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Old 10-01-2014, 12:26 AM
 
1 posts, read 1,189 times
Reputation: 10

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Hey everyone, I'm relocating cross country and will be working at the University of Washington Medical Center as nurse. I was told Kirkland would be a good place and found some apartments I like. I, however, need to be at work by 0700 at UWMC. Our schedules are 0700-1900, but of course I need to be in the report room by 0700 and I likely won't leave the hospital by 1945-if we're being honest. I'm having trouble figuring out if the transit system has buses that leave Kirkland from various stops/the park and ride for me to able to even arrive on time or leave work and still be delivered to the ramp or the nearest bus stop.

If this doesn't work, I'll have to drive and of course incur other charges like gas/parking. If I do not have the bus transit option, does anyone know the rough estimate of driving to UWMC? I've played with GoogleMaps but I also had the interesting event of driving from Everett to UWMC and it took over 2.5 hrs when Googlemaps says 30min.

Please help!!! I don't want an hour long commute before and after work after running around caring for patients for 12hrs!

Most thankfully,
-D
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Old 10-01-2014, 12:37 AM
 
1,359 posts, read 2,481,112 times
Reputation: 1221
It depends on where you are in Kirkland. Kirkland is a pretty big place. The transit isn't as great as Bellevue or Redmond (IMO), but I think that is also because it is a city covering a broad geographic space.

In general, bus #255 is the workhorse of Kirkland. It will drop you off @ the Montlake exit and you can either walk in or take a passing bus (43, 44, 48, etc) to the UWMC stop:

Route 255 - King County Metro Transit
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Old 10-01-2014, 08:15 AM
 
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,572 posts, read 81,167,557 times
Reputation: 57798
You cannot depend on Google maps for driving times, it varies greatly with our traffic but may take 2-3 times longer than what it takes in the middle of the night. Use the Metro Trip Planner tool to see various routes/times to find the best one for you. It may be best to drive to a Park & Ride such as Brickyard part way there and take a bus the rest of the way but it will allow you to try a lot of different combinations.

New Trip Planner - King County Metro Transit
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Old 10-01-2014, 11:44 AM
 
Location: Independent Republic of Ballard
8,071 posts, read 8,365,584 times
Reputation: 6233
ST 540 Express runs from the Kirkland TC to UW (with a stop across from UW Medical Center).

540 | Kirkland - University District - SoundTransit

According to the ST Trip Planner, if you catch the ST 540 at the Kirkland TC at 6:34am you will arrive at UW Medical Center at 6:54am. The next earliest leaves at 6:04am and would get you there a half-hour earlier (6:24am), which would give you time for a coffee and a muffin.

Have you considered getting an apartment in the University District? You could walk or bike to work.
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Old 10-01-2014, 02:44 PM
 
2,609 posts, read 2,506,680 times
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I was also going to mention the 540. I use it sometimes to get to the UW campus. But, really, if you're in decent shape and don't mind a little walk, I've walked from Montlake freeway stop to UWMC many times. I tend to need to go to the buildings behind the UWMC, and I find it easier to walk in from the back than meander through the actual UWMC building itself.

Definitely use the trip planner Hemlock linked to so you can find out all your options. There may be other possibilities you weren't aware of.
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Old 10-01-2014, 02:56 PM
 
644 posts, read 1,187,902 times
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Why Kirkland? Are schools an issue? If having a short commute is important to you, adding a bridge to the mix doesn't make much sense. There are plenty of areas within a 15 minute bus ride to UW that are great places to live.
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Old 10-01-2014, 05:30 PM
 
Location: Seattle
1,883 posts, read 2,080,284 times
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I would also comment that the next few years are going to see the replacement of the SR 520 bridge and there are likely to be MANY construction delays, including bridge closures on weekends, which might be very important to someone working at the UWMC. I would really look at in-city Seattle options, which are numerous. The UWMC is very well served by transit. And once the light rail line to downtown is open (hopefully within my lifetime) other areas in the region will have quick access to the station directly across the street from the hospital main entrance.
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Old 10-02-2014, 12:35 PM
 
Location: Independent Republic of Ballard
8,071 posts, read 8,365,584 times
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U District and environs (including Wallingford, Ravenna, Sand Point): Tons of apartments going in. Lots of shopping, restaurants, cafes, bars, coffee bars, etc. Varsity (movies) and Neptune (music) Theatres. University Village. Access to the water, with canoe, rowboat, and kayak rentals. Beautiful campus and parks within easy reach: Ravenna, Aboretum, Magnuson, Gas Works. Burke-Gilman Trail for bicycling. Excellent transit connections. Light rail (with station across from UWMC) coming in 2016.

Canoe & Rowboat Rentals | Recreational Sports Programs
Paddle Club - AguaVerde Cafe & Paddle Club
Washington Park Arboretum ~ UW Botanic Gardens
Cowen and Ravenna Parks
Seattle Department of Transportation: Bike Program
University Link Extension
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Old 10-02-2014, 02:08 PM
 
118 posts, read 295,191 times
Reputation: 102
I would absolutely not commute from Kirkland to UW.
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Old 10-02-2014, 07:26 PM
 
4,038 posts, read 4,863,390 times
Reputation: 5353
Quote:
Originally Posted by samantra View Post
Hey everyone, I'm relocating cross country and will be working at the University of Washington Medical Center as nurse. I was told Kirkland would be a good place and found some apartments I like. I, however, need to be at work by 0700 at UWMC. Our schedules are 0700-1900, but of course I need to be in the report room by 0700 and I likely won't leave the hospital by 1945-if we're being honest. I'm having trouble figuring out if the transit system has buses that leave Kirkland from various stops/the park and ride for me to able to even arrive on time or leave work and still be delivered to the ramp or the nearest bus stop.

If this doesn't work, I'll have to drive and of course incur other charges like gas/parking. If I do not have the bus transit option, does anyone know the rough estimate of driving to UWMC? I've played with GoogleMaps but I also had the interesting event of driving from Everett to UWMC and it took over 2.5 hrs when Googlemaps says 30min.

Please help!!! I don't want an hour long commute before and after work after running around caring for patients for 12hrs!

Most thankfully,
-D
I wouldn't live in Kirkland with a schedule like that. I'd look in Montlake just south of the UW, and the hospital area, along Lake Washington. Nice area. Amenities. Tree-lined streets, lake front, close to work. You can't beat if for location, location, location, and natural beauty. That's my take. No bridge hassles, no commute bus, you could ride your bike or drive in 5-10 minutes. Easy-breezy.
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