Seattle area public transit (Bellevue, Renton: condo, home, transfer)

[HeyJoe]

I am planning on getting rid of my car before moving out there or soon afterward. My wife is keeping hers for when we go out of town on weekend trips or for going to Sams Club etc..

How feasible would it be for me to get around using strictly public transit? Last time I was there it seemed good progress was being made on the monorail. Any updates on that and how it will tie in with the existing bus routes?

Also, if I am living outside of Seattle proper, say in Renton or Lynwood... would catching the bus be a problem if I am headed into the city? Public transportation stinks here in Albuquerque... so I am wondering if it is better in Seattle.

Thanks in advance.

[sean98125]

The monorail expansion is dead. The light rail line is almost done and will open next year.

Bus transportation from Lynnwood to downtown is great IF you can get to one of the Park & Ride lots on I-5.

[HeyJoe]

Originally Posted by sean98125

The monorail expansion is dead. The light rail line is almost done and will open next year.

Bus transportation from Lynnwood to downtown is great IF you can get to one of the Park & Ride lots on I-5.

Maybe I am confusing the monorail with the light rail. Monorail just runs between the Space Needle and some mall near Pike's Market if I am remembering right...

Light rail is what I was referring to I think!

[allforcats]

Yes, you're thinking of light rail, which is being expanded, very slowly.
Pike Place Market isn't really near the monorail, but Westlake Center is the building you're thinking of as the terminus of the monorail.

There's even more Metro bus transportation between Renton and downtown Seattle than there is between Lynnwood and downtown Seattle. Metro busses run in every conceivable direction within King County. They are comfortable, dependable and usually on time, at least in my 20+ years of using Metro busses to commute that's been my experience. In neighborhoods within the large area of incorporated City of Seattle, there are so many busses going between so many places it's stunning.

If you want to play with a zillion variables, here's the Metro website:
Metro Online Home Page

Lynnwood is in Snohomish County. Community Transit services SnoCo, but the service is much less than in King Co. because the population, and density centers, are much less:
http://www.commtrans.org/

[PG77]

I have lived here a year and have not bothered to even get a car. The transportation system is fantastic compared to Florida where I came from. You can go just about anywhere using public transit here if you don't mind connecting two or three times and the fares are very reasonable.

[Ira500]

Renton has a transit center in downtown Renton with frequent buses and fast trips to downtown Seattle, downtown Bellevue, Maple Valley and other places.

[HeyJoe]

Thanks all for the great info.

[Lady of Roses]

I live in Algona, WA. It's connected to part of South Auburn. The Auburn transit center is about 10 minutes drive from my house, and alternatively there's a dart bus that loops by here. At the transit center you can either take a bus to Seattle, or you can catch the Sounder commuter train to Seattle during peak commuting hours.

My husband works in Bellevue, and he gets to work by using public transit from here.

[Destructoman!]

Although the public transit here is great compared to some places (or so I hear) I would still say overall it's pretty bad, especially compared to cities with established subways, elevated trains and light-rail.

Sure, we have one of the biggest bus fleets in the country, but thats just about ALL we have. Due to traffic the buses are rarely on time, and if you have to make a transfer somewhere be prepared to wait 20-40 minutes longer than you intended to make your connecting bus. Seattle Metro (the bus company) has been the bane of my existence during my stay here.

Maybe the light rail will do some good, but it's way too little, way too late. And don't tell me that the Trolley (formerly known as the south lake union trolley, or the S.L.U.T.) will do any good. It's a total joke. The only people that use it are the yuppies that live in condo's around Westlake who need to get downtown. It's slow as hell and gets caught in traffic, creates more traffic, and it's rails are a danger to cyclists. And the monorail is nothing but a dated tourist trap, nobody in Seattle uses it for commuting, and why would they, I've never ever had a situation where I thought to myself... "hmmm... I need to get from the Seattle Center to the Westlake center! Monorail, yeah!" See my topic about demolishing the existing monorail for more of my (and others I've met) feelings about the monorail:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/seatt...h-monrail.html

Seattle desperately needs more light rail or a monorail system, or any system that can travel without getting stuck in traffic. (Why they didn't build something in the 70's or 80's or especially the 90's when all that money was floating around is beyond me). Until then, those that can afford it will stick to driving cars, and traffic will continue to worsen. This is one of the factors that is inspiring me to pack of and get out of here, I'm not waiting around another ten years for this city to get it's sh- I mean "stuff" together transportation wise.