Seattle Transportation

Whether you prefer to drive, take a bus, travel by rail, boat, in the air, or on foot, there are many ways to get around Seattle. If you don’t feel like sitting in traffic during the busy rush hour times, public transportation may be the best way to go. King County Metro provides bus service within and outside of the city as well as a streetcar line that runs between the neighborhood of South Lake Union and Westlake Center downtown.

Seattle is one of the few cities in North America that still has electric trolleybuses as functional transportation. A favorite mode of transportation for visitors, locals use them as well for their daily commute. For those in a hurry, Sound Transit has an express bus within the city as well as three commuter rail lines designed for rapid transit in and out of the city to the suburbs. The third major mode of public transportation is the ferry network run by Washington State Ferries. By boat, you can get from Seattle to Bainbridge, the Vashon Islands, Bremerton, and Southworth.

There are three major transportation hubs in Seattle, King Street Station, Washington State Ferries’ Colman Dock, and Westlake Hub. King Street Station is located in the Pioneer Square neighborhood and is included in the National Register of Historic Places.

Washington State Ferries’ Colman Dock is located at Piers 50 and 52. At Westlake Hub you can catch the Seattle Center Monorail as well as the South Lake Union Streetcar. Under the mall, in the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel, are stops for Metro buses plus the Sound Transit’s Link Light Rail. When air travel is necessary, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, also known as Sea-Tac Airport, provides commercial service.

While 18% of the residents travel on public transportation, Seattle’s streets are the main mode of travel. The streets are laid out in a grid pattern except in the business district where the streets are laid out more relative to the shoreline. Interstate 5 and State Route 99 run from north to south in Seattle. Both are limited access. State Route 99 runs through downtown Seattle and Interstate 5 runs from Canada to Mexico. Like any major city, be ready for crowded roadways during rush hour. Interstate 5 will be particularly busy during this time.

Seattle does have HOV lanes so, if there are at least two people in the car, they are the best way to go. Interstate 405 is a 30 mile stretch of freeway that also gets pretty jammed at rush hour. If you need a taxi service while in Seattle, it is best to call ahead to make a reservation. Puget Sound Dispatch has 360 taxi cabs available in the Seattle area but they are definitely a more costly form of transportation in this large city.

For those seeking a more exciting way to get around Seattle, there are many helicopter charters available. Whether you are looking for a sightseeing tour or a more extravagant way to transfer your guests from one location to another, a helicopter is a fun alternative and a great way to avoid traffic jams.

Pedestrians will love downtown Seattle as most of the attractions are within walking distance from each other as well as major hotels. Pike Place Market, Waterfront Park, and Pioneer Square are all near by. Great improvements have been made in 2009 for pedestrians in Seattle. The Department of Transportation completed a plan to target the areas where people are most likely to go on foot and start major infrastructure projects to better the walking conditions in those specific areas. Improvements are taking place on sidewalks, curb ramps, crosswalks, and signals.