Editor,
Last week, a group of Whidbey walking friends made a trip to Seattle, using all modes of public transportation. We caught the 9 a.m. ferry, then climbed aboard Community Transit bus #117 waiting at the bus stop below the ferry terminal, which was $1.25 each (senior rate). The bus took us to the Lynnwood Transit Center (passing right by Alderwood Mall), where we got on the Link train, costing $2.00 each (senior rate), arriving downtown Seattle at 10:30 am. Had we stayed on the Link, we could have traveled all the way to Seatac for the same fare.
Coming back, we were able to use the same Link ticket (which is good for 24 hours), paid $1.25 for the bus to Mukilteo, then paid $3.00 (senior rate) for our walk-on ferry ticket to return to Whidbey.
So, for a total cost of $7.50, we spent the day enjoying the sights of downtown Seattle without the hassle of dealing with traffic. For another $2.00, a person can travel to the airport one day, returning another day, since another Link ticket would need to be purchased for the return trip to Lynnwood.
To summarize, if you have the time and the stamina to do this trip, for under $10 you can travel to and from Alderwood Mall, downtown Seattle or Seatac airport and feel great about “being green.” Best of all, we all felt quite smug whizzing by the stop-and-go traffic on Interstate 5 as we rode alongside the highway on the Link!
Eileen Harper
Clinton