Seattle, the future is now. If you’ve spent more than 6 minutes in the city, you’ve discovered that it is impossible to get easily in and out of the North East quadrant of the city. Fortunately, for the last week this commute impossibility has been efficiently squandered with the opening of the University of Washington light rail station.

lightrail

You can now get to downtown from the university district in 8 minutes. I can’t get down my block in 5 minutes, let alone across several neighborhoods in less than 10. This is a Game Changer. By connecting the three most highly driven neighborhoods in the city by ultra-efficient, convenient, and outright futuristic transit options you feel huge pressure lifted from the city and the roads.

Interested in incorporating the light rail into your daily commute? It is definitely possible, and might be a better option than your current commute. For example, I can grab an express bus downtown but it will take me 45 minutes to make the journey, even on the expressway. If I take a 15 minute bus to the light rail, I can then hope on the new 8 minute ride downtown. Consider your options with park and rides, transfers, and new routes- some creative thinking may save you a considerable amount of time. Check out your options and plan your trip here.

With the idea of better access and less time in traffic- what would this mean for career possibilities? With more efficient transit options you can more realistically consider areas of the city you may not have considered before (i.e.: the south sound is now open to the U District with a combination of the Sounder Train and light rail).

We’re now on the line for a 5 year wait until the Northgate light rail extension is scheduled to open and another 2 on top of that to see the light rail hit ground on the East side. However, this is a glimpse into the future- Seattle’s response to the rapid growth our city has been experiencing. This station has already had to add to the number of trains running due to the incredible response from riders.