SEATTLE — Have you ever wondered whether driving or taking the light rail is the faster option to get to SEA airport? Jake Whittenberg and I decided to find out during the morning rush hour.
We kicked off the experiment on a sunny Tuesday morning at 8:14 a.m., meeting in the Fred Meyer parking lot in Lynnwood. Jake drove to the new Lynnwood City Center station, a half mile away, while I hopped in my car and headed south on Interstate 5.
Almost immediately, I encountered bumper-to-bumper traffic, which was expected at that time of day.
Meanwhile, Jake caught the 8:17 a.m. train and quickly settled in, chatting with commuters, while I was stuck in the congestion.
The tension was building, and I could feel my blood pressure rising.
The light rail route from Lynnwood to SEA airport has 21 stops and takes about 1 hour and 9 minutes. Given this, I expected Jake would have the upper hand from the start. But despite being stuck in stop-and-go traffic, we both arrived at Northgate almost simultaneously at 8:42 a.m. That's when things took a turn in my favor.
I switched into the I-5 Express Lanes, and despite some traffic delays while merging back onto the main line, I pulled ahead, leaving Jake far behind.
The rest of my drive to the airport was smooth sailing. My only concern was whether I'd find a parking spot. Jake, of course, didn't have that issue. I arrived at the parking garage at 9:29 a.m., and thanks to the helpful signs showing available spaces on each level, I quickly found an open spot. By 9:33 a.m. I was inside the airport, while Jake was still on the train.
Surprisingly, he didn't arrive until 9:47 a.m., 14 minutes later.
So, I won the race to the airport. However, Jake was stress-free and didn't have to worry about parking fees.
Drive-up hourly parking costs $8 at SEA airport, daily parking costs $37 and weekly parking is $222. Reserved parking on Floor 4 is $47 per day with an overstay hourly rate of $10.
Meanwhile, 1 and 2 line light rail fares are $3 for adults age 19-64. Youth 18 and under ride for free and low-income and senior/disabled fares are $1.
We learned that both driving and taking the light rail have their pros and cons. It ultimately depends on the time of day, whether you value saving time or money, and how much stress you can tolerate.
For those in a hurry and willing to pay for convenience, driving was the faster option in this case. But if you're looking to save a few bucks and don't mind a longer journey, the light rail was the way to go.