Over at Crosscut, an otherwise interesting article by Peter Lewis on travel to Seattle’s airport is blemished by this bizarre claim:
A check of Metro Transit’s bus service to Sea-Tac shows fares at less than $3 from central Seattle, but those routes generally involve transfers and take an hour or more.
Well, not exactly. From downtown Seattle, the bus is by far the cheapest option to SeaTac. And it’s nearly as fast as a cab.
I give you… the 194.
Behold its radiant glory.
Depending on the time of day, the 194 picks up travelers in the downtown every 15 or 30 minutes and arrives at SeaTac in 30 minutes. (Between those departures, the 174 also leaves from downtown, but it takes 45 minutes to arrive at the airport.) With the recent fare hike for Metro buses, the 194 costs exactly $1.75 during peak periods and $1.50 during off-peak periods. Better yet, the 194 is mostly immune to congestion because it travels via the bus tunnel through downtown, the bus-only express lanes through SoDo, and then the HOV lanes on I-5. From downtown, the 194 requires no transfers. (Neither does the 174.)
Without any fanfare, the 194 operates very much as a low-tech version of bus rapid transit. That is to say: it’s often over-crowded and slightly smelly, and yet it’s also very inexpensive, reliable, and frequent. It takes good advantage of dedicated lanes and better loading platforms, and yet it’s also wildly imperfect and crammed with the suitcases of clueless travelers. But lest ye carp too much about taking the bus to the airport, please remember what our options are. Airport parking is either pricey (if on-site) or inconvenient (if off-site). Airport shuttles are expensive, require advance planning, and are often crowded and slow. And taxis are expensive and prone to not showing up on time.
The bus is the better option hands-down. And it’s amazing to me that our excellent airport bus service is overlooked and ignored by pretty much everyone who talks about airport travel connections. That’s not helpful.
Update below the jump.
Update 11:20 a.m.: Without notation, Crosscut has updated the questionable passage to read:
A check of Metro Transit’s bus service to Sea-Tac shows fares at less than $3 from central Seattle neighborhoods, but those routes generally involve transfers and take an hour or more. From downtown Seattle, the bus fare is $1.50 and takes 45 minutes or less.
At the risk of sounding grouchy, this update is still a bit misleading. No transfers are required from the central Seattle neighborhoods of downtown, Pioneer Square, SoDo, and possibly Belltown, as well as some nearby areas. And even doing a transfer and leaving from, say, the University District (the 70s), Greenwood or Fremont (the 5, 5 Express, or 358) shouldn’t take an hour. Also, fares are indeed “less than $3”—they’re $1.75 during rush hour and $1.50 at other times—and they’re always the same from city neighborhoods as they are from downtown. Transfers are always free.
I’ve gotta say, I’m surprised that the bus is such foreign territory.
Update 9/12, 2:10: Ha. I think I’m so smart, but the correct fare is actually $2.25 from downtown to the airport during peak hours; it’s $1.50 for most of the day. Apparently, the trip is a “two zone” trip, as shown on this service map (huge pdf). Hat tip to commenter leero, below.
In my defense, I’m pleading ignorance because I have an annual bus pass: I just swipe it and ride wherever and whenever I like.
Matt the Engineer
Despite a few bad experiences (even the HOV lane can become quite slow during commute hours), I almost always use the bus to get to the airport. Working downtown already, I just schedule flights after work. I bring my suitcase with me on the bus in the morning, and walk down to the bus tunnel after work. Once Link is complete, it will add reliability to this already easy airport connection.
Alan Durning
Eric, I too have a major bus-crush on the 194. I get an immoderate amount of joy from getting to the airport in an express vehicle for free (with my annual bus pass). And I’ve NEVER found the 194 smelly. (That would be the 49 or 44.)In fact, the only route with which I am equally enamored is the 358. Ahh! Heart palpitations. 😉
Clark Williams-Derry
I have a bit of a crush on the 64. Don’t tell my wife.
Jessica
And don’t forget the comparable (and comparably numbered) 574 that runs from the Tacoma Dome to SeaTac. Technically it’s route starts in Lakewood. The 560 also passes through SeaTac on its way from the Alaska Junction in West Seattle to the Bellevue Transit Center.
Pamela Zevit
As a visitor travelling to Sea Tac from Vancouver I have always used ground transportation. The 194 was one of two bus routes I could hop on from the Amtrak Station DT Seattle and get right to the airport. The versions I got both ways (coming to Seattle and going back to Vancouver) were articulted buses, and while loaded with folks going to work, I had no problem getting a seat – even with baggage – and all for the whopping cost of $1.25! Meanwhile here in BC,it would take about 1.5 hrs via public transit to get from my place in the burbs to the airport, and cost $5.00 each way (unless its on a weekend or after 5:30pm). While our elevated light rail line from DT to Richmond (where the airport is) will be ready in 2009, I am told aside from the three zone weekday fair I will have to pay, there will be some sort of additional surcharge if I am taking the line to use the airport. All I can say is we are way behind here and Seattle you should be proud of what you have to offer!
Barry
Back when I was willing to emit years worth of GHG on a flying vacation, I too took the city bus to the airport. Great service, great price. Hard with lots of luggage, but doable.The only problem with the 194 is that it takes people to the airport instead of the bus or train station.
Bill Bradburd
IT’S 25 MINUTES TO THE AIRPORT ON THAT ROUTE! (ok, maybe delays if congestion).194 ROCKS!
leero
I just took the 194 to the airport for the first time Wednesday (I went for the last public tour of the third runway – I was there the same day as the first test landing)The bus was great – but it was $2.25. I was confused by this (it was 2 zones? From Pioneer Square?) but it was still a bargain. I took the 174 on the way back – its slower, but still a very convenient ride…
8string
Yes, when I lived in Greenlake area, if I didn’t have lots of luggage, I would hop on the 26 outside my house, transfer at the King Street Station and get to the airport within an hour of leaving my house. I always wondered why they didn’t expand this service and advertise it. Very cheap, I was never hassled, and it worked as advertised. I think that this is just more of how the powers that be focus on high priced light rail systems that take forever to build, and will charge us much more. Are they going to discontinue this bus when the light rail finally runs?
Nicholas Barnard
My inside info says metro is looking at canning the 194 when central link starts, basically the service hours can be used elsewhere, and there is no point to duplicate the service.
jcdk
I’ve never been able to take the 194. It simply doesn’t run late enough. It ends at around 9pm on weekdays and I think 6:30pm or so on weekends. Both times I tried, I noticed a heck of a lot of people disappointed that they really had no quick way into town, especially at night when the milk run of the 174 takes forever and goes through some eerily quiet areas. I’m looking forward to Link.
Matt Leber
AirBART, which connects you to BART in Oakland, is $3 one-way. That is just for a short trip between Oakland airport and the Coliseum BART station. It’s more costly than the 194, but it sure was nice not having to pack onto a crowded bus with luggage. My wife and I just returned from Oakland yesterday and just missed our 560 to Bellevue by a couple of minutes. Since the 560 runs every hour on the weekend, taking the next 194 and transferring to the 550 in Seattle, would have brought us home faster. However, we opted to wait for the next 560 when we saw the packed 194.
Ardith Klein
How far is it from the train depot to a bus stop going to Sea Tac, and how far is it? Walking distance for a senior?
Eric Hess
If the bus tunnels are open (Weekdays during the day), I believe there’s a stop just underneath the trains station. If the tunnels aren’t, the stop is about a block away. Easily walkable!
barry
I’m confused why the bus to the airport is even a topic on Sightline. It has zero impact on “sustainability” whether people take the bus or drive a Hummer to the airport. It’s like saying it is more sustainable to light your house on fire using 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper vs. new paper. Take a simple example of travelling to Los Angeles area. The 194 will emit somewhere between 0 – 50 pounds more CO2 per person than driving a car or taxi. The flight to Los Angeles will emit somewhere between 1000 – 2000 lbs more ghg than taking the train, driving with 2 people in average car or taking a bus. Per person. A family of four will emit 4 tons more ghg flying to LA than driving in a Prius together or taking the bus. The 194 savings, if any, are trivial to the point of irrelevant.Taking a bus daily to work. Great. Taking a bus instead of a plane? Great. Bus to airport is Marie Antoinette territory.
Acura Parts
Commuting wouldn’t be harsh anymore. Everytime I’m on the way home, everything was just hassle.. crowds are getting bigger everyday. Certainly, that bus is not just an ordinary one, it’s great.
Payton
Although I’m a too-frequent flyer, Barry, I’ve gone to the airport (and area) for many reasons other than for flights. Here in Chicago, O’Hare rivals the downtown bus and train terminals as an intercity bus depot; it’s the easiest place to catch a bus to Madison or Rockford, for instance. Many hotels, conference centers, and other businesses cluster around airports, and good transit service can help to cluster those into more transit-oriented Edge Cities. (Portland appears to be trying this at Cascade Station.) The airport usually has the latest-open FedEx counter in town. Many thousands of people work at airports; they’re actually the largest single market for airport transit.Also, um, some somewhat ironic spam has intruded on the blog. Don’t worry, I get the same stuff on mine.
Matthew
Well it’s unlike me to comment on buses or bus connections, but in a few days I am traveling back to Europe for 2 weeks. How do I get to the airport at 5:30am do you ask? Do I take a taxi, towncar, the Shuttle express or have somebody drop me off? No….as I have for 7-8 years…I take the 194. If you leave from donwtown and don’t have a million bags to schlepp with you, there really is no need to take anything other than the 194.
Elizabeth
I love the bus route 194 is much faster that the light rail and also cheeper is a great option for transportation I live in Seatac and this transport option is the best I really like it as a lot .
Mary Cooper
Do you have any ideas on how I can get from SeaTAc to Bellvue at some reasonable price?
Mike Perry
Be advised that Route 194 is no more. It seems to have been replaced by 124, which goes to the airport’s train station rather than that handy spot near the luggage area at the airport. That means a bit more walking. Here’s the schedule.
http://metro.kingcounty.gov/schedules/124/s0.html
You can catch it downtown at 3rd and Pike from 4:59 am on.
Also, be advised that Metro’s route locator seems to tilt heavily toward light rail for those going to the airport. That probably doubles the cost.
This gives the various Metro routes to and from SeaTac.
http://metro.kingcounty.gov/tops/bus/destinations/flymetro.html