By Tim Robinson

As much as we mocked the light rail system 17 years ago, when trains began rolling up at Tukwila Station in 2009, we confess Sound Transit got some things right. It works. It wasn't always so. From the ideas in the 70s and 80s, the people in charge were trying to figure out how to build it and where it would go. It had to be user friendly. It was a very slow start.

In those days, as we motored up 518 near the airport, we were not the only automobile in the fast lane mentally admonishing transit folks for the high cost of operations. They annually reported..something like $13 per rider, per trip. Not many folks were visible through the large windows on those linked units. Absurd, costly and huge taxpayer funded waste. 

We were wrong.

It took a few years. We rode for the first time around 2012, almost three years before we trusted it to get us to town. It was fairly empty. Cars were dirty in places.There were food wrappers, empty cans and the occasional inebriate or possibly a drugged out person, slouched in a corner seat. This was more apt to be seen on a late evening trip. But things improved. 

The folks in charge had a vision and for the most part, that vision was correct. Light rail is great, if you need to get from Federal Way to Lynnwood most anytime of day and costs $3. Just a buck if you are a senior. Kids under 18 ride free. Light rail is great, if you want to go to a theatre event in town or the stadiums or the UW. Beware, on game days, it will be very crowded but again, that's okay. Seating is not cushy but it is there, along with plenty of grab bars and ceiling straps. Sound Transit said nearly 200 people can fit into one four-car train, sitting and standing. We do not want to imagine that. 

Getting on at Federal Way, on a Monday afternoon, has some clear advantages. Very few riders heading north. Our car was mostly empty, as were the other three cars on the loading platform. There was an anxious moment as the electronic doors slid open to green flashing side lights.

Those same lights turned a warning gold moments later, suggesting the doors were closing and we'd better step forward to find a seat. We had our choice of two of 70 seats. We sat. The system is on a schedule that teaches riders to move quickly. One surprise, after using our ORCA cards at the small ticket kiosks at each station--There were no ticket checkers on board. Could we ride free? Some probably did.

On the cars there are LED backlit displays showing current travel status and upcoming stations. Public address speakers provide regular updates about arrivals. The audio can be a challenge to hear clearly, so listening is paramount if you are new to the light rail.

It is also loud. Not just with people talking but large air exchange fans pull/push air from the ceiling of the cars that are combined with the symphony of the rails and what must be rumble strips on the line. Maybe those strips are there to warn the attendant driver, whose role is to witness the upcoming station and make certain the braking system slows the train cars down as they enter the loading platforms. The views, if you have a window seat, can be hypnotizing. Cars on Highway 99 or I-5 move briskly alongside and not that far from your seat at times. Looking over at I-5 you are at speed for most of the traffic. Train cars traveling in the opposite direction give one a dizzying feeling as the differential of two 55 mph trains pass each other. 

LIke we expected, our train filled up as we got closer to the airport and was mostly full all the way to the U-District. 

Near town you are adjacent to much of the vehicle traffic from Othello Station to Mt. Baker, sometimes waiting for traffic like every other car or pedestrian. Folks get on and off at each 1 minute stop along the line. It is efficient and mostly seamless. Cold air does rush into the heated units like a winter breeze but blends quickly once the automatic doors close. One minor negative. You cannot stick your arm out the window and you would not want to. The narrow walls of the Mt. Baker tunnels leave no room for that or even your pooch, licking the air like he does in your SUV. The walls are so close in there it can make you feel like the train is moving faster. It isn't.

In town and the U-district, the access to the light rail is fairly deep underground. A series of escalators move people very well down to the loading platform. The underground stations are also well lit, with great signage for where you want to go. Speaking of having to GO,there are no restrooms on the cars, so GO before you go.

On heading home, the return trip was less eventful. Our car was mostly empty all the way to Federal Way. This is understandable at 10 p.m., when fewer folks are going home or heading for the airport. Still, there was some apprehension over the vulnerability we felt. As senior citizens, we kept a vigil of alertness. Previous negative aspects of riding the light rail came to mind but nothing eventful occurred. The cars are well it, mostly warm and while the ride takes about twice as long as driving, we were glad to have it.

One nice surprise, around nearly every station except downtown tunnels, there was ample parking and lighting, with a plaza find of feel. Leafy trees in grated, cement squares made for a welcome walkup to the elevator or escalators. Security personnel were on hand around the station as well. 

It took nearly 50 years to get there but Sound Transit's vision is mostly a reality. It is fast (1 hour + to UW from Federal Way) and inexpensive, compared to driving and parking. We wish they'd work on the noise. We'll do it again but we're bringing noise-cancelling ear plugs or maybe just earmuffs, if winter does not let go of its grip.