Seattle is one of the top ten American cities with the best public transportation system. It is actively used by tourists and locals alike. The city is served by two transportation agencies. King County Metro Transit operates city and commuter buses within King County, as well as trolleybuses and streetcars. Sound Transit operates the Link light rail system, Sounder regional commuter rail, and Sound Transit Express bus service.
Light Rail Subway
The Link Light Rail subway system came to Seattle in 2009. It now consists of two non-intersecting lines, Line 1 and Line T. Only Line 1 (Line 1) runs through Seattle and is almost 40 km long. It connects Northgate, the University District and downtown with Rainier Valley and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The second line (Line T) serves only Tacoma. Sound Transit, which operates the light rail system, plans to expand it further.
Line 1 has 19 stations, including seven underground stations. Four of them (Westlake, University Street, Pioneer Square and International District/Chinatown) are located in the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel. The northern terminus of Line 1 is the Northgate station, which is in North Seattle, and the southern terminus is the Angle Lake stop in SeaTac.
At some Metro stations, you can transfer to other public transportation options:
from Capitol Hill to the First Hill streetcar;
Westlake – to the South Lake Union monorail and streetcar;
From Pioneer Square, take the ferry or water cab;
from the International District/Chinatown to Amtrak trains, Sounder commuter rail and the First Hill streetcar;
from Stadium to Greyhound Lines intercity buses.
Buses
Seattle is served by two types of buses: regular buses and RapidRide buses. The routes of the urban transportation network are designated by numbers from 1 to 99, and this numbering includes not only buses, but also streetcars and trolleybuses. Numbers 100-199 are used for commuter routes operating within South King County. Buses numbers 200-299 serve the Eastside, and 300-399 serve North King. Routes in the 400s (Community Transit) series connect downtown Seattle and Snohomish County, and 500s (Sound Transit Express) serve King, Pierce, and Snohomish.
The RapidRide bus system has six lines, of which only three pass through Seattle:
C Line: West Seattle – Downtown Seattle – South Lake Union;
D Line: Crown Hill – Ballard – Interbay – Uptown – Downtown Seattle;
E Line: Shoreline – Bitter Lake – West Green Lake – Downtown Seattle.
For more information on routes and schedules, visit the King County Metro Transit website.
RapidRide buses run more frequently and are faster than regular city buses because they have a limited number of stops on their routes. Running intervals are 10 minutes during rush hours and 15 minutes at other times on weekdays and during the day on weekends. All RapidRide lines run articulated buses painted bright red and yellow. Free Wi-Fi is available in the cabins.
You can buy a ticket for the bus, not only in a special machine at the station, but also from the driver. Please note that he does not give change and prepare the necessary amount of money in advance. Most RapidRide stops have ORCA card readers, allowing passengers to pay before they get on the bus.
Streetcars
Streetcars originated in Seattle in 1889 and were the only means of transportation between downtown and the suburbs. But in the early twentieth century, when America began to produce relatively cheap cars, things changed. In order to expand the highways, city officials decided to dismantle the streetcar tracks, and in 1941 they were completely dismantled. The revival of streetcars in Seattle did not begin until 1982. There are now two unconnected lines in the city, South Lake Union and First Hill. They are owned by the Seattle Department of Transportation and operated by King County Metro.
Fares can be paid with an ORCA card, the Transit Go mobile app, or paper tickets, which are sold in vending machines. Fare information is available on the city’s official website.
Monorail
The Seattle Center Monorail is one of the city’s most popular attractions. It was opened in 1962 specifically for the Century 21 Exposition. Nowadays the same two trains that ran half a century ago run along the 1,400-meter track. Approximately every 10 minutes they depart from two stations:
The trip lasts about 2 minutes. From Monday to Friday the monorail runs from 07:30 to 23:00, on Saturday and Sunday from 08:30 to 23:00. For information on fares, check the official website.