-ID, games at the stadiums, or art fairs in Pioneer Square.

It was my first time to take a RapidRide to transfer to First Hill streetcar. I paid when I got on…read morethe rapidride bus and got a transfer ticket. After I got off, it was only a few steps to get on the streetcar. At the streetcar station, there were a couple transit security people helping passengers. I used the transfer for the streetcar. The streetcar was clean. The transit security people politely checked our passes. I felt very comfortable the whole time.

Located in the heart of downtown Bellevue, this outdoor transit center (basically a series of…read moreberths where different bus numbers come and go) can be used to go to SeaTac airport in about 45 minutes. It also has local buses going throughout Bellevue, which can be used as connectors. The lightrail does not connect through Bellevue. There is a lot of construction next to the transit station (building some sort of high rise). I-405 is what connects Bellevue to the airport, and the bus takes it most of the way. It is just a standard bus, so doesn't have luggage racks nor empty spaces where bulky luggage can be placed. Works if you have one piece of luggage and the bus isn't too full. Bus driver was super friendly, and the fare one-way is $2.75 if using the mobile app that lets you buy the ticket on-line (you have 2 hours of unlimited uses once you activate it...so free transfers).

Bus nearly came at 11PM when it was suppose to come at 10:30PM. Then randomly on some days it will…read morecome 10 minutes early. If you go wait at the bus stop super early like 10-15 minutes to prepare for the buses that come too early but it's delayed, you will end up waiting 20-50 minutes in total just standing in the blazing sun or cold rain. But if you try to go on time with a few extra minutes early, there are days buses will be 8-10 minutes early so you will miss it and with my luck the next bus will be delayed. Today I went out at 1:10PM for a bus and it was super early so I waited for the next one and it was delayed. Now I will arrive somewhere around 2:30PM for a place that takes 10 minutes to drive to.

My review for Clyde Hill/Yarrow Point Station is pretty much the same as the one I wrote for…read moreEvergreen Point Freeway Station as both stations serve the same purpose. This station is the 2nd to last Eastside stop before you head onto SR 520 so it is basically a transfer point. A lot of buses from places like Kirkland, Redmond and Woodinville make stops here before crossing over. On the return trip east, you can change between buses that originate from downtown Seattle and the U-District here. To quicken my commute, I have taken buses to this station and then transferred to a different bus to get to my final destination. Clyde Hill/Yarrow Point Station is partially covered, but open air. It can get chilly waiting here on winter days. Still your wait here is usually only going to be a few minutes, so it is bearable. I do have a personal preference for the Evergreen Point stop over this one. Heading west, I want to spend the least amount of time potentially standing on the bus that I need to. If your usual bus is delayed, I would recommend taking a bus to this stop as it gives you more options to choose from. It is helpful for those who need to change over from a U-District bus to a downtown Seattle bus and vice versa.

The Clyde Hill/Yarrow Point Station is super convenient to get to for Eastsiders. I've only been…read moreto this station a few times, only when my normal route has been backed up, and it's nice to know that there is this stop which isn't too far from downtown Bellevue. The bus stop is along 520. Once you're dropped off, there is a flight of stairs that takes you to the roundabout area that makes pick-ups easy peasy. At this stop, it's also covered, which has been handy since the last time I visited here it was snowing! This stop is not very walkable to any of the eastside neighborhoods, so I would recommend making arrangements to be picked up; hence, the roundabout driveway for cars here.

It is the last station on the 2 Line and is centrally located in Downtown Redmond across from…read moreRedmond Town Center along with a lot of new apartment complexes with new shops and restaurants. Redmond has become more of a hot spot because of this station. There are also buses that have stops under the station making it a good transfer point. Of the stations on the 2 Line that are on the Eastside, this station is the best example of area development built around transit.Taking light rail to this station is my preferred way to get to and from Downtown Redmond as train service is frequent and quicker than taking a bus.

Opening along with its sister Marymoore Redmond station in May 2025, the Downtown Redmond…read more(elevated) Station is the northmost terminus of the 2 Line light rail in the Seattle metro area. It opened almost 1 year after the initial opening of the 2 Line, and provides easy access to downtown Redmond. Our family took a Sunday afternoon train ride ($3 per person) from the current southernmost station (South Bellevue) to here, a ride taking under 30 minutes. It is within easy walking distance of many restaurants, and the large H-Mart as well. Definitely doable to take the train from Bellevue to here, to do a little Korean grocery shopping.