Our first ride on the Seattle Street Car was a treat! The driver super helpful and friendly,…read moreengaging the littlest passengers with enthusiasm and sincere interest. Orca cards are accepted, but bus transfers are not! Just so you know. The trip is relatively short from the north end of downtown to SLU, but comfortable, smooth and clean. It's not too crowded; at least not early on a Thursday afternoon while most are lunching. The trolley provides easy access to MOHAI and the Center for Wooden Boats without having to search for and pay for limited hours parking.

I hope they can salvage this somehow…read more As far as a people mover system, the South Lake Union Streetcar has as much appeal as the Seattle Monorail. It is a curiosity, but lacking in usefulness for most. The Streetcar runs from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in the Eastlake area to a stop across the street from Westlake Center. There is a train every 15 minutes. The system seems to model itself like the Portland Streetcar, but the current streetcar system in Seattle is inferior in the same way that Seattle's Sound Transit Light Rail system is to the Portland MAX system. In its current state, I think the main use of it is in shuttling Amazon and Fred Hutchinson employees from Westlake to their respective offices. There is not a whole lot of Metro bus service in South Lake Union (SLU), so the Streetcar does alleviate that issue a bit. But seeing that Westlake is only several blocks south from SLU, I think most people including myself would prefer to walk the distance rather than wait for the Streetcar. I would only take it if there was a train leaving shortly that would save me a couple minutes. Work on a First Hill Streetcar is going on now and there has been talk of extending the SLU Streetcar further north which would be great if it happens. It would be a waste to not expand. Right now the value of this line is not there, but hopefully city planners can turn that around with some forward thinking expansion.

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.

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!!!

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.

The former Overlake Transit Center has been renamed Redmond Technology Station to culminate with…read morethe upgrades made to this facility. This is the main public transit center for the Microsoft Redmond campus and the current terminus for the 2 Line which will extend further into Redmond later this year. With the upgrades made to this facility, there is now a coffee shop (Dote Coffee Bar) at the station and coverage from the weather if you are waiting for a bus at the station (except if you are taking a 245 or B Line bus). The parking garage has also been expanded, so it is easier to find a space here than previously. The only thing I don't like about the upgrade is that I still need to walk across the bridge most of the time to catch a bus westbound to Seattle.

The light rail has to be ine of the most corrupt or grossly mismanaged govt entity. How does one…read moreexplain frequent delays to service getting started, outages etc to a new service? Service to redmond tc delayed, link to seattle delayed, today service outage past overlake station.

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.

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 devices 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 and etiquette 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!