SEA to Redmond
 

Evening all. Trying to get to Redmond from SEA. Doing some searching, it looks like I can take the light rail into the city, and then a bus the rest of the way. The Sound Transit trip planner is saying take the Link to International District Station BAY A, and walk to 4th Ave S & S Jackson St. Then I'd get on bus 545 to Redmond.

I take it that this routing would get me there. Does anyone have any optimizations? I'll be traveling on 3 Aug--I didn't see any notices for construction or delays; should I anticipate them? Is the 4th Ave S & S Jackson St stop part of a transit center?

Thanks for any comments!

Getting from Seattle to Redmond is always a bit of a hassle since it involves crossing one of the floating bridges, which are almost always congested. Also, the Blue Angels are in town for SeaFair and will be doing some practice runs over the lake, so I-90 will be shut down intermittently-- highway 520 (to Redmond) remains open, but gets backed up with the diverted traffic. It all depends on when you plan to travel-- commuting hours can be a bit of a mess, but the buses run more frequently. Make sure the 545 bus will be running when you want to travel-- some of the commuter buses only run during commuting hours.

The Link Light Rail is a pretty nice system-- follow the signs from the airport to the train stop (it's a 0.25 mile walk, so make sure you can haul your luggage), the train will take you to the I-District (which is an underground station). I think you have to go up the stairs to catch the 545 bus, but it's not too far (and if you have some time to kill, you can grab some Asian snacks/pastries in the I-district).

When you get to the street level at the ID rail/bus station (5th and Jackson), just walk 1 block west (past the front of the Union Station building to 4th; that will be your bus stop.

Coming from the airport you just go on 405 to Redmond. There is no reason to cross the lake. Also since the OP is travelling on Wed. there is no Blue Angel practice or closures.

Using mass transit to get from SEA to Redmond sounds like a lot of work. Have you checked into Shuttle Express if cost is an issue?

OP wants to take Link to downtown, then catch ST545 across 520 to Redmond.

:confused:

Where did you read that. All the OP stated was there were trying to get from Seatac to Redmond, and the Link was one option they found.

I'll clarify my plan a little. I'm transiting through SEA arriving mid-afternoon, and remaining overnight. A high school friend is in Redmond, and I wanted to visit her. I'm planning on leaving my bags at the USO in SEA (I've had pretty good luck doing that before).

Thanks for the Shuttle Express link. Unfortunately, that's about $80 roundtrip, which is about the same cost as a rental car. Using mass transit will definitely take longer, but is much more wallet-friendly at about $10.50 roundtrip.

Do I need to worry much if I were to take the last bus/train back from a safety perspective?

Safety, even late at night, isn't a problem on the East-bound routes. It's the South (of Seattle) routes that are scary. The streets are well-lit. You should be fine.

And if they aren't, most of the buses have headlights to help the driver find his way. :D