seattle-portland

[tielan]

Are either of these cities very public-transport friendly? Seattle seems to be, but I know that "seems to be" is not the same as "actually is".

At this point, I don't necessarily need 'accessible' but it's good to know. Also I am (perhaps foolishly) not particularly concerned by 'safeness'. Safety, yes; safeness, no.

Comments

[raine]

Seattle has a robust public transit system; you can get pretty much anywhere using an interlinked bus/light rail/ferry pass called ORCA. Passes can be purchased in advance or you can download the ORCA app and buy passes that way. Routes can be planned online, either using the ORCA website, Google maps, or https://onebusaway.org.

That said: all the public transit options are ADA compliant but the drivers are sometimes super impatient about dealing with people who need help. Also, Seattle is a city of hills, sometimes steep ones. The city founders bulldozed and reshaped the land to make it so that they could slide lumber downhill to the port. There are paths through the city that are more accessible than others but I can't vouch for how safe it is (or if those buildings are open) because I haven't personally walked that way in >2 years. You're probably better off figuring out where you're going, getting an Uber or Lyft to your destination, and conserving your energy for exploring your destination.

[tielan]

Thanks for the ORCA link!

We'll see how it goes when I get there - the main things I'd like to do is meet with people and watch a hockey game. :)

[raine]

You're welcome! I live north of the city but work downtown one day a week - would love to meet up if it works out!