Editing Transportation in Seattle

{{short description|Overview of transportation modes and routes in Seattle, Washington, U.S.}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2015}}
[[File:Driving the Alaskan Way Viaduct.jpg|thumb|The now-demolished [[Alaskan Way Viaduct]] in downtown Seattle]]
[[File:King County Water Taxi Downtown Seattle.jpg|thumb|[[King County Water Taxi]] and downtown Seattle]]

'''Transportation in Seattle''' is largely focused on the [[automobile]] like many other cities in western [[North America]]; however, the city is just old enough for its layout to reflect the age when [[railway]]s and [[streetcar|trolley]]s predominated.{{Citation needed lead|date=May 2012}} These older modes of transportation were made for a relatively well-defined downtown area and strong neighborhoods at the end of several former streetcar lines, now mostly bus lines.

Due to Seattle's [[isthmus]]-like geography and the concentration of jobs within the city,{{Citation needed lead|date=May 2012}} much of the flow of transportation in the [[Seattle metropolitan area|metropolitan area]] is through the city proper. North-south transportation is highly dependent on the [[Interstate 5 (Washington)|Interstate 5]] corridor, which connects the Puget Sound area with southwest Washington cities and the [[Portland metropolitan area]], as well as cities to the north such as [[Bellingham, Washington|Bellingham]] and [[Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada|Vancouver]], [[Canada]]. I-5 continues as [[British Columbia Highway 99]] at the U.S.-[[Canada]] border's [[Peace Arch]] crossing, between [[Blaine, Washington|Blaine]] and [[Surrey, British Columbia|Surrey]]. [[State Route 99 (Washington)|State Route 99]] is also a major arterial in the western half of the city; it included the now-defunct [[Alaskan Way Viaduct]] along the Seattle waterfront. The [[Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement tunnel]] was opened in place of the elevated viaduct in February 2019 on account of seismic instability.

Transportation to and from the east is via State Route 520's [[Evergreen Point Floating Bridge]] and [[Interstate 90 (Washington)|Interstate 90]]'s [[Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge]] and [[Third Lake Washington Bridge]], all over [[Lake Washington]]. Those bridges are respectively the first, second, and fifth longest [[pontoon bridge|floating bridge]]s in the world. [[Washington State Route 522|State Route 522]] connects Seattle to its northeastern suburbs.

Two [[public transportation]] agencies are based in Seattle: [[King County Metro]], which operates local and commuter buses within [[King County, Washington|King County]], and [[Sound Transit]], which operates [[commuter rail]], [[light rail]], and regional express buses within the greater [[Seattle metropolitan area|Puget Sound region]]. In recent years, as Seattle's population and employment have surged, transit has played an increasingly important role in transportation within the metro area. By 2017, nearly 50% of commuters to downtown Seattle arrived via mass transit.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://usa.streetsblog.org/2017/02/10/downtown-seattle-added-45000-jobs-and-hardly-any-car-commuters/ |first=Angie |last=Schmitt |title=Downtown Seattle Added 45,000 Jobs and Hardly Any Car Commuters |publisher=StreetsBlog USA |date=February 10, 2017 |access-date=April 21, 2017}}</ref>

[[Washington State Ferries]], the largest ferry system in the United States and the second largest in the world, operates a passenger-only ferry from [[Colman Dock]] in [[Downtown, Seattle, Washington|Downtown]] to [[Vashon Island]], car ferries from Colman Dock to [[Bainbridge Island]] and to [[Bremerton]], and a car ferry from [[West Seattle, Seattle, Washington|West Seattle]] to Vashon Island to [[Southworth, Washington|Southworth]]. Seattle was once home to the ''[[MV Kalakala|Kalakala]]'', a streamlined [[art deco]]-style ferry that sailed from the 1930s to the 1960s.{{Citation needed lead|date=May 2012}}

Seattle contains most of [[Boeing Field]], officially named King County International Airport; but most airline passengers use [[Seattle-Tacoma International Airport]] in the city of [[SeaTac, Washington|SeaTac]]. Seattle is also served by three [[Amtrak]] routes from the [[King Street Station]]: the [[Cascades (passenger train)|Cascades]], [[Coast Starlight]], and [[Empire Builder]] lines.

== History ==
[[File:Seattle - Occidental and Yesler - 1884.jpg|thumb|[[Horsecar|Horse-drawn streetcar]] at what is now the corner of Occidental and Yesler, 1884]]
Even though Seattle is old enough that railways and streetcars once dominated its transportation system, the city is now largely dominated by automobiles but has recently started rebuilding [[streetcar]] lines and light rail routes. Seattle is also serviced by an extensive network of bus routes and two commuter rail routes connecting it to many of its suburbs.

Organized land transportation in Seattle dates back at least to 1871; by that date, a wagon traveled twice daily from what is now First Avenue (near Elliott Bay) to Lake Washington; the fare was 50 cents, no small sum for that era. In 1880 a two-horse carriage carried passengers and freight from roughly today's [[Pioneer Square, Seattle, Washington|Pioneer Square]] to [[Belltown, Seattle, Washington|Belltown]] every two hours at a fare of 12.5 cents in an open coach or 15 cents in a covered coach. This was shortly followed by similar services connecting out to [[Lake Union]] and [[Madison Park, Seattle, Washington|Madison Park]] on Lake Washington.<ref name=Peterson-144>{{Harvnb|Peterson|Davenport|1950|p=144}}</ref>

Water transport was important even within what are now city limits. A steamer connected [[South Lake Union, Seattle, Washington|South Lake Union]] to Latona (between today's Lower [[Wallingford, Seattle, Washington|Wallingford]] and the [[University District, Seattle, Washington|University District]]) and another steamer crossed [[Green Lake, Seattle, Washington|Green Lake]].

The first street railway, [[Seattle Street Railway]], came in 1884, with [[Horsecar|horse-drawn cars]] plying {{convert|3.5|mi|km|1}} of track up today's Second Avenue to Pine Street, then up First Avenue to Battery Street.<ref name=Peterson-144 /><ref>{{Harvnb|Newell|1956|pp=73–74}}</ref> Yesler Way and Jackson Street got their [[Cable railway|cable car]]s (from Pioneer Square to Lake Washington) in 1888, allowing public transportation on routes over hills too steep for horses. Electric streetcars appeared in 1889, making Seattle one of the first cities in the United States to adopt this innovation.<ref name=Peterson-145>{{Harvnb|Peterson|Davenport|1950|p=145}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Newell|1956|pp=73–74}}. Newell also writes that the entrepreneur of both the first horse-drawn streetcars and the first electric streetcars was Frank Osgood from Boston; his partners in the enterprise were Seattle pioneer [[David Denny]] and Judge [[Thomas Burke (judge)|Thomas Burke]].</ref>

The [[Great Seattle Fire]] did not slow this progress at all: by 1890, there were lines along the waterfront from South Seattle (today's [[South Park, Seattle, Washington|South Park]]) to Lower [[Queen Anne, Seattle, Washington|Queen Anne]] and from the center of town to [[Capitol Hill, Seattle, Washington|Capitol Hill]], Madison Park, and [[Madrona, Seattle, Washington|Madrona]].<ref name=Peterson-145 /> These were instrumental in the creation of a relatively well-defined downtown and strong neighborhoods at the end of their lines.

At the turn of the century, the streets were so bad that a boy named Joseph Bufonchio drowned in a sink-hole at the corner of Third and Jackson. As Gordon Newell noted in 1956, contemporary reports did not seem to consider this particularly unusual.<ref>{{Harvnb|Newell|1956|p=106}}</ref>

[[File:Map Showing Lines of Seattle Electric Company c 1907.png|thumb|Map Showing Lines of Seattle Electric Company c 1907]]

At that time, there were about 25 independent transit lines in Seattle.{{Citation needed|date=May 2012}} By 1907, the [[Seattle Electric Company]], owned by [[Boston]]-based [[Stone & Webster]], leveraged its foothold in the electric power industry to consolidate these into one operation, known after 1912 as the Puget Sound Traction, Light and Power Company. It cost a [[nickel (United States coin)|nickel]] to ride. Puget Sound Traction was bought out by the city in 1919 for US$15 million. However, under the city's management, the streetcars chronically ran a loss (even after a 1923 fare increase to three rides for a [[quarter (United States coin)|quarter]], a fare of 8-and-a-third cents), and the quality of the system deteriorated.<ref>{{Harvnb|Peterson|Davenport|1950|pp=145–146}}</ref>

The advent of the automobile sounded the death knell for rail in Seattle.  Tacoma–Seattle railway service ended in 1929 and the Everett–Seattle service came to an end in 1939, replaced by automobiles running on the recently developed highway system. When the city received a US$10.2 million federal grant to pay off transit-related debts and modernize its transit system, rails on city streets were paved over or removed, and the opening in 1940 of the [[Trolleybuses in Seattle|Seattle trolleybus system]] brought the end of streetcar service in Seattle in the early hours of April 12, 1941. This left an extensive network of buses (including {{convert|188|mi|km}} of [[trolleybus]] lines) under an independent Municipal Transportation Commission as the only mass transit within the city and throughout the region.<ref name= interurbanrail>{{cite news | author=Walt Crowley | url=http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=2667 |title=Interurban Rail Transit in King County and the Puget Sound Region – A Snapshot History | publisher=HistoryLink.org | date=September 19, 2000 | access-date=September 29, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Peterson|Davenport|1950|pp=146–147}}</ref>

The new transit system was jammed and profitable during the gasoline and rubber [[rationing]] of [[World War II]], but the automobile reigned supreme after the war. Fares rose to 10 cents,<ref>{{Harvnb|Peterson|Davenport|1950|p=148}}</ref> the first of many increases that would lead to a present-day regular adult fare of $2.75.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://kingcounty.gov/depts/transportation/metro/fares-orca/what-to-pay.aspx|title=What to pay|date=June 15, 2018|website=King County|access-date=October 1, 2018}}</ref> Various proposals to expand mass transit were rejected in the 1950s and '60s. In 1972, voters approved the establishment of [[Metro Transit (Seattle)|Metro Transit]] to run bus lines in King County. A further expansion was approved in 1996, following yet another defeat in 1995.<ref name= interurbanrail/>

==Streets, roads, and automobiles==
[[File:I5seattle.jpg|thumb|right|[[Interstate 5]] highway passing through Seattle. A large volume of southbound traffic is visible during [[rush hour]].]]
Seattle set its first [[speed limit]] in the 1880s, in the days of horse-drawn vehicles. At that time, traffic in the [[Pioneer Square, Seattle, Washington|Pioneer Square]] neighborhood was limited to {{convert|6|mph|km/h|0}}.<ref name=Peterson-50>{{Harvnb|Peterson|Davenport|1950|p=50}}</ref>

The city is described in a mid-20th-century [[civics]] textbook as "a city of islands—islands created both by water and by abrupt valleys that can be traversed only by bridges."<ref name=Peterson-48>{{Harvnb|Peterson|Davenport|1950|p=48}}</ref> Already by 1948, 221,500 vehicles a day crossed the city's bridges across the [[Lake Washington Ship Canal]] and [[Duwamish River]]; except for the high Aurora Bridge (officially [[George Washington Memorial Bridge]]) across the Ship Canal, these were all [[drawbridge]]s.<ref name=Peterson-49>{{Harvnb|Peterson|Davenport|1950|p=49}}</ref> This was before the construction of the [[Interstate Highways]] or [[Washington State Route 520|State Route 520]]; the original [[Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge|Lake Washington Floating Bridge]] (opened 1940) provided the only road out of town to the east; construction of the Alaskan Way Viaduct, the first limited-access highway through the city center, was still underway.

Even with the lesser population of that time and fewer major highways, difficulty parking downtown had already become "practically an institution".<ref name=Peterson-53>{{Harvnb|Peterson|Davenport|1950|p=53}}</ref> The total number of vehicles parking downtown in a day would already have filled a parking lot the size of downtown had they all been there at once; naturally, many of these were there only briefly for shopping. Parking meters had been introduced in the early 1940s, and multi-level parking garages provided some relief (and would later provide more), but the impact of the automobile on the city was very apparent. The city was considering various proposals, such as the establishment of large parking lots on the periphery of downtown with shuttle buses into the center. The city was seeking (and failing to get) state permission to use the right of [[eminent domain]] to acquire property for multi-level parking lots.<ref name= Peterson-53 /> Later, in the mid-1960s, the historic [[Seattle Hotel]] building was torn down for just this purpose; the reaction against that sparked the preservationist movement for the revival of Pioneer Square and made it clear that the city would not solve its problem by demolishing a ring around downtown.

Over 15,000 Seattleites are members of the [[car sharing]] program [[Zipcar]] (formerly [[Flexcar]]). While not all members are frequent users, {{As of|2004|alt=as of September 2004}} the use of these shared cars has been substantial enough to justify the purchase of over 150 cars and other light vehicles for the program, with an additional vehicle purchased approximately every ten days.{{Citation needed|date=May 2012}} Two other car-sharing services, [[Car2Go]] and [[ReachNow]], formerly operated within Seattle.

The city maintains over {{convert|2,300|mi|km}} of sidewalks that cover approximately 27&nbsp;percent of streets in Seattle. Large areas of the city's annexed suburban neighborhoods, including north of North 85th Street and south of Interstate 90, lack sidewalks.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kroman |first=David |date=December 13, 2023 |title=Seattle approves new mandates for sidewalk repair and construction |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/new-law-would-mandate-construction-repair-of-seattle-sidewalks/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=July 1, 2024}}</ref><ref name="Times-Sidewalks2024">{{cite news |last=Deshais |first=Nicholas |date=July 1, 2024 |title=Sidewalks top of mind for Seattle's priciest-ever transportation levy |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/sidewalks-top-of-mind-for-seattles-priciest-ever-transportation-levy/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=July 1, 2024}}</ref> {{As of|2024}}, 13,500 blocks lack sidewalks.<ref name="Times-Sidewalks2024"/>

=== SR 99 Tunnel ===
{{Main article|Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement tunnel}}
[[File:SR 99 Tunnel opening celebration - vents and digital sign.jpg|alt=|thumb|Upper (southbound) deck of the SR 99 Tunnel]]

The '''SR&nbsp;99 Tunnel''' is a {{convert|2|mi|km|adj=mid}} [[Bored tunnel|bored]] double-decker highway tunnel carrying a section of [[Washington State Route 99|State Route 99]] (SR&nbsp;99) under [[Downtown Seattle]] from [[SoDo, Seattle|SoDo]] in the south to [[South Lake Union]] in the north.

Since the [[2001 Nisqually earthquake]], the replacement of the [[Alaskan Way Viaduct]] has been the source of much political controversy demonstrating the [[Seattle process]]. Options for replacing the viaduct, which carried 110,000 vehicles per day, included either replacing it with a [[cut-and-cover]] tunnel, replacing it with another elevated highway, or eliminating it while modifying other surface streets and public transportation. The current plan emerged in 2009 when government officials agreed to a deep-bore tunnel.

Construction began in July 2013 using "[[Bertha (tunnel boring machine)|Bertha]]", at the time the world's largest-diameter [[tunnel boring machine]]. After several delays, tunnel boring was completed in April 2017, and the tunnel opened to traffic on February 4, 2019.

=== Freeways in the metropolitan region ===
{{More citations needed|date=August 2014}}There are 21 different [[freeway]]s and highways that make up the Seattle freeway system. They are: [[Interstate 5]], [[Interstate 405 (Washington)|Interstate 405]], [[Interstate 90]], [[Interstate 705]], [[U.S. Route 2 in Washington|US 2]], [[Washington State Route 3|SR 3]], [[Washington State Route 16|SR 16]], [[Washington State Route 18|SR 18]], the [[Alaskan Way Viaduct]]/SR 99, [[Washington State Route 167|SR 167]], [[Washington State Route 303|SR 303]]/Waaga Way, [[Washington State Route 410|SR 410]], [[Washington State Route 509|SR 509]], [[Washington State Route 512|SR 512]], [[Washington State Route 518|SR 518]], [[Washington State Route 520|SR 520]], [[Washington State Route 525|SR 525]], [[Washington State Route 526|SR 526]], [[Washington State Route 599|SR 599]], the Port of Seattle owned Airport Expressway, and the City of Seattle owned [[West Seattle Freeway]]. Interstate 5 is the major north–south route through the region. Interstate 5 is four or five lanes for most of its way through the metro area. The freeway connects the metro area to California, Oregon, and British Columbia.

The freeway system uses [[ramp meters]] to help keep traffic moving. [[WSDOT]] uses [[variable message signs]] to let travelers know if there is an accident, to tell drivers how long their drive will be to certain areas, and for [[AMBER Alert|Amber Alerts]]. Recently, WSDOT installed [[Speed limit#Variable speed limits|variable speed signs]] along SR 520 and [[I-90]] between I-5 and I-405, and along I-5 between the West Seattle Freeway and SR 520. There are also [[HOV]] lanes to move [[bus]]es and [[carpools]] faster on many freeways and arterials. The HOV lanes on I-405 allow general purpose traffic to use them after 7pm (till about 5am), and the lanes on SR 167 are actually [[High-occupancy toll lane|HOT lanes]] (carpools may use the lanes free; solo drivers can use the lanes for a variable fee). There are 225 lane miles of HOV lanes built and another 100 unbuilt. Freeway improvements are paid for by two gas taxes, 2003 Gas Tax and 2005 Gas Tax.

==== Interstate 5 ====
This is Seattle's largest and widest freeway. Traffic back-ups going into Seattle from the north and south are very common during the morning and evening rush hours.
[[File:Seattle I-5 skyline dllu.jpg|thumb|right|Interstate 5 in [[Downtown Seattle]], seen from [[Beacon Hill, Seattle|Beacon Hill]]]]

[[Interstate 5 in Washington|Interstate 5]] runs just east of [[Downtown Tacoma]] as it goes through the metro area. After going through [[Federal Way]] and the west side of [[Kent, Washington|Kent]] it passes by a major shopping mall, [[Southcenter]] in [[Tukwila, Washington|Tukwila]], where it connects with the south terminus of Interstate 405. Then the freeway continues and passes by [[Seatac Airport|SeaTac International Airport]] in the inner southern suburbs of Seattle and passes very close to Boeing Field (also known as [[King County International Airport]]). As the freeway heads towards [[Downtown Seattle]], [[reversible lane]]s, or express lanes, branch off the mainline and continue north through the city. The express lanes carry southbound traffic in the morning and northbound traffic in the afternoon. The Express Lanes merge with the main line in the [[Northgate, Seattle|Northgate]] area of North Seattle. After that, I-5 continues north through the cities of [[Shoreline, WA|Shoreline]], [[Mountlake Terrace, Wa|Mountlake Terrace]], and [[Lynnwood, WA|Lynnwood]]. In Lynnwood it merges with Interstate 405 again. It continues north to the last large city in Seattle Metro area, [[Everett, WA|Everett]]. It was built in South Tacoma between 1955 and 1957, North Tacoma to Kent between 1959 and 1961, between Kent and downtown Seattle in 1966, from downtown Seattle to Roanoke Street in 1964, from Roanoke Street to Lake City Way/[[Washington State Route 522|SR 522]] in 1960, and north of there to [[Everett, WA|Everett]] in 1964.

==== Interstate 90 ====
[[Interstate 90 in Washington|Interstate 90]] goes east out of Seattle, eventually terminating in [[Boston]]. The freeway was originally built in 1940 from Rainier Avenue to [[Issaquah]]. It passes through the Eastside's largest city, [[Bellevue, Washington|Bellevue]], and skirts the north side of [[Factoria Mall]] in Bellevue, where it [[Interchange (road)|interchanges]] with the north–south Interstate 405. Then the freeway continues east and passes through [[Issaquah]], [[Snoqualmie, Washington|Snoqualmie]], and [[North Bend, Washington|North Bend]] before climbing into the [[Cascade Mountains]]. The freeway originally consisted of four lanes, and crossed the [[Lacey V. Murrow Floating Bridge]]. In the early 1950s, an interchange was built at Rainier Avenue and the highway extended 1 mile closer to Seattle's city centre along "Corwin Place". In the early 1960s, traffic congestion forced the Department of Highways to institute a tidal flow system, in which three lanes, controlled by overhead signals went into Seattle in the morning, and toward Bellevue in the afternoon. In 1968, improvements to the east of [[Mercer Island]] were made; the highway was widened to up to 6 lanes in each direction and the interchange with I-405 was upgraded from a cloverleaf to a fully directional interchange. Litigation kept the 7-mile section between Bellevue and [[Interstate 5]] from being upgraded until the 1980s, at which time a new bridge from the Eastside to [[Mercer Island]] was built and the dangerous "bulge" was removed from the [[Lacey V. Murrow Floating Bridge]]. In 1990, the renovations/widening of the freeway were completed, including the new [[Homer M. Hadley Memorial Bridge]] over Lake Washington to carry westbound traffic and the [[HOV]]/[[reversible lane]]s, or express lanes, from Bellevue to Seattle, with general-purpose traffic allowed to use the [[reversible lanes]] in between [[Mercer Island]] and Seattle. The express lanes carry westbound traffic in the morning and eastbound traffic in the afternoon. Further improvements are now being made to put [[HOV lanes]] in both outer roadways to ready the center roadway for Sound Transit's [[Link Light Rail|Link light rail]].

==== Interstate 405 ====
[[Interstate 405 (Washington)|Interstate 405]] begins in Tukwila at I-5, [[SR 518]], and [[Westfield Southcenter]], and continues east through Renton and then turns north and runs through Bellevue, Kirkland, and Bothell, before turning northwest and crossing I-5 in Lynnwood (near [[Alderwood Mall]]), where it becomes [[Washington State Route 525|SR 525]], a freeway for its first few miles. I-405 was built in stages between 1955 and 1968, with a major upgrade north of Bellevue to [[Bothell]] in 1972. [[HOV]] lanes were added in the 1980s and 1990s, the [[Interchange (road)|interchange]] between I-405 and SR 520 was upgraded in the early 1990s, and new ramps have been added in downtown Bellevue in recent years to supplement the original interchange at NE 8th Street.

==== SR 520 ====
[[Washington State Route 520|SR 520]] begins in Seattle at I-5 and continues east across [[Lake Washington]] on the [[Governor Albert D. Rosellini Bridge—Evergreen Point|Evergreen Point Bridge]] through Bellevue, interchanges with I-405, then turns northeast, passes the main [[Microsoft]] campus (which funded an overpass at NE 36th St and an interchange at NE 40th to supplement the existing interchange at NE 51st St), and terminates in [[Redmond, Washington|Redmond]] at [[Washington State Route 202|SR 202]]. The section between I-5 and Bellevue Way was opened in 1963, with the interchange at I-405 built in 1966. It was further extended to it current terminus between 1973 and 1982. [[WSDOT|The Washington State Department of Transportation]] is currently widening the freeway on the Eastside, modifying interchanges, and moving the HOV lanes to the inside of the roadway.

==== SR 167 ====
[[Washington State Route 167|SR 167]], also known as the Valley Freeway, begins in [[Renton, Washington|Renton]] at I-405 and continues south through [[Kent, Washington|Kent]], [[Auburn, Washington|Auburn]], where it interchanges with [[Washington State Route 410|SR 410]], Pacific, and Algona, then interchanges with SR 410, and currently terminates at [[Washington State Route 161|SR 161]]. The Valley Freeway was built in stages between 1964 and 1977, with a major upgrade of its southern end in 1986. [[WSDOT|The Washington State Department of Transportation]] is currently planning to extend the freeway to [[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]]. SR 167 has [[HOV]] lanes between [[Interstate 405 (Washington)|I-405]] and [[Washington State Route 18|SR 18]] which also allow single-passenger vehicles to use them for a variable fee, also known as [[High-occupancy toll lane|HOT lanes]].

==== SR 99/SR 599 ====
[[Washington State Route 99|SR 99]]/[[Washington State Route 599|SR 599]], parts of which are also known as West Marginal Way, begins in [[Tukwila, Washington|Tukwila]] at I-5 and continues north to the [[First Avenue South Bridge]], where it interchanges with [[Washington State Route 509|SR 509]], then continues as a surface street (East Marginal Way) for a few miles, then, adjacent to CenturyLink Field, becomes the [[Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement tunnel|SR 99 Tunnel]]. This tunnel passes under downtown Seattle and emerges in [[South Lake Union, Seattle|South Lake Union]] as Aurora Avenue, a divided expressway (partial control of access with interchanges) until Green Lake, where it becomes a surface street again. [[Washington State Route 599|SR 599]] was built in 1968, the freeway portion of SR 99 was built in 1956 as was the [[First Avenue South Bridge]] (a second structure was built next to the first in the early 1990s), and the Alaskan Way Viaduct was open in 1952, with an extension open in 1959, until its closure and demolition in 2019. North of that, Aurora Avenue was built in 1932, including the cantilever/truss [[George Washington Memorial Bridge]].

==== West Seattle Freeway ====
The [[West Seattle Freeway]] begins in [[Seattle]] at I-5 and continues west, where it interchanges with SR 99 and terminates at a signal at Fauntleroy Way SW and 35th Avenue SW. The West Seattle Freeway was built in 1941, and the high-level bridge opened in 1984 and the roadway was widened in 2012 between I-5 and SR 99.

==== Other freeways ====
Most of the other freeways in the Seattle area are two lanes in each direction and generally travel in a north–south direction, with the exceptions of [[U.S. Route 2 in Washington|US 2]], [[Washington State Route 410|SR 410]], [[Washington State Route 512|SR 512]], [[Washington State Route 518|SR 518]], [[Washington State Route 526|SR 526]], and [[Washington State Route 303|Waaga Way]]. [[Washington State Route 16|SR 16]] is signed east–west but it travels mostly north–south.

==Mass transit==
[[File:Sound Transit Express and King County Metro buses (14845443314).jpg|alt=|thumb|Seattle public buses at a base. Buses with the green-and-yellow livery and blue-and-yellow livery are [[King County Metro]] buses; the bus with the white-and-blue livery is a [[Sound Transit]] bus.]]
[[File:Link trains at University St station in 2010.jpg|thumb|left|[[1 Line (Sound Transit)|1&nbsp;Line]] light rail trains in the [[Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel]] at the [[University Street (Link station)|University Street Station]]]]
Two [[public transportation]] agencies serve the city of Seattle: King County [[King County Metro|Metro Transit]] and [[Sound Transit]].  Snohomish County's [[Community Transit]] also runs bus routes to Downtown Seattle and [[Northgate, Seattle|Northgate]].  Sound Transit is the regional transit authority, commissioned by voters in 1996 to build a system of [[light rail]], express buses, and [[commuter rail]] within the [[Seattle Metropolitan Area|Central Puget Sound area]]. The agency provides a number of regional [[Sound Transit Express|express bus]] routes connecting Seattle with neighboring [[suburbs]] and cities.  Metro Transit's system includes a [[Trolleybuses in Seattle|network of trolleybus routes]]

The [[Sounder commuter rail]] system consists of two lines, linking Seattle with [[Lakewood, Washington|Lakewood]] along its South Line and Seattle with [[Everett, Washington|Everett]] along its North Line. Several stations in intermediate cities along the lines are also served; the trains run primarily during peak hours in the peak direction.<ref name="RailwayAge">{{cite news |last=Alan |first=David Peter |date=May 15, 2024 |title=Sound Transit Opens 2 Line LRT |url=https://www.railwayage.com/passenger/light-rail/sound-transit-opens-2-line-lrt/ |work=[[Railway Age]] |url-access=limited |accessdate=May 26, 2024}}</ref>

The light rail system, called [[Link light rail]], includes the initial {{convert|15.7|mi|km|1|adj=on}} from downtown Seattle to [[Seattle–Tacoma International Airport|Sea-Tac Airport]], which began service in 2009. Extension to the University of Washington via the [[University Link tunnel]] and [[Angle Lake station]] began service in 2016; they were followed by the [[Northgate Link tunnel|Northgate Link Extension]] in 2021. It was named the [[1 Line (Sound Transit)|1&nbsp;Line]] and will be joined by other lines in future extensions approved by voters in 2008 and 2016; a second line, the [[2 Line (Sound Transit)|2&nbsp;Line]], opened in 2024 to serve the Eastside and is planned to be extended into Seattle in 2025.<ref name="RailwayAge"/> Further light rail extensions are planned to connect to [[Lynnwood, Washington|Lynnwood]] and other areas to the north; east across [[Lake Washington]] to [[Bellevue, Washington|Bellevue]] and [[Redmond, Washington|Redmond]]; and south to [[Federal Way, Washington|Federal Way]]. The [[Sound Transit 3]] ballot measure, passed in 2016, will further expand the system both regionally and within the city, with service to [[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]], [[Everett, Washington|Everett]], [[Issaquah, Washington|Issaquah]], south [[Kirkland, Washington|Kirkland]], and to the neighborhoods [[Ballard, Seattle|Ballard]] and [[West Seattle]].

[[File:ORCAreaders.png|thumb|left|upright|ORCA readers at the Chinatown-International District station]]
The [[Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel]] is a 1.3-mile tunnel under [[Downtown Seattle|downtown]] built in 1987 and opened in 1990, to relieve bus congestion along surface streets. Originally served by [[dual-mode bus]]es that operated electrically within it, the tunnel was retrofitted from 2005 to 2007 to accommodate light rail, and in 2009, Link light rail trains began serving tunnel stations as part of the initial Central Link segment. All tunnel bus routes were rerouted to surface streets in 2019 to make way for the demolition of [[Convention Place station|Convention Place Station]], making the tunnel an exclusive subway for Link trains within the city core.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://kingcounty.gov/depts/transportation/metro/travel-options/bus/transit-tunnel.aspx|title=Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel|date=March 23, 2019|access-date=July 14, 2019}}</ref> Above the tunnel, 3rd Avenue through downtown serves as a major bus arterial, with access restricted to buses only during peak commuting hours.<ref>{{cite news | title=Third Avenue to stay bus-only during rush hour after tunnel reopens | first=Susan | last=Gilmore | newspaper=[[The Seattle Times]] | date=July 27, 2007 | url=http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/third-avenue-to-stay-bus-only-during-rush-hour-after-tunnel-reopens/ | access-date=April 23, 2017}}</ref>

The city is currently in the process of expanding a modern [[streetcar]] network. In December 2007, the city inaugurated its [[South Lake Union Streetcar]] line between [[Westlake Center]] and stops in the [[South Lake Union, Seattle|South Lake Union]] neighborhood.  In 2009, the Seattle city council approved a second line, the [[First Hill Streetcar]], to connect [[First Hill, Seattle|First Hill]] to Link light rail at Capitol Hill and International District/Chinatown stations. The line began service in 2016 after two years of delays.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/seattles-first-hill-streetcar-to-open-saturday-with-free-rides/ |title=Seattle's First Hill Streetcar to open Saturday with free rides |first=Mike |last=Lindblom |newspaper=[[Seattle Times]] |date=January 22, 2016 |access-date=April 21, 2017}}</ref>  Metro Transit also operated a historic [[Waterfront Streetcar]] line that ran along [[Alaskan Way]], but the streetcar's maintenance barn was demolished to make room for the [[Olympic Sculpture Park]], resulting in the subsequent closure of the line. King County Metro now operates a replacement bus line that mirrors the route.{{Citation needed|date=May 2012}} The proposed City Center Connector project would connect the South Lake Union and First Hill streetcars into a single line with a routing along 1st Avenue in [[Downtown Seattle]].

In 2009, the [[ORCA card]] was introduced as a new way for fare payment between the seven transit agencies in the Puget Sound region.  The card uses [[RFID]] technology to handle payment from either passes, vouchers, or the E-purse, a stored value debit account. ORCA's precursor, PugetPass, will be retained as one of the several passes that can be loaded automatically onto the card.  The system also calculates transfers for a two-hour window for those paying with the E-purse.{{cn|date=October 2022}} Since 2022, all transit agencies in the Puget Sound area have waived fares for passengers under the age of 18 as part of a statewide program.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kroman |first=David |date=September 1, 2022 |title=Free transit starts today for most youths across WA |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/free-transit-starts-today-for-most-youths-across-wa/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=October 31, 2022}}</ref>

[[File:Seattle Center Monorail.jpg|thumb|[[Seattle Center Monorail]]]]
The [[Seattle Center Monorail]], constructed for the [[Century 21 Exposition]], runs approximately {{convert|1|mi|km}} between [[Seattle Center]] in [[Lower Queen Anne]] and [[Westlake Center]] in [[Downtown, Seattle|Downtown]].

Local transit agencies offer trip planners on their web sites that provides information for public transit in Seattle and surrounding areas (King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties). Riders enter their intended origin and destination, along with optional time, date, and other information, and the trip planner displays itineraries showing the stops, departure and arrival times, and times to get from the origin to the destination. Trip planning, schedules, and real-time arrivals are also available on third-party maps, such as [[Google Maps]], and through dedicated apps such as OneBusAway.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=October 12, 2011 |title=One Bus Away: Popular app gets a boost |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/one-bus-away-popular-app-gets-a-boost/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=October 31, 2022}}</ref> [[BoltBus]] began offering Seattle's first [[curbside bus|curbside]] [[Coach (scheduled transport)|intercity coach]] service in May 2012, with Portland as its first destination.<ref>{{cite news| title=Low-cost bus line to Portland on track to compete against Amtrak | url= http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/text/2018156412.html | date= May 7, 2012 | newspaper= Seattle Times | first=Mike|last= Lindblom |access-date=May 8, 2012}}</ref> The service later expanded with stops in Everett and Tacoma, but was discontinued by parent company Greyhound in 2021.<ref>{{cite news |last=Podsada |first=Janice |date=March 8, 2019 |title=BoltBus links Everett to Seattle and other big I-5 cities |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/discount-bus-service-launches-from-everett-station/ |work=The Evertet Herald |accessdate=October 31, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Kiley |first=Brendan |date=July 1, 2021 |title=BoltBus, the affordable, trendy bus company has discontinued service; Greyhound will take over its routes |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/life/travel/rip-boltbus-the-affordable-trendy-bus-company-has-discontinued-service-and-greyhound-will-take-over-its-routes/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=October 31, 2022}}</ref>

===Public transportation statistics===

The Seattle metropolitan area has historically had robust ridership for a predominantly bus-based transit system. It was one of the few major transit systems to gain ridership in the 2010s, in a period of increased [[Ridesharing company|ride-hailing services]] and lower gas prices. Only 10% of King County Metro riders rely on the agency for all or most of their trips and do not have access to a vehicle.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2018-05-11 |title=Why Seattle Is America's Bus-Lovingest Town |language=en |work=Bloomberg.com |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-05-11/seattle-has-a-4-step-plan-to-building-bus-ridership |access-date=2023-02-15}}</ref> As of 2016, 48% of all trips to downtown were on transit.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Blog |first=SDOT |date=2018-01-03 |title=A closer look at Seattle's rising transit ridership |url=https://sdotblog.seattle.gov/2018/01/03/a-closer-look-at-seattles-rising-transit-ridership/ |access-date=2023-02-15 |website=SDOT Blog |language=en-US}}</ref> Following the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], transit use by downtown commuters declined by 55&nbsp;percent and was largely replaced by [[remote work]] according to 2022 statistics from the [[American Community Survey]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Balk |first=Gene |date=November 16, 2023 |title=As remote work soared in Seattle, this commute mode fell the most |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/data/as-remote-work-soared-in-seattle-this-commute-mode-fell-the-most/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=January 25, 2024}}</ref>

According to [[Moovit]], the average amount of time Seattle-area commuters spend using public transit on a weekday is 74 minutes. 27% of public transit riders commute for more than two hours every day. The average amount of time people wait at a stop or station for public transit is 14 minutes, while 22% of riders wait for over 20 minutes on average every day. The average distance people usually ride in a single trip with public transit is 12.5&nbsp;km, while 34% travel for over 12&nbsp;km in a single direction.<ref>{{cite web|title=Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue, WA Public Transportation Statistics|publisher= Global Public Transit Index by Moovit|url=https://moovitapp.com/insights/en/Moovit_Insights_Public_Transit_Index_USA_Seattle_Tacoma_Bellevue_WA-522|access-date=June 19, 2017}} [[File:CC-BY icon.svg|50px]] Material was copied from this source, which is available under a [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License].</ref>

==Bicycles and scooters==

There are extensive multi-use car-free regional pathways linking the city and county to the surrounding areas, including the [[King County Regional Trails System]], which has {{convert|175|mi|km}} of trails throughout the county.<ref>{{cite press release |date=February 28, 2014 |title=Give us your best shot: King County Parks wants trail photos for new regional trail map |url=http://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/dnrp/newsroom/newsreleases/2014/February/02-28-trail-photo-contest.aspx |publisher=Department of Natural Resources and Parks |access-date=September 15, 2015}}</ref> Many of the trails were [[rail trail|converted from former railways]], including the popular [[Burke–Gilman Trail]]. The [[Seattle Department of Transportation]] aims to develop a {{convert|608.3|mi|km|adj=mid}} network of [[bike lanes]], including lanes on streets, [[protected bike lane]]s, and trails, within the city by 2034.<ref name="SDOT-BMP2014">{{cite report |date=March 21, 2014 |title=Seattle Bicycle Master Plan, April 2014 |url=http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/docs/bmp/apr14/SBMP_21March_FINAL_full%20doc.pdf |publisher=[[Seattle Department of Transportation]] |page=iii |access-date=September 15, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140624014758/http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/docs/bmp/apr14/SBMP_21March_FINAL_full%20doc.pdf |archive-date=June 24, 2014 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> The city opened its first [[protected intersection]] in May 2024 at Dexter Avenue and Thomas Street in [[South Lake Union, Seattle|South Lake Union]], which was used by a daily average of 680&nbsp;cyclists in October 2023.<ref>{{cite news |last=Deshais |first=Nicholas |date=May 20, 2024 |title=Seattle goes Dutch with a new bicycle intersection |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/seattle-goes-dutch-with-a-new-bicycle-intersection/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=May 20, 2024}}</ref>

An urban [[bike sharing]] system, named [[Pronto Cycle Share]], was launched in October 2014 and discontinued in March 2017.<ref>{{cite news |last=Trujillo |first=Joshua |date=October 13, 2014 |title=Seattle bike share kicks off |url=http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Pronto-Cycle-Share-kicks-off-in-Seattle-5820154.php |newspaper=Seattle Post-Intelligencer |publisher=Hearst Corporation |access-date=September 15, 2015}}</ref> A pilot program allowing private dockless bike sharing companies to operate within the city began in July 2017, making Seattle the first major city in North America to feature such a system.<ref>{{cite web|title=Free-Floating Bike Share|url=http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/projects-and-programs/programs/bike-program/bike-share|website=Seattle.gov|publisher=Seattle Department of Transportation|access-date=March 9, 2018}}</ref> Several private operators debuted with bicycles and later expanded to [[motorized scooter]]s after they were approved by the city government in 2020. {{As of|2022}}, the city permits four companies ([[Bird (transportation company)|Bird]], [[Lime (transportation company)|Lime]], [[Link (transportation company)|Link]], and [[Veo (company)|Veo]]) to deploy up to 12,500 vehicles. In 2022, SDOT recorded 1.1&nbsp;million bicycle trips and 2.7&nbsp;million scooter trips on these systems.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kroman |first=David |date=June 17, 2023 |title=Seattle scooter, bicycle rentals ride to record levels |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/seattle-scooter-bicycle-rentals-ride-to-record-levels/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=June 21, 2023}}</ref>

== Airports ==
[[File:Boeing Field and Seattle–Tacoma International Airport from Columbia Center, 2022.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of [[Boeing Field]] (left, foreground) and [[Seattle–Tacoma International Airport]] (right, background) from Downtown Seattle]]
[[Image:Kenmore Air Lake Union.jpg|thumb|[[Kenmore Air]] [[de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter|DHC-3 Otter]] on [[Lake Union]] ([[Kenmore Air Harbor Seaplane Base]])]]

The Seattle metropolitan area has several airports that support commercial use as well as general aviation. The city's primary commercial airport is [[Seattle–Tacoma International Airport]], locally known as Sea-Tac Airport and located in the city of [[SeaTac, Washington|SeaTac]], which is named for the airport. It is operated by the [[Port of Seattle]] and is served by a number of airlines connecting the region with international, national, and domestic destinations.<ref name="Met-Airports2023">{{cite news |last=Williams |first=Allison |date=January 23, 2023 |title=Every Nonstop Flight from Seattle's Sea-Tac Airport and More |url=https://www.seattlemet.com/travel-and-outdoors/nonstop-direct-flights-from-sea-seattle-tacoma-international-airport |work=Seattle Met |accessdate=February 5, 2023}}</ref> The airport is a major hub for [[Delta Air Lines]] as well as [[Alaska Airlines]] and its regional subsidiary, [[Horizon Air]].

[[Paine Field]] in Everett also began operating flights in March 2019 following the construction of a two-gate passenger terminal. It receives a limited number of daily flights from Alaska Airlines; prior to 2021, it also had [[United Airlines]] service.<ref>{{cite news |last=Podsada |first=Janice |date=April 14, 2022 |title='Our place to grow': Alaska to resume full service in Everett |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/business/our-place-to-grow-alaska-to-resume-full-service-in-everett/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=September 29, 2022}}</ref>

Closer to downtown, [[Boeing Field]] is primarily used for general aviation, cargo flights, and testing/delivery of Boeing airliners. In 2005, [[Southwest Airlines]] requested permission to move passenger operations from Sea-Tac to Boeing Field but were rejected by the county.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.seattlepi.com/local/244262_southwest12.html | title=Plan won't fly: Sims kills Southwest's Boeing Field hopes | author=Jennifer Langston |author2=Gordy Holt  | newspaper=Seattle Post-Intelligencer | date=October 12, 2005 | access-date=October 19, 2007}}</ref> Boeing Field has commercial flights to the [[San Juan Islands]]. The [[Kenmore Air Harbor Seaplane Base]] on [[Lake Union]], immediately north of downtown, is used by two airlines that operate [[floatplane]]s to the San Juan Islands and British Columbia.<ref name="Met-Airports2023"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Gates |first=Dominic |date=September 11, 2022 |title=Seaplanes are a Seattle icon. Their pilots are mystified by tragic crash |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/business/boeing-aerospace/seaplanes-are-a-seattle-icon-their-pilots-are-mystified-by-tragic-crash/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=January 26, 2024}}</ref>

===Proposed airports===

The state government formed the Commercial Aviation Coordinating Commission (CACC) in 2019 to investigate sites for a new commercial airport that would serve the Puget Sound region and relieve pressure at Sea-Tac.<ref name="TNT-Airport22">{{cite news |last=Johnson |first=Shea |date=September 26, 2022 |title=Why prospects that Pierce, Thurston could be home to new 2-runway airport just improved |url=https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article266244611.html |work=The News Tribune |accessdate=September 29, 2022}}</ref> The new airport would accommodate 20 million passengers annually by 2050 and have two runways.<ref>{{cite news |last=Johnson |first=Shea |date=October 12, 2022 |title=Pierce County leaders want 2 rural sites scrapped from new airport short list. Here's why |url=https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article267222312.html |work=The News Tribune |url-access=registration |archive-url=https://archive.today/20221013195940/https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article267222312.html |archive-date=October 13, 2022 |accessdate=October 27, 2022}}</ref> The plan assumes that Sea-Tac and Paine Field would be expanded to handle 67&nbsp;million annual passengers, which would fall below the projected 94&nbsp;million annual passengers using Seattle-area airports.<ref>{{cite news |last=Gates |first=Dominic |date=November 13, 2022 |title=Seattle needs a new Sea-Tac-sized airport. No one wants it near them. |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/business/boeing-aerospace/seattle-needs-a-new-sea-tac-sized-airport-no-one-wants-it-near-them/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=November 13, 2022}}</ref>

In September 2022, the commission identified expansion of Paine Field or the construction of a new airport in southern Pierce County or northern [[Thurston County, Washington|Thurston County]] as potential options.<ref name="TNT-Airport22"/> The wider field of 10 candidates also included options in Kitsap, Skagit, and Snohomish counties.<ref>{{cite news |last=Muncy |first=Racquel |date=September 23, 2022 |title=Skagit County no longer being considered for a commercial airport |url=https://www.goskagit.com/townnews/agriculture/skagit-county-no-longer-being-considered-for-a-commercial-aiport/article_69b53b3e-3b6a-11ed-bed2-1787f77d2edf.html |work=[[Skagit Valley Herald]] |accessdate=September 29, 2022}}</ref> Opposition to the Pierce County and Thurston County sites formed following the September 2022 announcement, citing potential noise and traffic impacts. The CACC was planned to recommend a site to the state legislature by June 2023.<ref>{{cite news |last=Johnson |first=Shea |date=October 22, 2022 |title=A commercial airport in East Pierce County? These people are mobilizing to fight it |url=https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article267275897.html |work=The News Tribune |accessdate=October 27, 2022}}</ref> The commission was dissolved by the legislature in May 2023 due to public backlash and is planned to be replaced by a new working group that would monitor and review statewide aviation needs on an annual basis.<ref>{{cite news |last=Gates |first=Dominic |date=May 15, 2023 |title=WA lawmakers kick hunt for major airport site far into the future |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/business/boeing-aerospace/wa-lawmakers-kick-hunt-for-major-airport-site-far-into-the-future/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=May 15, 2023}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Lake Washington steamboats and ferries]]
*[[Street layout of Seattle]]
* {{seclink|Plug-in electric vehicles in Washington (state)#Seattle}}

==Bibliography==
*{{Cite document
 | last1 =Peterson | first1 =Lorin
 | last2 =Davenport | first2 =Noah C.
 | year =1950
 | title =Living in Seattle
 | place =Seattle
 | publisher = Seattle Public Schools
 }}
*{{Cite document
 | last =Newell | first =Gordon
 | year =1956
 | title =Totem Tales of Old Seattle
 | place =Seattle
 | publisher =Superior Publishing Company
 }}

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Transport in Seattle}}
{{Commons category|Streets in Seattle}}
*[https://www.seattle.gov/transportation/getting-around Getting Around Seattle] from [[Seattle Department of Transportation]]
*[https://wsdot.wa.gov/ Washington State Department of Transportation]

{{SeattleWA}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Transportation In Seattle}}
[[Category:Transportation in Seattle| ]]
[[Category:Transportation in the United States by city|Seattle, Washington]]