Album: Planes, Trains, & Automobiles (80 images)

A Transit Adventure
I took advantage of a vacation day to try out the new Link line to the airport. Starting from my apartment in Redmond I caught the 545 to downtown Seattle, then transferred to Link at Westlake Station. It took exactly an hour and a half to get from my front door to the ticket counters at Sea-Tac.

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Interestingly, there was an airport shuttle in the parking lot outside my apartment when I left. The transit options at the end of my block. I'm waiting for the 545 Express. The trip to downtown Seattle takes 30-40 minutes. Crossing 545s. I hope they did the 'bus driver wave.'></a> <a href=Sound Transit equips their busses with overhead storage racks and reading lights. Mount Rainier in the distance, from NE 40th Street crossing 520 to the Overlake Transit Center. I always like seeing the lineup of Microsoft private shuttles on the other side of the station from the public busses. The back of my bus, and the front of another (565 on layover, I think). Crossing Lake Washington. Portage Bay, with I-5 in the background. I think that plane will beat me to the airport. Getting into downtown, Seattle's signature building. The perspective makes it seem like the Space Needle has sprouted crane arms. Down into Westlake Station at 5th and Pine. Good to see Seattle finally has light rail. Looking North at downtown from Link, as we swing East to punch through Beacon Hill. Franklin High School, seen from Link at the Mount Baker Station. Surprisingly scenic power lines along MLK Way. Mount Rainier again, this time from Link crossing I-5 near the Boeing Access Road. Traffic on I-5. We were pacing them pretty well. SouthCenter Mall and Mount Rainier. Sea-Tac control tower, from Link. Sea-Tac Airport Station in the distance. Alaska Airlines planes at the C, D, and N gates. Pulling in to the station. Made it! Banner on the way back out of the airport. Link Light Rail. It's a visual pun! Also, no need to On the walk out to the Station from the terminal. The current end of the line. It will be extended further South in the coming years. The skybridge connecting the Station to the bus plaza on International Boulevard. Inside the Station, looking back at the airport garage. Cool bright red overhead on the skybridge to the bus plaza. The small red rods on top were spinning to keep birds off. A Link train on the way North to Seattle. Some station art. These are the names of local Tribes. Traffic piling up at the terminal. No effect on the light rail, though. A Link train arriving at the station. The trains were surprisingly full for a Monday afternoon. We paralleled this ST560 Express to Bellevue for a bit on the way out of Sea-Tac. The driver gave me a nice wave before we accelerated and pulled away. The behemoth Tukwila Station, with a Link train pulling out on its way to the airport. Link leaving Tukwila for Westlake. I like the motor noise. Some art at Tukwila. This art made water noises. I had to walk a mile away to fit the whole station in the frame. Okay, not a mile, but still really far. The mezzanine level at Tukwila. My ride has arrived. Weird I think these were supposed to be lit up too. Still weird. The trains make a lot of wind as they pull in and out of the stations. Still weird. This is the view when you exit the elevators. The larger bubbles are showing videos. I think a train is coming. Too fast for my camera! This looks familiar. Those power lines are really in the way, though. The front of my train. Two Link trains in Pioneer Square Station. Pioneer Square Station, from the South Mezzanine. An old cable-car pulley. It's huge, easily 8 feet across. The only tunnel in the world with join rail and bus operations. Once University Link is completed that bus (73X) will be obsolete. Southbound Link taking on passengers. An ST550 Express to Bellevue. Light rail! Train arriving. Two trains passing each other. Reminds me of the 545 picture I took earlier. The neat couplers between the cars, hidden under the bumpers when not in use. University Street Station is much less fancy than Pioneer Square. An overhead view from the South Mezzanine. Strange animated art. At Westlake, this escalator was out of order. I think I see the problem: most of the steps are missing! A Link train at Westlake being cleared by security. This is the end of the line (until 2016). More train/bus sharing of the tunnel. One train leaves and another arrives. An alternate mode of transportation. The big Christmas tree at Westlake. There was a little carnival going on. A festive ST bus, and a friendly waving driver. My ride for the rest of the way home. The Sammamish River looks a bit barren in the winter. Very relfective, though. The sunset looked nice on the clouds. While I was at Westlake I picked up an Orca card. These will be required for transfers next year, and will also cost $5 then. They're free now. :)
Copyright © 2012 David Seater