Showing posts with label public transit choices. Show all posts
Showing posts with label public transit choices. Show all posts

Opportunities to win free ORCA cards

Saturday, July 27, 2013

By Brian Doennebrink

Recently, I wrote an article about where to get an ORCA card. I haven't sent in part 2 yet, but one point I was going to note was that occasionally one can be fortunate to enter a drawing to get a free ORCA card. Here are two such opportunities:

  1. If you're attending summer events in Snohomish County, Community Transit has had booths at some of them where they've had opinion surveys where participants are entered into a monthly drawing to win a $50 ORCA card. Check out their Facebook page.
  2. There's also an online survey where participants are entered into a monthly drawing to win a $50 ORCA card. Read below for more information.

We'd Like Your Answers to Four Questions About Service
Description: take our online service priorities survey and enter a drawing for a $50 ORCA card 
Help us understand our service priorities by taking our short online survey! 
Community Transit is not cutting service, but we will be adding service hours with some system fixes this fall. To best meet the needs of the communities we serve, we need to get in front of (and talk to) our customers—  this is where our outreach comes into play. 
This summer, in addition to our traditional appearances at community events where we can talk one-on-one with folks, we are also taking advantage of online surveys and polls to engage with riders and non-riders alike. This combination of outreach tactics help to get feedback from a larger pool of the population who care about Community Transit and what we do. 
On July 1, we started posting polls on the Community Transit Facebook page, keeping the questions light, but related to riding the bus, such as “Would you ride the bus on holidays?” So far, our most active poll to date asked, “Which do you consider the worst bus behavior? 
Last week, we posted a Service Priorities Survey on our website. We are asking the same questions to visitors who come by our booth at various community events this summer. Would you take a few minutes to share your input to help us understand priorities for service? 
Each person who completes the survey (including their name and email address) will be entered into a monthly drawing to win a $50 ORCA card.

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ORCA Card - what it is and how to get one

Saturday, July 13, 2013

ORCA vending machine
ORCA Card: How to - Part 1
By Brian Doennebrink

ORCA is an acronym for “One Regional Card for All”. It uses technology to account for different fares as well as handling transfers between the participant agencies.

Those agencies are:
  • King County Metro Transit, Community Transit, 
  • Sound Transit, 
  • Everett Transit, 
  • Kitsap Transit, 
  • Pierce Transit, 
  • and, for walk-on passengers only, Washington State Ferries.

Here’s how you get started.

Decide what card you want. There are three types. 
  1. Adult (ages 19-64) cards, which are available:
    1. Online
    2. At ticket vending machines (Edmonds station, Northgate Transit Center, and at the stations in the downtown transit tunnel are some examples) 
    3. At customer service offices: King Street Center (2101 S. Jackson) Westlake station (west end of mezzanine near Macy’s) and the RideStore at Lynnwood Transit Center are three. The complete list 
    4. At a retailer. They accept cash and may or may not accept other payment options. The nearest local options are Safeways in Kenmore (6850 NE Bothell Way, Shoreline (either 152nd and Aurora, 10am -9pm or at 175th/15th in North City), and the QFC at 600 NW Richmond Beach Road (11am-7pm). Except where noted, cards may be purchased from 9am to 9pm daily. 
    5. By phone: 888-988-6722, TTY Relay: 711, Non English:800-823-9230 (Monday - Friday, 8am to 5pm except holidays) 
    6. By mail
  2. Youth (age 6-18): either provide proof of age (student ID, WA ID, birth certificate) or bring the youth to an ORCA customer service office (see 3. above). Alternatively, you can mail the proof with a completed order form (see v above). 
  3. Senior or disabled: you need to visit a customer service office during their regular business hours (iii above) and show proof of age or disability or a valid Medicare card to get the ORCA Regional Reduced Fare Permit (RRFP) card. If you plan to set up an online My ORCA account, wait until you have your RRFP card.

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How do I ride a bus? Part 5: Swift, RapidRide, Bus Rapid Transit

Monday, June 17, 2013

I’ve never – or rarely – ridden a bus…how do I ride a bus?

Part 5
By Brian Doennebrink

What about riding Swift or Rapid Ride, or Bus Rapid Transit?

There are some differences between riding a non-Bus Rapid Transit bus (most buses), Swift Bus Rapid Transit (operated by Community Transit, traveling between Aurora Village and Everett Station), and King County Metro’s RapidRide. The latter two run more frequently, from every 10-20 minutes, depending on the time of day or day of the week.



For riding Swift Bus Rapid Transit, payment is made by tapping one’s ORCA card at the ORCA card reader at the station or, using cash or Visa or Mastercard, using Ticket Vending Machines at the station. Tip: give yourself a couple of minutes of extra time if using the TVMs!

For RapidRide, payment is made by ORCA card if there’s an ORCA card reader at the station, or on the ORCA card reader that’s on the bus. Cash payment or transfer slips are also accepted on the bus.


For riders of Swift Bus Rapid Transit, the bus stops at every station, leaving within 10 seconds. Disabled riders have a means of indicating where they’re deboarding the bus.

For RapidRide, when a rider pulls the cord that is at the top of the windows or pushes a button, typically on a pole, the bus will stop at the next stop.


Swift Bus Rapid Transit buses offer a self-serve option for wheelchair passengers to strap themselves in as well as the driver-assisted option.

RapidRide riders have the same options on most coaches.

Riders with bicycles roll their bicycles onto the Swift bus through the back/third door of the bus, where there are spots for three bicycles (additional bicycles at driver’s option).

Riders with bicycles on RapidRide load and unload their bicycles at the front of the bus.

Other articles in the How to Ride a Bus series:


Other articles by Brian Doennebrink on Public Transit Choices can be found on the front page under Features.


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I’ve never – or rarely – ridden a bus…how do I ride a bus? - Part 4

Thursday, June 13, 2013



I’ve never – or rarely – ridden a bus…how do I ride a bus? 
(part 4)
By Brian Doennebrink

Where we last left off, you made it on the bus, you’ve paid your fare. Now what?

If you don’t know where you’re going or how to get there, ask your driver. Caveat: many drivers don’t know many of the routes in their own system, they only know their route or a handful of routes they’ve driven recently. Some drivers are part-time, while others have a different schedule every day. It’s even more iffy that your driver will know of another transit agency’s routes beyond ones they often have transfers to/from. The odds go down as transit agencies make substantial changes to their routes, as some have lately.

At the front of the bus are seats that are reserved for those with wheelchairs, seniors, and/or disabled riders. If you aren’t in one of these categories, be sure to vacate/offer to vacate your seat to a rider of this type.

Don’t be a seat hog, share your seat.

Use your cell phone sparingly, if at all. Not only are cell phones a favorite target of thieves, but seemingly “normal-level” conversations are often heard at least several feet away.

Beware! Occasionally, you’ll encounter smelly passengers. Other than finding a seat that’s further away – sometimes much further – the only other option is getting off the bus and taking the next one, which may or may not be practical.

Beware! Occasionally, there will be difficult passengers, many with issues. These tend to “occur” near the front or back of the bus. There’s no fool-proof way to counter these, but – especially when riding at night – sit within eyesight of the driver – I go for a seat or two behind the disabled/senior seating.

If you’re a young female, you’re particularly vulnerable, so travel with a friend when possible, especially if you’re riding at night.

Be sure to pull the cord/push the button well in advance of your stop so that the driver has ample time to slow down. Watch your balance as you get off and take care leaving the bus, both in avoiding others’ items on the floor, for example, and when stepping off to what might be an uneven surface.

Always thank your driver where deserved.

Other articles in this series can be found on the front page under Features "Public Transit Choices"

Previous articles on How do I ride a bus?

The differences for Bus Rapid Transit, brand named Swift and Rapid Ride, will be covered in the next article.

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How do I ride a bus? - Part 3

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Metro Rapid Ride bus


I’ve never – or rarely – ridden a bus…how do I ride a bus?
By Brian Doennebrink

You’ve managed to get to the bus stop or Park / Ride, and – particularly at the latter – you’ll be learning/realizing the nuances of riding the bus (the differences for Bus Rapid Transit, brand named Swift and Rapid Ride, are covered in a different article). 

Here are some ideas:
  • On escalators, stand to the right o to allow those in a hurry to get past.
  • If you’re at a bus stop that’s not at a Park / Ride, drivers usually appreciate it if you flag them down, particularly in dark conditions … not standing in the street, but wearing light clothing and moving about, waving a light-colored magazine or newspaper, redirecting your cell phone towards the bus.
  • Beware: you may also be solicited for bus fare before you board by a would-be rider. The ones who have approached me typically have a cell phone in one hand, a latte in the other.
  • Let anybody who wants to alight/de-board before you board.
  • Use exact fare, drivers don’t give change. Some folks try to get other riders who are already onboard to “give them change.” On Metro buses, if you’re not traveling into Seattle from Shoreline/Lake Forest Park or further north, east or even south (past 145th Street from the north), and:
    • If paying cash, tell your driver. Ask for a transfer.
    • If using an ORCA card, note what the machine is pre-set to; if it’s “Two-Zone” (Metro) or “Two-county” (Sound Transit), before you tap your card, let your driver know that you’re only traveling one zone (Metro) or county (Sound Transit) so that they can re-program the machine for you to tap and get charged the correct/lower fare.

In the next part, we’ll look at "you’ve paid, now what?"

Previous articles in this series


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I’ve never – or rarely – ridden a bus…how do I ride a bus? - Part 2

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Metro Transit serves Shoreline and Lake Forest Park

By Brian Doennebrink

You’ve planned your trip, and you’ve decided that you’re going to get to your bus by walking, bicycling, driving, or ? Here are some tips for each of the first three.

If walking:
  • Dress a bit warmer and ideally in lighter colors for traveling in the dark, as your path may take you to gusty areas. I encounter stiff headwinds on one street that I walk for about one-third of the way to a bus.
  • Consider whether you’ll carry an umbrella, wear a hat, and/or “go Seattle” (no headgear).
  • Wear comfortable shoes.
  • Especially for dark conditions, be alert to any dangerous situations.

If driving:
  • If planning to park at a Park / Ride or Transit Center, most of these facilities fill up quickly, so arrive early.
  • At some facilities, some spaces are reserved for carpools, others for electric vehicles. At most if not facilities, there are spots for the disabled (with permit displayed).
  • Even if you find a spot, your walk may be longer than you expect.
When waiting for a bus:
  • At most Park / Rides or Transit Centers, riders queue up to get onto the bus.
  • Ensure that your route stops there, and that the bus is traveling in the direction that you wish to go. Example: a bus that’s ultimately heading south may be traveling northbound where you would catch it. The bus flag may have a current schedule; if so, it will indicate if that route stops there and when the estimated arrival time is.
  • Don’t assume that the bus will be on time or that it will stop. In downtown Seattle, for instance, buses don’t stop at every stop, they skip stops.
  • If you’re waiting at a stop out in the neighborhood, and particularly if it is dark, a flashlight or a cell phone, as well as lighter clothing, waving a newspaper, etc. can help the driver to see you. In lighter conditions, some movement indicating interest in that bus always helps, such as picking up your stuff and looking at the bus and driver.

Brian Doennebrink's other transportation articles can be found on the front page, first column under Features "Public Transit Choices".


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How do I ride a bus? Advice for new riders - Part 1

Saturday, April 27, 2013

You can read on the bus


By Brian Doennebrink

I’ve never – or rarely – ridden a bus…how do I ride a bus?

Here are some suggestions for what you might do in advance of your trip:

Decide all of the destinations that you’d like to go to and when you need to be there at as well as, if a round trip, when you expect to return.

Plan your trip:

  • Use a bus schedule(s) or the online Trip Planner to determine when your bus leaves (future topics in this series). If looking at the schedules online, bookmark their location so that you can easily return to them.
  • Have at least one backup plan, for the instance that your bus doesn’t show – or shows up late (e.g., the driver calls in sick and a replacement isn’t readily available or encounters mechanical issues and/or traffic en route), you can’t find a parking space, your bus goes by before you get there.
Plan how to pay:

  • Decide how much your fare is (online, or in the bus schedule).
  • Decide how you’re going to pay your fare. If you’re paying cash, fareboxes don’t give change, nor do the drivers. If you’re using an ORCA card, you need to purchase an ORCA card first. If you need a reduced-fare ORCA card, you need to get one of those cards first.
Allow for extra time for the unexpected, forgetting something (and going back to get it) to – if walking - encountering a stray animal to challenges finding a parking spot.

Figure out how you are going to get to your bus: walk, bicycle, drive, or ?

Consider a trial run, perhaps on a personal day off (not a recognized holiday) at a similar time of day. Some use Google streetview or Google Maps to “see” what an area looks like from their computer screens.

Perhaps ask an experienced transit commuter ride with you.




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King County Metro may be cutting a lot of service: what does it mean for us?

Wednesday, April 17, 2013


By Brian Doennebrink

Perhaps you have heard: King County Metro may have to cut 17% of their service hours, or 600,000 hours. That is a lot of service. To put it into perspective, Community Transit – which provides bus services to/from/within Snohomish County - operates or contracts for bus service totaling just under 612,000 last year.

Why is Metro potentially cutting so much service? Economics. Like most of the state’s transit agencies, Metro relies heavily on a share of the state sales tax, and due to the economy, those revenues have fallen 18% between 2009 and 2011. Metro was able to stave off cuts sooner due to an aggressive response to a performance audit that was conducted at the agency, with millions of cost savings, some one-time, most ongoing. They have also raised fares four years in a row. The King County Council also passed a temporary “congestion relief fee” – but that $20 vehicle license addition expires in June 2014.

Metro’s Strategic Plan Progress Report, required to be presented this month, shows that their current system has issues with quality, i.e. over-crowding and unreliability, and not meeting their target guidelines. If Metro’s financial circumstances do not change for the better significantly, something like the below – but with planning principles applied, e.g. restructuring – will be implemented in four parts of roughly 150,000 service hours cut each – over a year’s period starting in the fall of 2014. The below, a “data exercise” that follows their service guidelines, would eliminate 65 routes and reduce or revise 86 other routes, leaving only 66 routes, about 28% of their total, unchanged. However, getting to those routes would be. Example: if the #331 is eliminated, folks along that line would have to drive to their nearest bus, such as at Aurora Village or near Lake Forest Park Mall, adding more traffic to the roads and more competition for limited parking.

The hypothetical service reduction illustrates what could happen to these Shoreline/Lake Forest Park routes:

Could change:

  • Buses to/from downtown: #5 and #355 (Shoreline Community College/SCC); #73 Briarcrest; #77 North City; #308, #309, #312, and #372 Lake Forest Park. Others: #243 between Ridgecrest and Bellevue, #331 LFP and SCC, #373 Aurora Village and UW.

Could experience overcrowding and reliability issues:

  • #330 between LFP and SCC. Buses to/from Northgate: #345 (SCC), #346 (Aurora Village), #347 (Ballinger Terrace), #348 (Richmond Beach). Lastly, #358 express (Aurora Village and downtown).

If no new funding for transit happens this legislative session –  scheduled to end April 27 – Metro planners will work on service reduction proposals that we would see in public meetings next fall which, without an indication of mitigation in the beginning of the next legislative session (January 2014), will take effect in September 2014.


Brian Doennebrink writes an ongoing column about Public Transit Choices in the Shoreline / Lake Forest Park area. Find his other columns on the main page under Features.

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Transit in Puget Sound – How to ride least expensively

Friday, April 5, 2013

By Brian Doennebrink

The least-expensive option for all of these transit agencies is usually ORCA (One Regional Card for All): Everett, Community, Sound, Pierce, and Kitsap Transit, King County Metro and Water Taxi, and – for some instances – Washington State Ferries. One exception is if you’re always – and only – using Metro or Pierce Transit, you have two equivalent options, since both issue transfer slips to their in-system, cash-paying customers.

Example: you’re an adult, age 19-65, wanting to travel to from Shoreline to Ballard during the morning “peak” times (6 a.m.-9 a.m.). That route is only served by Metro. Two options:

Pay cash. You board a #358 at Aurora Village Transit Center, pay the $3.00 cash fare, and ask the driver for a transfer (which many hold out to cash customers). You retain the transfer slip, typically showing an expiration time of at least 2 hours after you received it. You alight from the bus at N. 105th, cross to the north side of that street, then board a #40 bus to Ballard, surrendering your transfer slip to the driver when alighting that bus at your final destination. However, say you’re continuing to the Ballard Locks via Metro’s #44, you’d keep your transfer slip to surrender to that bus driver.


Use ORCA. You board the #358, tapping your ORCA card on the ORCA card reader at the front of the bus. A single electronic beep and green light indicates that your fare has been paid and a 2-hour transfer window was given. Upon boarding the #40, you tap your ORCA card on the card reader of that bus. A single beep and green light indicates success. Tap again on the ORCA card reader at the front of the #44.

Total cost: $3.00 if all trips were started before the time on the slip (cash) or 2 hours from first tap (ORCA). The cash customer needs exact fare, but typically gets more than 2 hours on their transfer slip. The ORCA customer needs to sufficient fare on their card and virtually if not always gets 2 hours transfer credit.

For other public transportation articles, go to Features on our main web page and click Public Transit Choices.


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Transit Choices in Puget Sound – Riding Community Transit

Friday, March 8, 2013

Standard blue and white Community Transit coach

Brian Doennebrink is writing a series of articles on public transit choices for Shoreline and Lake Forest Park. For other articles in the series look under Features on the main webpage

Riding Community Transit
By Brian Doennebrink

Community Transit’s focus is serving citizens of its Public Transportation Benefit Area, which comprises most of Snohomish County.

Bus services consist of two types of routes. “Local” routes travel mostly within Snohomish County, these routes include Shoreline’s Aurora Village Transit Center:
  • The #101, traveling mostly on Aurora/State Route 99 to Mariner Park & Ride (to the west of Interstate 5 at 128th SW)
  • The #115, through eastern Edmonds to Edmonds Community College, then east through Lynnwood to Mill Creek, then north and west to Mariner Park & Ride
  • The #130, between Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, and the Edmonds ferry/Amtrak and Sounder Station via Aurora Village
  • Swift Bus Rapid Transit, a limited-stop trip, mostly on highway 99, between Aurora Village and Everett station
Swift Rapid Transit double bus

Fares on the above routes are $2.00 for adults, $1.50 for youth from age 16 through 18, and $1.00 for holders of reduced fare permits. A difference for Swift Bus Rapid Transit is that fares are paid before boarding the bus, either using an ORCA card reader that’s at each Swift station, or by buying a ticket at the ticket vending machine there.

Double-decker buses service
many commuter routes
Community Transit also operates commuter service to downtown Seattle and to the University District. The only route that travels along Shoreline is the #416, which literally does so along N. 205th street. Fares for that route are $4.00 for adults, $3.00 for youths, and $2.00 for holders of reduced fare permits. University-bound service travels from Edmonds Park / Ride (northwest of 216th and Highway 99) and through the Mountlake Terrace Transit Center, with the same fare structure to/from those locales. 

Commuter fares are higher for routes going to/from Seattle and Lake Stevens, Marysville, Monroe, Snohomish, or Stanwood. Double-decker buses service many of the commuter routes.

Community Transit operates Mondays through Saturdays, except for major holidays.


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Transit Choices in Puget Sound – Riding the Seattle Monorail

Monday, February 18, 2013

The Seattle Monorial passes in front of the EMP Museum
A series of articles on Public Transit Choices

The Seattle Monorail
By Brian Doennebrink

Built for the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair, the nation’s first full-scale commercial monorail system, the Seattle Center Monorail, links downtown Seattle and Seattle Center.

The 200-passenger monorail departs every 10 minutes for the two-minute trip between the Westlake Center Station, at 5th Avenue and Pine Street, and the Seattle Center station, adjacent to the Space Needle. Currently, the system is on its winter schedule: M-F opening at 7:30am, weekends at 8:30am, closing Sun.-Th. at 9:00pm and at 11:00pm on Fri.-Sat.

Tickets are cash only, purchased from the Monorail cashier (either at a ticket booth on the platform or onboard), are only valid on the monorail, and for a one way trip cost $2.25 for Adults, $1.00 for Youth ages 5-12, and $1.00 for reduced rate (seniors 65+, disabled, persons with Medicare cards, & active duty U.S. military). Children 4 and under ride free. The Monorail does not accept ORCA, debit/credit, or Sound Transit cards. Unlimited monthly passes cost $45/month for adults, $20/month for those eligible for a reduced rate, and can be purchased online.

There is a online school group registration form that, if filled out at least one business day in advance, can get your school a group rate. Further, their website notes that “advanced prepaid group tickets are available for large groups, conventions and/or organizations.”

Further, “dogs are allowed as long as they are well-behaved and on a leash. On busy/crowded days, it is possible that the owner may be asked to hold their dog in their lap.”

The monorail runs between Seattle Center and Westlake Center

The Monorail is handicap/stroller accessible. 
“At Westlake Center, you can access the platform from the elevator located on 5th Ave (between Olive and Pine). At Seattle Center, there are ramps that allow for easy access. There are yellow gates at Seattle Center platform that pull out to allow wheelchairs easy entrance into the trains.”

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Transit Choices in Puget Sound – Riding the Seattle Streetcar

Friday, February 8, 2013

The Seattle streetcar
A series of articles by Brian Doennebrink on Public Transit Choices

Riding the Seattle Streetcar
By Brian Doennebrink

Seattle’s streetcar history traces back to 1884, when a horse-­drawn trolley began service. The latest iteration, the Seattle Streetcar, opened in 2007, a little over a year after ground was broken and two years after the George Benson Waterfront Streetcar line ceased service.

The present streetcar has one line
The present streetcar has one line that is 2.6 miles long and travels between South Lake Union and Westlake, running every 15-minutes from 6:00am to 9:00pm Monday through Thursday, 6:00am to 11:00pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and 10:00am to 7:00pm on Sundays and holidays.

There is presently service at 10-­minute intervals on weekdays from 3-­6pm that is a demonstration program mostly funded by Amazon.com.

Fares on the Seattle Streetcar are $2.50 for adults, $1.25 for youths from 6-­17 (a narrower definition than the other transit choices we’ve looked at), and $0.75 for those 65 and over, persons with disabilities, and persons with Medicare cards. Individual ride tickets may be purchased at the station platforms or on board, while ORCA cards and Metro transfers are accepted as proof of payment. Eventually, ORCA card readers will be installed on the streetcars. One can also purchase an all-­day pass for $5.00 each.

Potential expansion to Aloha Street
A second streetcar line began construction in April 2012, that will run between Pioneer Square and  Capitol Hill. According to their website, it is anticipated to be substantially complete in early 2014. The city is also looking at other lines, ones between Westlake and Ballard, Westlake and the University District, and Interbay to east-­central Seattle. 

King County Metro operates the Seattle Streetcar.

In September 2012, it was announced that a federally-­funded study will examine extending the South Lake Union streetcar line along 4th and 5th Avenues to the International district. 


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Transit Agencies in Puget Sound – Riding the Water Taxi

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Seattle Water Taxi

Transit Agencies in Puget Sound – Riding the Water Taxi
By Brian Doennebrink

The King County Ferry District operates two routes together referred to as the King County Water Taxi. The KCFD is a special-purpose district in King County that’s governed by all nine members of the King County Council and is funded through a property tax levied on all property in the county.

One water taxi travels a 10-minute route between Pier 50 in downtown Seattle to the Seacrest dock in West Seattle. It is presently operating on winter schedule, which only includes peak hours of roughly 6-9 a.m and 3:45-7 p.m. Two bus shuttle routes, also operated by the ferry district, travel from West Seattle: route 775 to the Admiral District, route 773 to the West Seattle Junction. The water taxi’s one-way cash fare is $4.00 for adults 19+, $3.50 if using an ORCA card with sufficient fare value. Youths aged 6 through 18 are charged a $4.00 cash or ticket fare (tickets are available from vending machines at the Water Taxi terminal) or $2.75 using an ORCA card with sufficient fare value. Those with Regional Reduced Fare Permits have a $1.75 fare.

The second route takes about 22 minutes in traveling between Vashon Island and downtown Seattle. The one-way cash fare is $5.00 for adults 19+, $4.25 if using an ORCA card with sufficient fare value. Youths aged 6 through 18 are charged a $5.00 cash or ticket fare or $3.25 with an ORCA card with sufficient fare value. Those with Regional Reduced Fare Permits have a $2.25 fare.

For both routes: checks aren’t accepted, reservations aren’t taken, and seating is not guaranteed. A crew member carries an ORCA card reader.

King County’s 2013-14 biennial budget included $12.5 million for two new water taxis, which would replace two aging leased vessels. Federal grants will cover 80 percent of the total cost of the vessels with the rest coming from Ferry District revenues.


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Transit Agencies in Puget Sound – Riding King County Metro

Saturday, January 26, 2013

A series of articles by Brian Doennebrink on the topic of public transport

Riding King County Metro
By Brian Doennebrink

King County Metro's (KCM) focus is on serving citizens of King County.

Metro Transit bus
For everyone except adults age 19-64, fares are always the same.

For adults ages 19+, the city of Seattle is considered one zone, while everything else in King County is a second zone. Any time that you cross the border, it is considered two zones, but if your trip begins or ends on a zone line, it’s a one-zone fare. Examples: a trip from Shoreline to Bellevue is considered one zone, a trip from Aurora Village to N. 145th is one zone, but a trip from 155th to 135th is two zones (N. 145th is the north edge of Seattle’s city limits).

RapidRide coming this year to Shoreline
Peak period travel, or that taken Monday through Friday from 6-9 a.m. and 3-6pm, costs $2.50 for adults for one zone, $3.00 for two zones. Off-peak travel, no matter how many zones, costs $2.25.

KCM’s website notes that large dogs pay the same fare as their owner, while up to four children age 5 and under ride free with a person paying an adult fare. I saw no mention of where the dividing line for a “large” dog is or what if there are five children or what if the person accompanying the children paid a youth fare.

Youths, those ages 6-18, always have a fare of $1.25. Similarly, 75 cents is always the fare for riders with a Regional Reduced Fare Permit.

Unlike most other transit providers in Puget Sound, Metro still issues paper transfers to cash-paying customers, but they can only be used on other trips on KCM, and only within two-hours of the time on the transfer slip.

Rapid Ride is Metro’s variation of bus rapid transit. Rapid Ride “E” – traveling between Shoreline and downtown Seattle – is expected to launch on September 28, 2013.

King County Metro operates bus services seven days a week, but not for all routes.


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Transit Agencies in Puget Sound – Riding Sound Transit Sounder

Monday, January 14, 2013

Heavy Rail - Sounder train
Corrected 1-15-2013 10:17am

Brian Doennebrink is writing a series of articles on local transportation options

Transit Agencies in Puget Sound –  Riding Sound Transit Sounder
By Brian Doennebrink

Sounder-north operates between Everett Station and downtown Seattle, with our nearest station in Edmonds.

Train fares are based on distance traveled, and Day passes are two times the one-way fare. Their website has a matrix of fares. For instance, an Adult passenger (see that fare matrix below) has a $3.50 fare for a trip from Edmonds to/from Seattle. The corresponding Youth fares are $2.50, while Regional Reduced Fare Permit holders have a $1.75 fare. There are a couple of trips in each direction that are operated by Amtrak, but require either a Rail Pass validation or payment of the regular Amtrak fare, which is higher (see website).



Connections to Shoreline and beyond can be made via Community Transit buses that run on all days except Sundays and major holidays. For instance, their route #130 travels between Aurora Village and the Edmonds station via North 205th. Or, one can park at the Edmonds station, but there are only 156 spaces. Recently, an additional 53 temporary parking spaces were added at 190 Sunset Avenue South, to be replaced by a 103 space lot that is being constructed with an anticipated opening date of May 1.


Sounder trains only operate weekdays – except major holidays - and for special events, e.g., Seahawks, FC Sounders, and Mariners games. At this time of year, a big caveat is the prevalence of mudslides along the route, which translates into closure of the route for a required 48 hours with alternative bus service provided. Thus, it is advisable to check the Sound Transit website when planning to ride the Sounder-north. Train cars with 100, 300 and 400 series numbers, marked on the outside of the car, are equipped with Wi-fi access, subject to availability.


A more-robust and reliable Sounder option operates from Seattle to Lakewood, just south of Tacoma (extension just opened October 2012), There are two a.m. trips from Seattle to Tacoma – great for reverse commuters – and seven p.m. trains starting at 3:15 p.m., the last five traveling to Lakewood. Nine trains run northbound, seven in the a.m., the first five starting at Lakewood, after that from Tacoma, and two for reverse commuters in the p.m.


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Transit Agencies in Puget Sound – Riding Sound Transit light rail

Monday, December 31, 2012

Sound Transit Link Light Rail car
Brian is writing a series of articles about transportation options in the area

Riding Sound Transit light rail
By Brian Doennebrink

Sound Transit Link oversees the operations of link light rail that presently operates from Westlake Station in downtown Seattle to Sea-Tac airport and a second segment that runs between the Tacoma Dome and South 9th in Tacoma. 

Construction and/or preparation is underway to extend the Central Link line (1) northward, first to the University of Washington’s Husky Stadium (ETA 2016), then Northgate (ETA 2021), and – via Shoreline – Lynnwood (ETA 2023); (2) eastward from the International District/Chinatown Station, to Overlake/Redmond (ETA 2023); (3) southward, from the Sea-Tac station, to South 200th (ETA 2016), with preliminary work towards an extension to the Federal Way Transit Center. Meanwhile, ST is in the information-gathering stages for expanding Tacoma Link, with alternatives in most directions from the present line.

Orca card reader
Fares on light rail in Tacoma are presently free, although there have been discussions about changing that. On Central Link, the fare depends on how far you travel. Their website has a matrix of fares that range, for Adult passengers, from $2.00, their base fare, to $2.75 (see below). You need to have valid fare before getting onto the train, as you cannot purchase tickets on board. 

You can use an ORCA card, and ORCA card readers (look for their bright yellow housing) are at the train platforms. Alternatively, you can buy a ticket from a ticket vending machine (TVM).

Ticket sales
An example of the latter is a trip from Westlake Station to Sea-Tac Airport. Day passes – good for travel on the service, date, and stations printed on the ticket – cost two times the one-way fare. For youths, all one-way fares on Link are $1.25 and Day passes $2.50. For Regional Reduced Fare Permit holders, their one-way fares are $0.75, Day passes $1.50. A trip from Westlake station, the present northern terminus for what’s called “Central Link,” to Sea-Tac airport is estimated to take 37 minutes.


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Transit Agencies in Puget Sound – Riding Sound Transit buses

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Brian is writing a series of articles about transportation options in the area

Riding Sound Transit Busses

By Brian Doennebrink

Sound Transit buses consist of long distance routes, and their fares are based on counties. If one rides only within one county, e.g. from Shoreline or Lake Forest Park or Kenmore to Seattle or Bellevue, the fare is $2.50 for an adults and $1.25 for youths aged six to 18. Passengers under 6 ride free with a fare-paying passenger. If you are a senior or a disabled person who has obtained a Regional Reduced Fare Permit, a one-county ride costs $0.75. Once you travel across a county line, for instance a trip from Mountlake Terrace to Seattle, the fares are $3.50, $2.50, and $1.50, respectively.

Sound Transit routes stop near the southern Shoreline border, just south of N. 145th, but only in non-peak times, except for the #512, which only runs on Sundays. The nearest Park / Ride is at N. 147th and NE 5th Street on the northeast side of the freeway, a fairly-long and typically wind-blown walk to the southbound buses, a moderate walk from the northbound stop. All-day access points are the Mountlake Terrace freeway station and Bothell Way NE.

ST’s north-end bus routes:
  • Route 510: Everett to downtown Seattle
  • Route 511*: Ash Way (164th/I-5) to downtown Seattle
  • Route 512*: Everett to downtown Seattle (Sundays only)
  • Route 513*: Everett to downtown Seattle (peak hours only)
* Stops at Mountlake Terrace freeway station, connections to Shoreline from King County Metro (#347 to Ballinger, North City, and Ridgecrest) and Community Transit (#130 to Aurora Village).

Other ST bus routes that you may find useful:
  • Route 522 (Woodinville to Seattle) operates seven days/week and can be accessed on Bothell Way NE, with connecting service with King County Metro.
  • Route 535 ( Lynnwood Transit Center to Bellevue) all day service M-Sat., connections to Community Transit’s #115 and #130 to Aurora Village.
  • Routes 550 and 554: seven-day service between downtown Seattle and Bellevue or Issaquah, respectively.
  • Route 555 and 556: weekday service between Northgate Transit Center, the University District, and Bellevue, Eastgate, and Issaquah.

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Regional Travel: Transit Agencies in Puget Sound, Part II (Funding)

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

A series of articles by Brian Doennebrink on the topic of public transport

By Brian Doennebrink

In 2010, voter-approved (a.k.a. “local option”) sales and use taxes provided over 64 percent of transit funding, which is why they have all been influenced by the economic conditions of the past few years. In the Puget Sound region, the following are collecting the maximum of 0.9% sales and use tax: Community Transit, Island Transit, King County Metro, and Sound Transit. A narrow majority of voters in Pierce County recently rejected an attempt by Pierce Transit to raise their local option sales and use tax to the maximum, keeping that agency’s local option sales and use tax at 0.6%.

Sound Transit (ST) has separate taxing authority. They had the authority to levy a motor vehicle excise tax (MVET) of up to 0.8% until 2002, when the passage of Initiative 776 eliminated MVET as a funding source (MVET was up to 50% of some transit system’s funding). However, the Washington State Supreme Court upheld ST’s existing 0.3% MVET collection for bond repayment until the bond debt is fully retired (approximately 2028). This MVET tax is what many of us see on our car tab renewal form.

In King County, where its transit system (King County Metro) is governed by the county, the local option sales and use tax of 0.9% for King County Metro is the same county-wide. The RTA/Sound Transit local option is also at 0.9%, but – along with the MVET – is only collected in the parts of the county that are within its taxing borders.

In contrast, Snohomish County has a Public Transportation Benefit Area, which only applies to areas whose voters approved being included (taxed). Further, as in King County, the RTA (Sound Transit) doesn’t cover all parts of the county. Thus, the local sales tax varies from 1.2% in unincorporated areas that are not in the RTA, a total of 7.7% sales and use tax collected therein, to 3.0% in most of the cities in the southwestern part of the county, a total of 9.5% sales and use tax collected therein.

There’s even a tax rate lookup app for iPhones to search for a rate at a specific address or area!

Other major sources of transit funding include fares and grants.


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Regional Travel: Transit Agencies in Puget Sound - 1

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

This is the first of a series of articles by Brian Doennebrink on the topic of public transport


Transit Agencies in Puget Sound –  Part I (Governance)
By Brian Doennebrink

Of Washington’s 39 counties, 28 have transit service. There are 31 transit systems, with a handful, most in the Puget Sound corridor, providing service in multiple counties, including Sound Transit (through contracted providers), King County Metro, Community Transit, Island Transit, Skagit Transit, and Whatcom Transit.

Transit agencies have different governances, the most-popular being the Public Transportation Benefit Area, or PTBA.

PTBAs are established within a single county and include both incorporated and unincorporated areas; in the past, citizens vote on whether to be included or not. PTBAs are governed by up to nine elected officials, and the legislative bodies of the county and cities determine who serves. In Thurston County (the area around Olympia), citizens also serve on their governing body, while in Mason County (the area around Shelton) school board members, fire district members, and hospital district members serve on its board! In the Puget Sound, PTBAs (county) exist for: Community Transit (Snohomish), Pierce Transit, Intercity Transit (Thurston), Kitsap Transit, Skagit Transit, Whatcom Transportation Authority, and Island Transit.

County transit systems are permitted if a county has a population of at least 210,000. As of July 2012, the only counties with populations above that threshold were King, Pierce , Snohomish, Spokane, Clark, Thurston, Kitsap, and Yakima. However, only King County Metro (KCM) operates as a county transit system, which it did when it was created in 1991. KCM is governed under the authority of the County Executive as an agency of King County. County Councilmember Bob Ferguson is presently representing the interests of Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, Kenmore, etc.

A city transit system is established by elected city officials and may operate up to 15 miles of – as well as in –  city limits. Everett Transit is one of four of these systems in the state and the only one in Puget Sound.

The Puget Sound area is the only place that a Regional Transportation Authority – or RTA – has been authorized in the state. The one agency that’s an RTA is Sound Transit, which is governed by 17 elected officials (mayors, city council members, county executives, council members) appointed by the County Executives of Pierce, King, and Snohomish counties, with the 18th member the State Secretary of Transportation.


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