Sound Transit

I used to take Sound Transit from Auburn to Downtown Seattle and was never late for class. Now I take Sound Transit from Downtown Seattle to Southcenter mall, the Doctor, and The Dining Dog and never had a problem.

I’m so fed up with Sound Transit and the Sounder train. ⁹⁄₁₀ it’s late. Today the 6:26 train was cancelled, but the email didn’t go out until 7:00. They push everyone to sign up for rider alerts, then do a terrible job of letting us know what’s going on. The station agent here is Kent is worthless, doesn’t know any of the bus schedules, or when the next train is coming. He just says «check the emails they send», I would, but they don’t have any information, or anyone to contact if you have questions.
I’m thankful for the train when it’s running with no problems, but I’ve missed more than enough meetings at work to consider going back to sitting in traffic to and from Seattle.
With constant «mechanical problems» being cited as the reason for late trains, it might be time for Sound Transit to consider hiring some new engineers or purchasing new trains.
The worst part about sound transit is that every time you try to contact someone about questions or information, they never get back to you, they must be too busy fixing the trains…

Fucking horrible on time rate for the 510 bus.
Sound transit doesn’t even care to fix the issue of buses constantly arriving 30 to 40 mins late.
If buying into work was not my only option I would easily stop using this service.
If you can I suggest using community tranist or another bus service before sound tranist.

First the pluses. The busses are always clean, well taken care of and the bus drivers are usually very friendly. The minus? Every single day the busses coming from Seattle going out to pretty much anywhere are so full I have to wait for 3 or more busses to pass in order to actually get on a bus home. It is fustrating beyond belief to have to work 10 hours and then have to wait 2 more to go home! How do we change or help that situation? I’m one of the many many individuals that have this same issue and nobody knows what to do about it.

Worst experience I’ve ever had on a bus happened today.
At the crack of dawn my 555 driver decided to inspect my transit transfer like I’m a criminal, instead of asking me to pay more if it’s required, explaining what she was doing, she just inspected it and was like «okay, you pass my little test» belittling and humiliating me when I’m just trying to get to work.
I already don’t want to be up this early. Now I have to worry about a bully each morning. I will avoid sound transit at all costs. Thank you very much for ruining my morning and making an already hard commute (two hours almost) even harder. I hope I made your day that much brighter by almost being brought to tears on a brightly lit bus right before I face my colleagues and the way I make a living each day. Thank you ever so much. The best part? You used the loud speaker to harass me even more.
I paid my fare. What more do you want? Flowers? Kisses? Hugs? I get on, I want to sleep, get off and get on my way just like everyone else. You acted like I was trying to cheat an already costly and increasingly inconvient transit system that is almost forcing me into getting a car I can’t afford. At least then I’d be rid of bus drivers like you who live off of pushing up their ego’s by making up rules, unnecessary displaying authority and down right bullying.

The 510 has horrible service. At night from 5 — 6 pm there is almost no service. People wait for 30 to 60 minutes for a bus that should come every 15 minutes per the schedule. The problem is that the ⁵¹⁰⁄₅₁₂ is a loop and when it gets behind the time stacks up. It comes south as the 512 then switches in seattle to the 510 and heads north. Other buses come more regularly. Most nights the wait is 40+ minutes so figure out a different route/​service.

Public transit: a democratizing lifeblood moving people seamlessly around a city, often without the conventional pitfalls of traffic, having to pay for gas, or converse forcedly with annoying carpoolers.
Seattle Public Transit… Sigh. So clearly NOT that. Such a mess and needs so much improvement: Can’t make a deadline, unreliable, dirty and sporadic (All the makings of a great employee. Pretty sure if it was a person, I would have fired it by now.)… But it IS pretty safe. Thank God Seattle transit has that going for it because if it didn’t, if it was located in, say, Baltimore city, people would be dying left and right all because they were standing at the bus stop in the dark at 9 PM and the bus was 20 minutes late if it showed up at all. Yep, safety, people: Something that Seattle Transit has going for it that has nothing to do with the contribution of Seattle transit. Sometimes I honestly fear for my safety standing alone at bus stops late at night… But hey, it’s Seattle and nothing can happen, right… (See what I did there?!) YayyyY!!?
That was me last night (and many nights)… Standing in the rain at a somewhat shady bus stop where I volunteer for 25 minutes. It took me literally 1 hour and 5 minutes to get home when it should usually only take 20 minutes. A good chunk of that involved standing at my bus stop in the dark hoping to not get assaulted.
Also, I mentioned on the Convention Place Unilocal site the time I almost missed my own graduation because Convention Place can’t get itself sorted out. I guess, even after all these years, Seattle is still clueless at figuring out how to accommodate for the ebb and flow of rush hour vs. non rush hour times. They also recently hiked up the fare and slashed some bus routes but they’re still far from efficient… It’s frustrating.
Not to mention, this morning. Kind of the final straw for me. I woke up this morning at 5:15 AM to get to the Link at 5:40. Sooo painful! There’s nothing worse than having to wake up at… Oh wait. How come, not one, but TWO Light Links came and went in the opposite direction?! Thank God I pre-​planned and timed my entire zombified morning existence perfectl– Oh wait. It’s still not here. So glad I forced myself out of bed for this. I could have slept in. Ain’t no way this joke is running once every 15 minutes.
In conclusion, Seattle Public Transit is what you marry into when you move here. You try to rely on it, to trust it, but it abuses the trust. And after getting to know it over the years, I definitely want a divorce.

I work in Pioneer Square, and I LOVE the convenience of the train. I commute daily from Kent, WA and when I don’t have a carpool buddy, I take the train from Kent Station. It only runs during peak hours, which is kind of a bummer, but I can understand why!
Unlike the bus, there aren’t a lot of creepy people usually riding them. It costs $ 3.50 each way from Kent to Seattle or vice versa (I think other stops are similar if not slightly more expensive), and $ 7 for an all-​day pass, which is what I usually get.
It took me FOREVER to find where the entrance to the train station was, because I kept getting it confused with the King Street Station which is attached to it (I think the Sounder tracks are technically PART of the station, but it’s such an odd set-​up). I might just be an idiot though — that is a possibility.
In case you have never been there before, it’s not inside that beautiful clock tower building — that’s the Amtrack train. You have to go past it, either along side and down to King street behind the station (next to the attached parking lot) or along 4^th ave S, across the bridge, and then the elevators and stairs will take you to the platform. They have ticket booths on the platform, NOT on the street level bridge (but they do have the ORCA scanners there). I have never been checked to see if I have a ticket, but it’s pricy if you get caught, so I suggest paying.
I love the ticket booths for buying tickets — it’s just so darn easy and foolproof! The train takes approx 25 minutes to get to Seattle from Kent (or the other way around) and runs about every 20 minutes.
I have NEVER had a time where I couldn’t find a seat and had to stand, and usually the other commuters are respectful or even friendly some times!
I really recommend this for commuters, especially if you drive a gas-​guzzler like I do.

Having only moved to Seattle a few months ago, I was looking forward to public transportation (having been a 1+ hr commuter for 7 years). I am not disappointed! I can get anywhere in the city and surrounding area with few to no problems.
If you have a smartphone, one bus away is the best app!!! Free, and actually tells you not only what buses and trains are around you, but who’s running on time, who’s late, by how many minutes, etc. Combine this with Google’s directions via public transportation, and you can get anywhere!
I look forward to watching the services expand over the next few years. The new rapid ride system is fantastic, and the new streetcar lines up in capital hill will continue to make this one of the best cities for public transportation!

It’s a start. Given that the lengthy north-​south Seattle-​Tacoma-​Everett has at least twice the population of metro Portland, it’s a little behind the 8 ball.
Pros:
— Light rail now connects downtown Seattle to the SEA airport
— Sounder commuter rail goes from Everett to Seattle, and from Tacoma to Seattle
— Buses go everywhere in Seattle, and its suburbs, including far flung places like Fall City, near Snoqualmie Falls (it’s weird to see a bus winding its way down forested 2 lane roads)
— The articulated buses are kind of cool, and sometimes they are fairly full
— The buses generally feel safe and free of excessive drama (well, it’s Seattle)
— The airport is connected to the East Side via a bus to the Bellevue Transit Center
Cons:
— It took them a long time to finally put this system in place, compared to Portland which did so in 1986, and their bus tunnel under downtown had been in place for a very long time
— While it makes sense to go south to the airport first, most Seattleites live north of the Ship Canal, it seems, and while it’s arriving at UW in 2016, that doesn’t even take Northgate and points north and above Northgate into account (thinking of traffic on I-​5 north of the city)
— The East Side does not seem crazy about it for NIMBY reasons, but it will be going there, though it is quite a ways off
— Sounder commuter rail runs at peak hours and a person is sort of S.O.L. if needing to return home mid-​day
— Buses from the airport to the East Side take too long because of too many stops in Renton (that is, unless they have an express up to Bellevue)
— Only one station along the light rail line currently has a dedicated parking lot
Mostly, I think that the light rail network is weak, given that it’s 2014. It needs to go north to at least to the Snohomish County Line, down to Federal Way, and service the East Side, including going a little further into the East Side, so people can either connect into stations on transit or drive to them.

Sound Transit Needs To Go Bankrupt & Go Away So A Credible Organization Can Take The Reigns…
SOUND TRANSIT HAS INCOMPETENT LEADERSHIP… Period
«They have a budget other cities would drool over & they still manage to fail»
*** Seriously! What a JOKE… If you catch the train in Mukilteo you have the option of getting off in Edmonds or Downtown Seattle. I swear no wonder the ridership is so low, «two stops»…Really…
***Also Tax Payers… Did you know that you pay a hefty rate to keep a service going that is not convenient to anybody.
Good News Is We Have Tracks Ready To Go Once We Get The Leadership To Make It Work…
Sound Transit… EPIC FAIL…

Excellent bus system! Maybe I am giving 5 because I am visiting from San Diego and we don’t get THIS! For $ 2.5 get a bus from Seattle airport and in an hour reach Bellevue with all the scenary of peaceful trees? Not in a dream! I always have to take Supershuttle in order to not incomodate anymore. And here for almost nothing you get a nice trip and save gas and money!
A friend of mine living in Bellevue recommended to take the bus this time, so I followed instructions (you have to make sure you don’t tkae another #560 that does NOT go to Bellevue but another location. It is same bus number but it changes. Driver was very nice and friendly explaining how to insert the money in the machine and apologizing, yes, apologizing to the passengers because there was a bump on the road and we had some agitation. Never seen this before.
Bus very clean and new, and people very normal, which is a rarity in San Diego, sorry to say, but you only get strange looking passengers in the buses there, so most people opt for the most expensive options in order to avoid meeting people they don’t want. Very good experience. Bravo Sound Transit.

Sound transit is a good public transportation system. Some of the time it can be confusing for people from out of town but it’s not so complicated. It’s a combination of trains and buses and the buses use the same tunnels as the trains in the downtown area.

I love sound transit!
I frequent its Express Bus and Link. I have to say they both offer fast services and their vehicles always seem clean.
Some Express Buses can be late at times, which can be disappointing because the trips are often longer than usual. So if you have an important meeting on the eastside or westside or need to travel long distance, give yourself enough time for travel.
The LINK is also the best way to travel to Seatac airport. Totally love it!

The bus service is great but the lost and found service is crap! The website gives you an 800 number which doesn’t work if you call from inside the same area code. The 800 number eventually tells you to call a Metro number. Metro’s number is another maze of options which eventually tells you that their call volume is high and then sends you back out to the first menu or hangs up on you. Awesome.
Why is government always so bad at customer service?

Regarding LINK Light Rail communication & Rider Alerts…
…D+! They do provide decent Email Alerts for delays and incidents, as well as over the PA in stations… sometimes not all stations get announcements, though and some audio issues arise every now and then…
«The next… will… arrive in… minutes.»
«For your s… please stay…‘hind the yel… né.»
During this recent snow system (s), their website’s Rider Alerts DID NOT mention anything on Central LINK… just the stupid Tacoma LINK.
Jacked up, yo. The website is simple; how the fudge can you not keep that updated with Riders Alerts?
And when the train operator announces departure from Seatac station, they should make it so you can hear it from the Mezzanine below, as well, and NOT JUST the train platform. Also, the elevated Tukwila portion is way more shakey than Singapore’s and Vancouver BC’s elevated trains.
… and stuff.

If the route happens to work for you the Sounder is a fantastic alternative to driving in traffic or dealing with parking.
For my daily work commute I tried the Link Light Rail for a few weeks before the Sounder and don’t mind paying the extra $ 1 or so for the comfort and speed of the Sounder and not feeling like a packed sardine. The crowds on each seem to differ a bit as well; the Sounder Mon-​Fri usually being a more professional, commuter bunch and the Light Rail the same but also with everyone else (including their interesting arimas, noise, children and drama). I appreciate the option of wifi, but seldom have the opportunity to use it as I only ride between 2 stations.

For the most part, I like Sound Transit. Taking the express buses sure are nicer than the Metro buses. Plus the Central Link train makes getting to and from the airport easier. Not for me as I am Eastsider, but definitely for Seattleites.
Generally, I use Sound Transit for trips from the Eastside to downtown Seattle. Sure beats paying the high parking prices or putting in change for the parking meter. Wait times typically are either 15 or 30 minutes for me which is not too bad. And the ride is generally pretty smooth and actually might be quicker when considering the time spent on finding parking. I just have to watch the clock I guess.
The only thing that bugs me is this Orca card system. I know it was put in for some sort of reason to do with organization. But I would rather pay with cash and get a transfer stub, then having to always refill this card with money when I want to take a ride. It also seems this system discourages frugal travelers from taking Sound Transit considering there is no paper transfer system anymore.
Without the Orca card, you would have to pay for each bus ride outside of the Seattle free zone on Sound Transit. Metro still provides paper transfers but they are not transferable to Sound Transit. I like Sound Transit, but I am just not down with the Orca card. It is a downright confusing system the government paid a lot of money for.

Reliable transportation to and from the outlying areas to Seattle. This review applies to the Sounder Commuter Rail (train). Good tip is to make sure you print the train schedule, show up early enough to buy a ticket and get parking. If you are going to King Station in Seattle, you do have an option to take the FREE shuttle bus so you don’t have to walk if you don’t feel like it. On dry days, no problem but when it is pouring out, why not get on the bus? The problem is making sure you take the right one of course so ask the driver before you board.
One thing I found is that you are screwed if you want to get back mid day as the Sounder doesn’t run between 9 AM and 3 PM so keep this in mind. Also, don’t try to be a freeloader and get on without paying as they do go and do ask to see your ticket and it is about a $ 124 fine or so. I believe if you purchase an Orca card (prepaid), sometimes your employer will reimburse you for a commuter program. The average price for a one way is about $ 3 to 4 one way.
Also, the inside of the train is well kept but a bit cramped for tall folks with long legs. Some sections have a small table that you can place a laptop or other things. An overhead storage shelf can hold small bags to help free up some space.
Go to
if you want to look up their train schedule and other transit services they provide.

This is really such a great way to get to work to downtown Seattle from the suburbs. The buses are clean and get you there basically as fast as you can drive. Bit longer but not by much. The park and rides are humongous and are easy to find, and the schedules are right on time.
Got there exactly as the bus was at the Ashway stop actually, so beat it to the Lynnwood stop so I could make it and not wait for 30 minutes.
Okay so I don’t work in downtown Seattle, nor do I live in Seattle even, I just visit my sister every now and then. This is really what LA needs though, a good bus system that can take cars off the road and lessen the pollution.
I hop on the express 511 at Ashway and ride it all the way downtown to Pike Place Market. Instead of just one small bus booth, they have set up a turnaround for many bus lines to easily pickup and dropoff passengers. There’s a huge parking area made specifically for the park and ride, so it’s easy to take the bus. It’s either 2.50 or 3 dollars, I forget but I just put in 3 since I don’t usually have that much change anyhow. It’s a double bus too that can hold even more people.
About 40 minutes later, I’m off at 5^th and Pike and down to Pike Place Market. Buses are free downtown too, if you get on and off down there its considered a free zone. Pretty cool, especially since bus drivers are usually really nice and know where to go, handy for tourists.
On the way back to the suburbs, you pay when you get off actually. The driver announces how much it is since you got on so you know. Depending on how many zones you’ve passed determines the price.
Never had a problem riding Sound Transit, and I don’t ride it all the time so sometimes I don’t know the area or where to get off. I usually get directions from my sis, but haha I still don’t know for sure if I followed them well until I get to my destination.
Pretty awesome… wish we had this in LA.