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Seeing the sights for less Recently,
a local radio station asked its listeners to call in with stories about
riding public transit in the Seattle area. The show’s host was amazed by
one caller who said he had traveled from Seattle to Ocean Shores
entirely by public buses for the whopping fare of $4.The host shouldn’t have been so surprised. There are more than 25 public bus systems in the state of Washington, and many of them have overlapping connections that allow passengers to make some very long-distance trips. In some cases, you can travel several hundred miles for less than $10. That’s a lot cheaper than what you’d pay in gas to drive the same mileage.  If
you live in King County, your best long-haul connections are to the west
and to the southwest. Right now, it is possible to travel from transit
hubs in Seattle to the North Cascades, the Olympic Peninsula, beaches
along the Pacific Ocean, and even to the Oregon Coast – all by public
bus systems (with maybe just one short hop on the state ferry for some
itineraries). And starting Sept. 6, three transit agencies to the north
will launch an
inter-county service that will extend the seamless transportation
connections even further.Explore the possibilities of seeing the Northwest by bus. Be sure to check information for each transit agency along the route to make sure you have the latest schedule information. Some trips will take a little time to make connections between the different transit agencies, and you may have to schedule an overnight stay. But, you’ll get an up-close look at local communities as you kick back, relax and enjoy the sights. Here are a few sample trips: Seattle to Port Townsend and the Olympic Peninsula ● King County Metro Transit Route 16 to Colman Ferry Dock (Alaskan Way & Marion Street) ● Walk on the Washington State Ferry to Bainbridge ● Kitsap Transit Route 90 to Poulsbo ● Jefferson Transit Route 7 to Port Townsend ● Jefferson Transit Route 8 to Sequim ● Clallam Transit Route 30 to Port Angeles ● West Jefferson Olympic Connection from Port Angeles to Amanda Park If you want to keep going south, Grays Harbor Transit provides service from Amanda Park to Aberdeen and Hoquiam. Seattle to Bellingham (available Sept. 6) ● Community Transit Route 422 to Stanwood Park-and-Ride (afternoon commute hours) ● Island Transit County Connector (new Sept. 6) to Skagit Station in Mount Vernon ● Whatcom Transit County Connector (new Sept. 6) to Bellingham Transit Center Seattle to Westport ● Sound Transit Route 594 to State Route 512 Park-and-Ride ● Pierce Transit Route 620 to Olympia Transit Center ● Grays Harbor Transit Route 40 to Aberdeen Station ● Grays Harbor Transit Route 55 to Wesport-Grayland Seattle to Cannon Beach, OR ● Sound Transit Route 594 to State Route 512 Park-and-Ride ● Pierce Transit Route 620 to Olympia Transit Center ● Grays Harbor Transit Route 40 to Aberdeen Station ● Pacific Transit Route 14 to Raymond ● Pacific Transit Route 32 to South Bend ● Pacific Transit Route 50 to Astoria ● Sunset Empire Transportation Route 101 to Cannon Beach  Remember,
these are just a few options. Be sure to check schedules in advance, and
be aware that many of the inter-city routes are designed for commuters
so they operate on a limited one-direction schedule.The regional online Trip Planner can do most of the scheduling work for you in King, Snohomish, Pierce, and Thurston Counties. In other areas, transit agency websites provide a lot of information on bus schedules, transit links and sights to see in their communities. |
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