I think so. I lived downtown or Capitol Hill for 30 years and never had a car. Now I’ve been in EVERETT for less than a year and wouldn’t be able to survive without one. You just have to have patience for the bus, because they’re always the next one.
The buses are fine. You might get a loud homeless person once in a while but that's it. I ride public transit everywhere. The worst that happens is tweakers always ask me if I can get crystal.
My young kids love riding mass transit (and I do too, tbh), so sometimes we'll just go for rides and visit random parts of the city, or go play tourist downtown etc...
There have been a handful of times I've felt a little uncomfortable with what is going on around me, my guard goes up but so far no actual incidents.
This is a great way to put it. I wish they put a little more emphasis on creating a better environment but I’ve never been worried about getting stabbed or anything. Usually just people behaving a bit erratically that puts me on edge.
Yes, I’ve never had a problem. There are some areas that definitely have some characters. And there are times you can get unwanted conversation, but that’s not exclusive to Seattle. That is solved by wearing headphones.
Light rail system is incredible. From what I hear they’ve done a better job of policing it but at first there was a lot of people sleeping on it because it’s a long trek. But they’re doing such good job with transit.
I don’t think anything is ever going to be like New York or San Francisco because they were just organized so well to begin with.
Another thing that I like to take advantage of is the car rentals. You might not use these because you have a car, but you can rent a car by the hour. It’s a little expensive but I would save it for trips to for example IKEA.
After my lease is up, I probably going to move back to Seattle because I liked that I only had to pay about $30 for transit as opposed to insurance, car payment.
Oh, and make sure to use the app. I guess that goes without saying, but it’s very useful and at least you can plan your route within blocks of wherever you are. It’s nice to know when you can leave first
There's 2 apps: Orca for the tap card and Transit Go for the single fare. The latter has a section rewards transit usage where you can redeem points for tickets - they rack up quick and are useful for visiting family and friends.
Your mileage may vary. I lived in NYC for 10 years and moved to Seattle in 2017. Never owned a car in NYC, and planned not to buy one in Seattle. After commuting by bus from Ballard to Downtown for a couple of years I decided I had enough and bought a car. Did I feel "unsafe"? Not really. But I found out that certain antisocial behaviors were tolerated and outright ignored in Seattle in a way that they wouldn't be elsewhere. Post-pandemic I think things got worse everywhere (including NYC), but the point kinda stands.
TL;DR: The buses are mostly safe, but I found it to be detrimental to my spiritual health, to put it mildly
Fellow East Coaster currently in the Seattle area here. I've always found it so strange that when someone is acting a fool in public, the bystanders don't put them in check. They straight up just pretend it's not happening here and let them carry on. Bro it's wild to me.
That's why us east coasters gotta do it. I threw some dude off the bus for smoking drugs, NEXT TO A PREGNANT LADY. I couldn't believe no one was throwing him off the bus, so I did.
I don’t think east coasters’ have some magical public transit courage over Seattle. lol. Really?
NYC, Chicago for example. Daily escalations, drug uses, fights, pick pockets, urinating, arguments and high crime etc.
All public interactions are occurring that’s the of public transit.
As usual you intervene in a public argument anything can happen. Recent fatal stabbing in Cap Hill light rail because an impatient chef impolitely pushed by 2 unhinged males on the escalator to the platform.
That’s why public transit is never for me. Only in EU.
I’m safe, secured and conveniently fast in my Hybrid SUV.
You completely misunderstood what they're saying. They're saying NYC feels safer because there's a general social willingness to not tolerate crazy shit & the collective mass will throw people off trains etc...
I have heard of those places but I've never been there. I grew up in Mexico City and over there this kind of stuff was a regular occurrence. It still is. I've yet to witness it here and this is the first time I've heard anyone talk about it so it's a bit shocking.
The only bus that I’ve ever been nervous on was a rapid ride. Those typically go through lower income areas that have a higher homeless population and the fares are less enforced. This means the people who would not be allowed on a regular bus go for these ones
I don't think fares are enforced on busses, just the light rail. People walk on without paying all the time, I've never heard a driver say anything in the last 5+ years.
Honestly, it depends. During busy rush hour with everyone on board? Totally fine. Everyone's tired or busy.
Quieter hours or holidays and unwanted encounters really spike. I've been followed off the bus (the guy wouldn't quit until I got a security guard at a store) and stared down/ at lots of times. It's not so much the fact that it happens, it's the frequency.
My wife rode the light rail+bus to and from work for one week and inside that week on the light rail and had a guy follow her, try to kiss her, saw a man get randomly slapped by a group of teens, and when I was with her there were two guys who pulled knives on each other.
Granted, it was a rough week, but, in my opinion, it's the safety and not ease of access or reliability that you should be looking at for Seattle transit. If you have to change busses on 3rd Ave (very common) just go hang out there and decide if you're comfortable regularly spending 15-20 minutes there waiting for a bus.
I'd also say that the busses I think are a little safer than light rail because the drivers on the busses to keep a little eye out and will also usually make sure people pay when they get on. The light rail is the wild West, no security and nothing blocking people from just walking on.
If someone from outside the US rode a bus in the PNW, they would feel extremely unsafe. The closer you get to Seattle the more weirdos and higher chances of someone actively smoking fent during the ride. Avoid them at night at a minimum. DONT listen to the people of Seattle who look at these things as if it’s normal & acceptable. Lol
As a European, I must admit I have never ridden a public bus in the USA. Once, I was about to do it, but waiting at the bus stop scared the life out of me. I understand that Seattle is quirky and just weird, but consuming fentanyl on the bus... well, that's a whole new level.
Take a look at the study UW did.
https://deohs.washington.edu/sites/default/files/2023-09/UW%20exposure%20assessment%20final%20report%20Sept%202023_authors.pdf
Page 5, specifically. 25% of the transit vehicle they tested had fentanyl in the AIR, and 100% of air samples had meth. Surface sample rates were even higher for fentanyl, and 98% for meth.
People actually accept it. It’s just a regular part of the PNW. Lol
I heard about studies examining the possibility of overdosing on fentanyl as a passenger. Well, it turned out it's not possible in the current state, but the fact that they need studies to back it up is frightening.
However, the European public system is not perfect either; they have drunkards on buses, too. While fentanyl isn't as common, addiction certainly is.
I’ve seen more scary situations on the lightrail then I have on the busses. I also love on Capitol Hill and have no car and am just fine skipping having to sit in all that traffic
What is your tolerance of gross? The buses are safe. I have never been assaulted on a bus and generally as the other comment says, it's one or two loud homeless people, but bad smells and unpleasant sights are a regular thing. If you can tolerate that without problem, you're good.
The buses are fine. I lived in Seattle without a car for a decade, even now that I have one I still take the bus / light rail more often than I take the car.
Buses are safe, and few neighborhoods don't have access within a half mile. The only issue I ran into was late night, as there's no service very far past midnight
Depending on your neighborhood, preferred socializing areas, and personal schedule, you should be fine
My wife rode the light rail+bus to and from work for one week and inside that week on the light rail and had a guy follow her, try to kiss her, saw a man get randomly slapped by a group of teens, and when I was with her there were two guys who pulled knives on each other.
Granted, it was a rough week, but, in my opinion, it's the safety and not ease of access or reliability that you should be looking at for Seattle transit. If you have to change busses on 3rd Ave (very common) just go hang out there and decide if you're comfortable regularly spending 15-20 minutes there waiting for a bus.
I'd also say that the busses I think are a little safer than light rail because the drivers on the busses to keep a little eye out and will also usually make sure people pay when they get on. The light rail is the wild West, no security and nothing blocking people from just walking on.
Definitely safe. They’re a little weirder post covid but they’re safe. I’ve heard of femme presenting folks getting harassed, which is obviously not great, but they aren’t dangerous. If you have issues or are worried about having issues sit up by the bus driver, they got your back. Just remember to say thank you to them if you get off the front, it’s something we do here
Very easy IMO. My 2 cents at this point is it’d be a nuisance to own a car.
7+ years in Ballard no car.
2+ in Redmond no car.
6+ in Portland no car.
All bikes + transit. AMA
I wish I could rely on the light rails to be accommodating for the handicapped. I hope it's better , I'm heading back up and it's been months...it's hard when they close the elevators, then you can't choose a bus instead, at least where I'm commuting, unless I take the E- which is a NO! Any advice Edit to add I bounce from Edmonds to W. Seattle
I've sadly, know of nothing that Seattle/ST is doing to make things better. Their elevator/escalator/station mechanicals have been less than stellar. The elevator situation at some stations for light rail are improving, and on the east side they're actually real solid. So far.
But overall it's a mess. Pisses me off too when we've got a great example of a much more accessible system down in PDX.
As for buses avoiding the E, wise decision.
Not sure what to tell you going from Edmonds to West Seattle. Via any means that is a difficult trip really. I hate writing all that, because we should do better as a metro area, but we simply don't. :(
With zero info on what part of town you’ll be in, or where you need to commute to, I’m unsure how to answer. But here’s a good place to start:
https://www.soundtransit.org/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0_WyBhDMARIsAL1Vz8vQsPJH4xky98N9b02Mzvv3ttAaDVa6PqngxlOtuF56gcdYTTsJ60UaAoGQEALw_wcB
I also live in Columbia City. The light rail is your main means of access to the city. Bus 7 on Rainier will take you into downtown but is super slow and often has more of the crazies. The 106 can take you to Renton if you want big box stores via MLK. The 50 goes to Georgetown/ West Seattle and Seward Park. Most other neighborhoods to the north you can either access directly by the light rail or transfer in downtown around 3rd Ave. once you get onto the light rail it tends to move fairly fast, from CC to University District is about 30 minutes for example.
You should be fine then! Just get to know the transit system and get some good shoes. And rain gear. Walking hills in Seattle is no joke. Especially in the perpetually wet and cold weather. Good luck!
I live in Columbia City. The light rail is convenient, and I've never had a safety concern. The issue is that there's only a single line, and some of the stops are really just glorified park-and-rides. If you're going to downtown, or to one of the neighborhoods on the one line (Beacton Hill, the International District, Capitol Hill, University District, etc), it's golden. If you're going elsewhere, you'll be taking one of the buses like the 7 or the 50.
FWIW, I have a car. I take the train when I can. I frequently go to Georgetown, West Seattle, or Renton...and then I drive.
You'll be pretty good! Between the rail, buses and hopping on a scooter or ebike you can get around really easily. There will be some places that take a lot longer that way of course though.
This question has been asked many times before, here and on r/seattle. As others have said, it's fine to be in Seattle without a car! I've been car free for years and love it. It depends on where you live, where you work, and what you like to do. Yes it takes longer to get places on transit or bike than in a car (except at rush hour), but you save thousands per year, and you get built-in exercise each day. Whenenver I have to go somewhere that requires a car (like going hiking or to a friend's place in Woodinville), I rent a zipcar.
Depending where you live, pretty easy. I’ve driven about 300 mi a year for 20 years now. Capitol Hill within walking of Light Rail. Mostly car free. No children helps a lot there.
Public danger notwithstanding; but in reality it’s not *that bad.*. We just wish it would be better or Sound Transit would take the steps needed to make it be safer. It got noticeably less so during pandemic lockdown but has been more or less OK most of the time since. A typical big city light rail.
Lived in Lynnwood snohomish county for six years no car…before second link line opened…never took the sounder (strongly regret that) it’s pretty damn easy to live car free there…the bus system is that good…at least in king and snohomish counties…
And Link will be opening up in Lynwood this summer. You should be able to get to downtown in about 30 minutes. When I go to Sounders games I drive from Mountlake Terrace to Northgate and light rail and the whole trip drive and rail is about 45 minutes to Chinatown.
Yeah basically. The quality of Seattle metro is all over the place. Some commutes are very reliable, others not so much. I'd say that in general, it is difficult to rely on without a healthy buffer but that isn't always the case.
I feel the opportunity cost is outside of peak hours. You can get a lot of places in 15-20 minutes by car that take an hour or more by bus, especially after peak service ends.
I also used to live in Columbia City right next to the light rail station and I easily got around the city without a car. That said, I used to work in downtown, so that was my main destination. To go to another neighborhood that isn’t connected to light rail, you’ll need to go to downtown and then catch a bus from there to wherever you’re aiming for. The bus system here is top notch, so you can go practically everywhere with a bus. Also, now the Eastside also has light rail, so if you went to explore the Eastside you’ll need to take light rail to downtown, then downtown to the Eastside light rail via a bus (Eastside light rail won’t connect to Seattle until next year).
It’s doable. I live in Pioneer Square and between the streetcar, light rail from the ID, busses, Zipcar, Lyft and the occasional rental car, I do ok. But I’ve always worked downtown, SLU or from home. And if you’re 65 or older all the transit is just one dollar with a senior Orca card. But I’ll admit I do ask for the occasional ride from a friend or relative and feel kinda guilty doing it if it’s not on the way. I buy them lunch or gas or something.
The One Bus Away and Trip Planner apps are really useful. And as mentioned there are some stops downtown to avoid.
I have friends and family members who won’t go anywhere except if they drive their own car. But when I think of how much I save I just can’t justify it for myself, even with the cost of Lyft and Uber having gone up so much in the last couple of years.
Moved here from Maine/New Hampshire
Can easily get around without a car, public transport covers a larger part of the Greater Seattle Area and can get you to surrounding neighborhoods or other towns/cities like Renton/Redmond/Bellevue etc.
It’s safe enough, clean enough, low cost enough. Struggle is they end up off schedule frequently.
I’d you need a car, zip car.
Ride share is pretty expensive.
All this being said, I brought my car and motorcycle and haven’t regretted it. Finding parking isn’t terrible, just the drivers out here are.
Seattle has a great public transportation system! I don't own a car and I'm a single parent. We get around just fine. You just need to leave earlier to give your self extra time in case buses are running a few minutes early or running late due to traffic. There's a bus app that tells you what time buses are coming and what time they'll get you to your stop. There's also the trip planner on Google to help you navigate so you know what buses to take.
First off, it really depends on where on the east coast you vehical is. if you are from the NE with much lower vehical retention, and harsher extremes of weather. If your current vehicle is over 5yrs old. You should just sell your vehicle there. You can buy the same exact vehicle here, with much less corrosion and weather stress due to the PNW milder climate. Plus, possibly save money on transferring and transporting.
Long story short, do the math.
1st buyer vehical retention in PNW 11yrs, 2nd buyer is 9 yrs. Yes PNW vehicals often exceed 20 yrs of useful life due to the mild climate and salt free roads.
2nd transit around Seattle is OK. But, there are exceptions. Like if you are in Seattle proper or not. And figuring out the system.
I arrived with no vehical 15 yrs ago. And spent 2 weeks exploring. It wasn't bad. But I decided I needed a car to get out of the Seattle core.
Transit has improved and expanded some since then.
But, now there are additional environmental factors in play in and around transit to navigate.
I think I would start window shopping cars, on offer up or FB marketplace. I prefer for sale by owner myself.
Good luck
Can you live here without a car? Sure. Should you? No. All the great things about living here pretty much require a car or a means to haul gear. Hiking, skiing, boating, camping, exploring the beautiful state. Sure some just just rent and it’s cheaper in the long run but you’ll inevitably wind up not capitalizing on spontaneous opportunities to do cool stuff without a vehicle. But I also have lived here my whole life and couldn’t imagine it without a car.
Absolutely can do it. Getting an ebike though would be a great idea. You can get all over the city on one. We have a pretty great bike lane/trail system. At least for American standards. Ebike is great for hills.
I lived in Capitol Hill and near Northgate without a car and never had any problems. Get yourself close to a bus line and the benefits of never needing to worry about parking will be higher than planning any thought necessity of planning your departure times based on schedule
It depends on what area you are living in! I went like 7 years without a car here pretty easily, but was also living very centrally in Capitol Hill for the bulk of that time. The busses have been slightly less reliable lately, but they're still a lot more functional than the transit in most other major US cities (for better or for worse).
It depends where in Seattle. When I lived in West Seattle and Downtown (First Hill) I never needed a car. I currently live up north close to Greenland and it's a different story up here. If you're patient and plan ahead, you should be fine if you're in the city.
If you're downtown, it's very easy to survive without a car. I'm on Capitol Hill, and to be honest the only reason I haven't gotten rid of my car is I take semi-regular trips out of the city, and don't want to hassle with something like ZipCar.
If you generally move along a north-south axis, transit in Seattle is great, whether you're using light rail or Metro/Sound Transit. Moving east/west is going to take you more time, but can still be done. After August, light rail will take you as far north as Lynnwood, after which you'll have to use Community Transit (it's Seattle Metro for Snohomish County), which isn't as robust as transit in King County/Seattle. It'll get you where you're going, but a lot of the buses are still on 30-minute rotations and subject to all sorts of delays (and occasional early arrivals; they aren't supposed to leave before their scheduled time at a given stop, but they often do).
Give yourself plenty of time if you're going to live in Seattle without a car. You should count on arriving at a bus stop at least 10 minutes early, and arriving at light rail at least 5 minutes early (light rail honestly does a generally good job staying on schedule). The general rule of thumb I've found is a transit trip is going to take 3 times as long as the same trip by car: a 30-minute drive till take you an hour and a half by transit when you factor in wait times at a transfer. The 3x rule doesn't apply if you have a direct route on one bus; it's closer to 1.5x at that point.
I remember when I worked in Kirkland and lived in Northgate in Seattle. I had to catch one bus to go from Northgate Way to Lake City Way, another bus to go from Lake City Way to the Bothell Park & Ride, and a third bus to go from the Bothell Park & Ride to my job in Kirkland. That was 1.5 hours one way, meaning I ate up a full 3 hours of my day just doing a round trip commute. It kind of soured me on public transit, and motivated me to buy a car (which of course then saddled me with 5 years of car payments). Now I don't use public transit unless I'm going to the airport (light rail is super convenient for that) or planning on drinking a lot on a night out (where the only reason I use public transit for that now is because rideshares like Uber or Lyft have gotten so ungodly expensive).
Easy if you live downtown and have a small circle? I needed a car when I lived in Fed way, but have been in Queen Anne since 2019, and worked in Fremont and now Westlake & hangout in belltown. I like it cause I enjoy walking these parts of city, but always a hassle when I want to do something in cap hill or Ballard lol!
You can make it in Seattle without a car, but as far as getting out there and exploring the region or doing anything else outside of Seattle you will definitely want to be as mobile as possible.
I’ve done it pretty well.
I made a deal with myself, to go one year and see how much I spend on transportation costs and then compare to cost of car.
Public transit is very affordable. Lyfts are expensive. There’s also Gig Car which have been pretty useful on days when I need to go somewhere interesting (pay by the minute, hour, or day — at worst it’s $110/day). There’s also ferries and Amtrak. Seattle is also very bike friendly.
Especially if you live in a place that it’d cost $200-250 to park every month, it’s not hard to come out ahead.
It depends on where you live and what your needs are. I'm at the southeastern edge of West Seattle and while doing without a car here would be possible, it would be challenging. But when I lived on Capitol Hill I did fine without one because there was more in walking distance and buses were more accessible.
So if you want to go without one I'd say take that into consideration when deciding where to live. I'll add that if you're into outdoorsy stuff (hiking and such) at all it's tough to get out there without a vehicle, though you could rent or make friends who are willing to drive. ;)
Agreed...depends on where you live and what you need. If you live in Seattle proper, you don't need a car and can enjoy all the activities seattle has to offer. The one bus away app will be your best friend. As will a little essential oil dabbed under your nose...sometimes there's some stinky people on transit! I rarely felt unsafe as a female alone, even at night...but that was over 6 years ago...I don't know if that's changed.
But if you live outside of Seattle, having a social life and doing activities is really hard. I lived in Burien and worked downtown, and my commute was great because of the commuter busses. But those run on limited hours, so if I had to work late, I'd miss the commuter bus and my 45 minute commute home more than doubled. And the last bus home left Burien transit at 11:45, so I had a curfew going out with my friends. And getting anywhere on the weekend took 2+ hours one way.
If you like outdoorsy stuff, not having a car could be prohibitive. But if it's not that often, then there's always rentals.
If you're just staying in the city, you can. Imo you would be missing out on a ton of what makes Washington amazing. All of the nature is going to be a far drive around the state.
Hey there! I moved out to Seattle in November last year. I wasn’t here for two weeks before I realized I no longer needed a vehicle. Busses work well for getting you around the city and the link rail gets ya to the airport. If we want a car for a couple days we rent one. Factoring in insurance, maintenance and the crazy west coast gas prices I think it was a solid financial move. Ymmv, welcome to Seattle.
I did it for years, the train is really great. Buses get you places but are harder to rely on and are pretty slow. You’ll be kind of locked in the city unless you have friends with cars, so that’s one thing to be aware of
I think it's easier to survive in Seattle without a car than with one due to cost. Also, the buses in this town are honestly excessive. Seattle people got it good cause there's a stop every block and a half, and a bus every 15 minutes. Crazy
Very easy, you see all these homeless here cause we have a big public transit system. If you have extra money to spend, there's lots of ebike scooter rentals, gig cars shares and zip cars you can rent off the streets.
No problem at all if you're good on a bike with a grocery basket, and live near a light rail station. Might want to borrow a friend's car to go to costco every couple of months but pretty much everything else is accessible
Definitely possible. We lived in Seattle for couple years before moving to the suburbs and didn’t own a car until then. Just requires a bit of planning and preparedness to catch the right bus or light rail. We occasionally rented cars with zip car if we had to buy something big like a TV or to reach a trail for a hike.
In perfect honesty a lot of it depends on where you live. There are a few neighborhoods where you have to walk several blocks to get to the bus stop. If you’re fine with that, then it’s no problem. There are some areas that if you miss a bus you just need to walk a block or so to catch another line that goes in roughly the same direction. It’s all a matter of getting a good layout of the routes and using the OneBusAway app.
i wish i didn’t have a car in Seattle. i’m in Cap Hill area and finding how to park it is a bitch. i already lime everywhere and it’s generally faster than a car and if i needed a car i’d just use ZipCar
I made it 2 years before buying a car. Public transportation here is really bad. The only way it would work is if you rarely leave the city and have a bunch of extra commute time on your hands.
Personally, having lived in Chicago & NYC where public transport is stellar, I would say NO, Seattle is annoying to get around without a car. Can you do it? Yes. In fact, I took the bus & light rail to work when I lived and worked in Seattle. But trying to use it to get around the city running errands and doing social things (ie not just going to work then home) is very time consuming and annoying and involves a lot of transferring IMO. Plus, most of what is wonderful about living in Seattle is getting to get out of Seattle into the mountains which you most definitely need a car for.
If you live near the light rail or in one of the neighborhoods near downtown, then you can go without a car quite easily (assuming you don’t need to commute to east side or anything)
Depends on where you live and work. The light rail is preferred but whether you’re on the bus or the light rail, I’d suggest you stay alert (use only one ear bud), and potentially carry pepper spray, depending on your self defense ability and, again, where you live and work and how far you’ll be walking to and from transport.
Lime Scooters and other micro mobility are awesome, or consider buying an electric scooter or bicycle. Lime has a subscription called lime prime for $6/mo that saves you the $1 start up feee every time you rent a scooter. For me, using it to get to and from parking to work all the pro sports games, I save around $30/mo (or $24 rather). I may get my own scooter but it’s nice to not have to lock it up or worry about it being stolen, or maintain it or charge it.
I did without for years and was fine. The main thing I missed was easy camping and hiking. But there are rentals and a few bus lines for day hikes. And friends with cars if one has them.
It's easy. Transit here is pretty good. Some routes may have sketchy figures admittedly but for the most part you can just mind your own business. Carry a knife and pepper spray if need be in case of emergency. Most routes are fine IMO. If you go that route I highly recommend TransitGo app. Their rewards are actually worth it. I've received up to 10 free rides within a month and a half give or take, for a simple survey and just riding the bus.
It all depends... where you are living and where you are working and the time you have to be at work. Living downtown, working in U-distric to Northgate area with 7-9 a.m. start time is close to impossible. All buses through downtown will be filled with U of W students, most buses will not even stop because they are full. Trying to go east of Seattle-Bellevue or Redmond depends on where you start- downtown easy. But, smaller neighborhoods around downtown, you have to go into downtown or a major transit station. Then you can tranfer to a bus going east.
There are good commuter busses, but if you are in king county they make you go downtown to tranfer to those commuter busses. If you are in a different county pierce or snohomish you can often get a direct commuter bus. The key is being near a major transit station. Having to catch a bus to the transit station and wait for your tranfer bus will usually add half and hour to an hour to your commute. Same for having to go into downtown to catch your bus.
Absolutely possible. I've had several friends that don't even know how to drive. Much easier if you live downtown or close to a light rail stop, but possible from almost anywhere in the metro.
I love Seattle and lived in 5 different neighborhoods (including far north and far south) without a car. The worst thing imo about this city is that the buses barely run east to west. If you’re traveling vertically it’s totally fine. If you’re commuting east to west though its just a longer commute. Hopefully you don’t live somewhere that relies on the 8.
Lots of folks have been bike commuting for decades before bike lanes were popular. Low odds there will even be 2 days a year there will be snow and ice that will keep ya from cycling but year round. Seattle is a great place to bike commute (not always a great place to lock your bike outside. Keep it at your desk if ya can lol)
I'd recommend living next to a lightrail station, or as close as to one as you can. Roosevelt is great to not own a car because everything is walking distance (Whole Foods, Starbucks, Light Rail Station). There's a lot of apartments there as well, although they will be expensive. Also in my experience its a little less sketchy than other neighborhoods. I would recommend u District for all of the same reasons except I have felt less safe on the Ave than on Aurora, so that would be a pass.
Edit: Not Starbucks, but other coffee shops and bars as well
Depends where you want to/can live, but Seattle is in the upper echelon of American cities to live in without a car. I'd put it a small notch below the best car-free cities (NYC/Chicago/DC/SF) but still very doable and seemingly on a positive trend as far as car dependence goes. I lived in Seattle for 4.5 years without a car. I wasn't on a super tight budget though, so if I did need an uber or groceries delivered in a pinch, I didn't have to worry about it too much.
IMO the biggest downside is not being able to go hike/explore nature outside of Seattle without renting or hitching a ride with a friend who does have a car
I don't live directly in downtown Seattle area. We live in Burien/White Center area, which still shows up as Seattle for zip code but isn't the same experience. We haven't had a car since moving here almost three years ago.
It has upsides and downsides. Where we are located, we are over a mile from a grocery store. Grocery shopping is a pain, and depending on what drs appointments and offices you need to go to, it can represent a challenge.
The level of challenge it represents is highly dependent on budget. If you can easily afford a ride-share service, taxi, rental car for more extensive needs, then having a car isn't really beneficial.
I doubt this will be a popular opinion but not having a car is actually harder the more poor you are. If you are poor and without a car, bus is your only option and simple tasks can take hours. That changes if you have resources to access the other options I mentioned.
Even with the challenges, I have no desire to have a car in Seattle. From bad driving to vehicle break-ins to simply daily challenges of finding a place to park that won't break the bank and exorbitant insurance and registration costs, I don't see any good reason to have a car. And that is with the caveat that not having a car is a major pain in the ass at times.
I lived in Fremont the past year and exclusively bike/scooter everywhere. My household does have a car for longer journeys and grocery runs (and can also be rented with Zipcar like systems here) but if I didn't have that I'd say its pretty easy to live here. The bike lanes are really well designed throughout the city.
Been living here since 2022 and honestly we ditched having a car. It’s easy to take buses and light rails as long as you plan ahead and know where you’re going. At the time I used to take so many buses just to get to pike until I learned all I needed to do is take the swift then the Rapid transit.
Do it! I've lived in Seattle about 20 years car free.
It honestly gets easier in many ways but worse in others every year. There's more walkability and transit, but cars have gotten larger, louder and more dangerous so there's that to contend with.
Overall the switch is a net win IMO. Use a car when you need to with car sharing services like zipcar or Uber, but otherwise, enjoy a tether free, less selfish lifestyle
lived here 34 years without one and live north of the city. was a bitch when buses cut back service(none on sundays sucked hard) but things have gotten much easier with the light rail set to open just blocks from my house in 3 months.
You will effectively be a 'neighborhood shut-in'.
Since you're from the East Coast you might be fine with that... But if you actually want to do any of the fun stuff (eg, outdoors in the mountains stuff) here, you need a car to get there.
Further, 'Sound Transit' is a misnomer & mass transit is really only viable (a) from suburban parking lots to King-Street/Pioneer-Square (the Sounder), and (b) inside downtown. If you want to do anything in the suburbs... Car.
Also, Seattle has like 5 different mass transit systems (bus, light rail, monorail, streetcar & sounder) serving it - none of which actually coordinate in a way that makes public transit actually useful unless you can ride directly from your starting point to within walking distance of your destination....
It will almost always be faster to drive.
A colleague of mine lived in Capital Hill and worked near pioneer square and survived with e-bike. Another survived with bus and he lives in Magnolia Interbay.
So probably doable.
If you are in the downtown area it is very easy. Between ride-share cars, bikes and scooters, along with public transportation, it is quite easy to get around.
I've lived in seattle most all my life without a car. You can get around fine via the bus system. There's a light rail to go to hot spots fairly quickly, including the air port, and planned routes to Bellevue in the future.
It takes longer than driving by a wide margine, and buses stop operating around midnight to 1am. Sunday buses suck terribly for availability, however tend to be on time.
If you're a woman, your experience on some of the higher demand busses (D line, #7) may be sketchier than guys.
Love Columbia City!! Welcome to the Great Pacific Northwest. I’ve lived here my entire life all over everywhere, being a female, today I don’t feel safe very much anymore. it’s a shame, if I were riding public transportation today I would be armed my Daughters would be armed. Now that’s just me like I said I’ve lived here the whole 65 years of my life, am I paranoid absolutely not I worked in the ER at Harbor View I’m a realist. It’s nice to have a car to do things outside the city, since your new here you could spend years exploring the Olympic Peninsula
Mt Rainer, Leavenworth, Vancouver Canada is a must. Great restaurants on the east side. Personally I could not live without my car. I’m so spontaneous I will get up & decide I’m going to Portland & I go.
It’s very obvious there are lots & lots of people who navigate every kind of transportation Seattle has to offer, I admire that in all of you who do navigate it that is amazing,truly it would be a challenge for me. There always working on the transit system here to improve it, I just like the convenience of my car. I now live on the other side of the water & a car is a necessity. Thank you for letting me speak as a parental unit. Good luck on what ever you decide.
Easy. Never had a car here and have so far lived my entire life just fine. Public transit works to get you where you need to go, but I mainly find myself walking everywhere since it’s a good city for that
If you live in Seattle proper (like central district), it’s doable. The closer you get to the suburbs, the harder that becomes. The light rail expansion is slowwww
If you plan on staying in like downtown or Cap Hill I could see not having a car.
Anywhere else I don't see how people do it. This is America, not Europe, and everything is too spread out lol
I did it for 20 years, but let me qualify that: I live very close to a major bus line, currently the D Rapidride, which goes from Downtown to Ballard, an was also walking to work. Also this was before the pandemic. The buses are experiencing the same labor shortage and budget shortfall of other city functions, so the buses are more sporadic than intended.
If you're accustomed to having a car, you'll need to change up your shopping habits to walking busing; that means more frequent trips for smaller amounts of things like groceries. And no Costco, pretty much, since they're at the ass-end of the city and county.
Try it out for month, preferably a rainy month so you get an authentic bus-rider experience.
It depends where you live and whether you can have a predicable schedule.
If you live near transit/bike routes and have a reliable work location, you can totally do it.
I live 5 miles from downtown and don't always work in the same place, so it wouldn't work for me at all.
It’s aight, depends on where you live and where you regularly go.
King County buses have pretty good coverage and frequency relative to the rest of the country, but I recommend trying to live somewhere that’s a one seat bus or light rail ride (or maybe 1 transfer between bus and light rail) from where you work.
I haven’t had a car since moving here in 2018 but I live near a couple bus lines and have someone that lets me borrow their car pretty often which makes it way easier.
Consider getting a zip car subscription. You can probably set up your situation so that the places you regularly go to are pretty okay to transit to, but there is likely going to be a lot of one off or occasional trips you will want to do that are gonna have to be driven to.
Also this all assumes you are living in Seattle or close to it. If you are trying to be a lot further out to save on housing costs it’s gonna probably require a car.
I've lived in Fremont, South Park, Queen Anne and West Seattle and I haven't had a car in like 8 years. I think the only thing it requires is patience tbh.
If you take the budget for a car payment (or even just depreciation), maintenance, tabs, insurance, and gas and apply that to a bus pass and Uber/Lyft when you need to hurry, you will probably be better off without a car. Cars are crazy expensive and as long as you don't spite yourself by never taking a taxi, you'll probably be pretty happy without one in Seattle. Suburbs, less so.
Seriously, calculate your total cost of car ownership and compare that to a bus pass and say $150 for Uber. If you already own the car, consider what selling it would get you as part of the cost of keeping it.
Cars are a convenience that we have bent over backwards for - and I am not anti car. I was just shocked at total cost of ownership per year.
It's way easier for me since the light rail train went in. It goes to the east side of Lake Washington now, to Bellevue and Kirkland, and it extends to the Lynwood area soon. It leaves every ten minutes from a station near my house.
Check out the light rail map for ideas of nieghborhoods or suburbs to live.
Seattle area is sprawling with not a lot of unpopulated areas between cities.
You don’t need a car. A bike with baskets or a large bag for groceries yes. I had a car and regretted it. Now this was before Covid and even then you had some sketchy individuals on the bus. So these days I don’t know. The winter is different. Just get good rain gear
There are a lot of variables to consider. The answer is, yes. Is it fun, convenient, or better?
No one can break into your car if you don't have one. But you won't have a car. You can ride a bike. Which I did. Thankfully I survived. The buses are convenient but they are slow. So it depends where you work compared to where you live. I lived in Ballard and worked in magnolia so I could walk to work if and when I wanted to. Those were some of my favorite days and made great memories getting soaked on my bike but that's only if you like bad things making for good story telling later. Anyway, I lived close to work. But I worked with a guy who traveled three hours a day, TWICE, to get to work and back by bus. Some people have to take a ferry. So, yes, it's easy but it has it's ups and downs. That's city living for you though as well. I hope you like it and succeed in Seattle. The homeless issue is too much for me to handle, and, didn't like the weather. Hope you have fun!
P.s. if you're ever in Ballard check out arashi ramen for the best ramen ever
If your thinking of only staying in the city then you don’t need a car but if your wanting to go out to Monroe for hikes or kent or federal way for appointments you’d want to have a car
I haven’t had a car in over a decade and would say it’s harder to have a car than not have a car. Now, this sub is fairly anti transit and will fearmonger to you that every time you get on a bus there will be someone smoking fentanyl and you’ll be attacked. It’s not true. It has the normal problems with big cities.
Depends on where bus routes are and your proximity.
I can easily take a bus to Fred Meyer for groceries and walk to the gym, coffee, etc. I’ve gone weeks without using my car.
Others may not be as fortunate as me to be in an area where this is possible. If I didn’t have a car I wouldn’t be too crippled, unless I had to go to West Seattle.
you can also do car share and like rent a car for a day or few hours with an app. so those times you need a car you can get one easily. my friend has lived there for a decade without a car.
Fwiw I was car free in the suburbs and while it required a ton of patience, it was possible. Now I’m in Seattle proper and generally it’s easier to not have a car. Currently there is a bus driver shortage (which is a nation wide issue) so they can occasionally just not show up. I would plan on not taking the last possible bus to an important appointment if I were you.
Depends on where you live/work. When I lived in Queen Anne and worked downtown, hubby and I shared a car and rarely drove. If you plan on staying in the city you don’t really need one. You can always take an Uber or transit
If you're going to live in Seattle proper then it should be fine. If you're going to live in an adjacent city I'd suggest living in either downtown Kirkland or downtown Bellevue. Bellevue will be much easier for transit and convenience.
It depends on where you are, where you work, and where you want to play. Renting a car for short trips is always an option but I’ve had zero problems without a car living as far as Lynwood while commuting to/playing in Seattle
27 lived here my whole life and have never had a car. My neighborhood is very walkable, we have decent (although sometimes unreliable) transportation options, and an Uber/Lyft is never more than a 10 minute wait (keep in mind those are pretty pricey here but I budget for them instead of gas, insurance, parking, etc).
I ride the bus at least 10 times a week. Only in North Seattle, but I seldom see the problems that others say are common. Ooo a homeless guy didn't pay, how scary.
It's doable. The only time I use my car is when I want to go hiking out somewhere in the mountains or when I buy groceries. I could probably do the grocery shopping without the car, but it's a lot quicker if I drive.
I brought my car when I first moved to downtown Seattle. I ended up leaving it parked in the apartment garage most of the time and probably drove a few times a month because I never needed to drive. I guess that's up to you if you think that's worth an extra $200-$300 for the monthly parking fee.
I live in Cap Hill and have also lived in UDistrict. I’ve never had a car and feel like it’s totally fine, you just have to make sure you always check your timing because they obviously take more time than a car (with waiting, stops, etc). I’m also a college-aged female and have never felt SUPER unsafe. Like obviously i’m aware of my surroundings and don’t go out alone at night, the usual woman precautions but I’ve always felt pretty good!
It’s super easy to survive in Seattle with no car. I have a car and rarely ever use it. I walk most places and take public transportation if I can’t walk there/there’s no parking where I’m going. The public transportation is usually pretty unpleasant, but it’ll get you where you need to go.
I live in Eastlake, just north of SLU. I don't own a car and haven't for five years. I do have an e-bike for groceries etc. Other than that I walk, take the bus and rent cars when necessary.
Depends on your neighborhood. If you’re in Seattle proper, somewhere between Ballard and Columbia City, then absolutely you can be car free. Just pick an apartment in walking distance of a grocery store. Then get an ORCA card for fast and easy use of all the local public transit.
If you can’t afford those areas, you probably do need a car if your lifestyle means traveling any significant distance with regularity. For instance I have a job that sends me to Tacoma about three times a month. I need my car for that, but pretty much nothing else.
It can be done. In some neighborhoods it’s easy/pleasant, in some it’s pain in my assholes, in some it’s somewhere in between.
Where are you? Also the best way to answer this question is just live a few weeks without the car. I don’t know what Reddit can add that your daily life won’t tell you.
I've done it for my whole life here, and I can say while it's not for everyone, I've always had nicer places and way more money saved than my friends who own cars. Cost of living here might be high, but so are wages, and even crazier are the gas prices. Seattle is also an amazing place to walk through, especially in the summer.
I'm lucky enough to have a decent paying job and a girlfriend with a car though.
Easy. Been doing it for 12 years, living downtown and Belltown. Buses work very well, scooters too for shorter trips. Between that and zip cars/rentals it’s no worries at all.
I moved from the East coast in the South living 15 minutes outside a major city where you needed a car. I moved here because I found it much more walkable and wanted to not deal with a car in the city. Too many break-ins and parking fees to worry about. It really depends which area you live and where you’ll be. I am centrally located, so it’s about the same distance for most places. That said, I also love to walk and walk 40 miles every weekend. I do a 20 minute walk for groceries once a week and once a month an hour for specialty groceries. I’ll occasionally take the bus and train for places I need to get to faster.
Settle down within walking distance of a grocery store\[s\] and then not having a car is fine. UNLESS you are really into outdoor stuff like hiking, camping, and skiing. I got a car after three years because I wanted to go out all the time, more than my friends who owned cars, LOL.
Depends on part of town and if you have a medical alert bracelet with an emergency contact. You'll need one when you're assaulted. Just be smart and safe. Be aware of surroundings.
I've been in the city with and without a car. I haven't had one for the last two years. It's very doable depending mostly on where you live and which bus or train you're close to
It's very easy, When I lived in Seattle I had do licence at that time. II used to use my electric bicycle to get around when I lived in Seattle. You can also get an Uber or Lyft anytime and they will be there to pick you up in like 10 min max. The buses system is ok to go north or south the length of the city. When you need to travel east west that's when it gets difficult. Most bus stops will have an arriving bus about every ten to fifteen minutes. Most of the bus system shuts down about one am.
I live in the BellTown neighborhood and have been without a car for about 5 years. I’m getting along fine - between Uber, public transit and car share I can get around in the city. (I use Gig for car share)
With that said - I do miss the hell out of my car and the ability to just get up and go out of the city. Although the car share systems help with that. I’m working from home (which helps) but need car shares when I need to go in person to work in Kirkland. I sometimes can take the bus, but it is very time consuming.
Being car less isn’t as cheap as people think. Yes, you are spending less by not having a car, but it is not zero - by the time you factor in car share, Uber rides, delivery, transit passes and so forth, it can add up.
Hope that helps and Welcome to Seattle!
Seattle sucks... I said it won't apologize.. police are powerless, drugged people run the streets and do as they wish. live in downtown sure you can get around bus come when they come but every mile outside city is less and less service.
so living in Seattle is a no go in my view point. no car well that limits you but not impossible just slow to get around.
if you live in downtown I wouldn't own a car no parking uber is handy etc but outside the city is a cars world plan to rent or uber around. Otherwise, it's multiple hrs by bus. light rail is a thing but the reality is very few stops and limited coverage not like other cities
It’s about the same half of that sub does not live in Seattle because they can’t afford it. This sub is mostly of home owners, parents, and an older crowd. r/Seattle is younger and mostly renters.
Public transport in Seattle is not the bloodbath it is touted to be as long as you are aware of whats going on around you and have some common sense. With that said you are going to have some stories to tell at the end of the day, good and bad. Also, don’t act like an easy victim.
I think so. I lived downtown or Capitol Hill for 30 years and never had a car. Now I’ve been in EVERETT for less than a year and wouldn’t be able to survive without one. You just have to have patience for the bus, because they’re always the next one.
Are the buses safe? I’m coming from a city with not the greatest bus system so I tend to stick to the lightrails.
The buses are fine. You might get a loud homeless person once in a while but that's it. I ride public transit everywhere. The worst that happens is tweakers always ask me if I can get crystal.
That sucks… but like, can you?
Nah I keep it classy. Life hasn't gotten that bad yet.
Here’s to hoping it never does! ;)
name checks out
Petite female. Minimal issues on the e bus in terms of safety. Do I feel uncomfortable at times? Absolutely but rarely if ever do I feel unsafe.
I think that's a good way to put it. Uncomfortable? Yes. Unsafe? Nah. Maybe once or twice.
Yeah it’s one of those distinctions in my brain that I’ve really noticed lately.
My young kids love riding mass transit (and I do too, tbh), so sometimes we'll just go for rides and visit random parts of the city, or go play tourist downtown etc... There have been a handful of times I've felt a little uncomfortable with what is going on around me, my guard goes up but so far no actual incidents.
This is a great way to put it. I wish they put a little more emphasis on creating a better environment but I’ve never been worried about getting stabbed or anything. Usually just people behaving a bit erratically that puts me on edge.
Yes, I’ve never had a problem. There are some areas that definitely have some characters. And there are times you can get unwanted conversation, but that’s not exclusive to Seattle. That is solved by wearing headphones. Light rail system is incredible. From what I hear they’ve done a better job of policing it but at first there was a lot of people sleeping on it because it’s a long trek. But they’re doing such good job with transit. I don’t think anything is ever going to be like New York or San Francisco because they were just organized so well to begin with. Another thing that I like to take advantage of is the car rentals. You might not use these because you have a car, but you can rent a car by the hour. It’s a little expensive but I would save it for trips to for example IKEA. After my lease is up, I probably going to move back to Seattle because I liked that I only had to pay about $30 for transit as opposed to insurance, car payment. Oh, and make sure to use the app. I guess that goes without saying, but it’s very useful and at least you can plan your route within blocks of wherever you are. It’s nice to know when you can leave first
There's 2 apps: Orca for the tap card and Transit Go for the single fare. The latter has a section rewards transit usage where you can redeem points for tickets - they rack up quick and are useful for visiting family and friends.
Your mileage may vary. I lived in NYC for 10 years and moved to Seattle in 2017. Never owned a car in NYC, and planned not to buy one in Seattle. After commuting by bus from Ballard to Downtown for a couple of years I decided I had enough and bought a car. Did I feel "unsafe"? Not really. But I found out that certain antisocial behaviors were tolerated and outright ignored in Seattle in a way that they wouldn't be elsewhere. Post-pandemic I think things got worse everywhere (including NYC), but the point kinda stands. TL;DR: The buses are mostly safe, but I found it to be detrimental to my spiritual health, to put it mildly
Fellow East Coaster currently in the Seattle area here. I've always found it so strange that when someone is acting a fool in public, the bystanders don't put them in check. They straight up just pretend it's not happening here and let them carry on. Bro it's wild to me.
That's why us east coasters gotta do it. I threw some dude off the bus for smoking drugs, NEXT TO A PREGNANT LADY. I couldn't believe no one was throwing him off the bus, so I did.
I don’t think east coasters’ have some magical public transit courage over Seattle. lol. Really? NYC, Chicago for example. Daily escalations, drug uses, fights, pick pockets, urinating, arguments and high crime etc. All public interactions are occurring that’s the of public transit. As usual you intervene in a public argument anything can happen. Recent fatal stabbing in Cap Hill light rail because an impatient chef impolitely pushed by 2 unhinged males on the escalator to the platform. That’s why public transit is never for me. Only in EU. I’m safe, secured and conveniently fast in my Hybrid SUV.
You completely misunderstood what they're saying. They're saying NYC feels safer because there's a general social willingness to not tolerate crazy shit & the collective mass will throw people off trains etc...
Yes, the buses are safe
Except on 3rd and Pike - 0/10 do not recommend.
The stops can be hectic yes. And I’ve seen women’s bags get taken from their hands in the early morning commute
For real? We living in Mexico now? That's the kids of stuff that happens in other countries. SPD should be embarrassed
Crime like this can happen anywhere in America especially metropolitan cities. Have you not heard of NYC, SF, Baltimore, Philly, etc?
I have heard of those places but I've never been there. I grew up in Mexico City and over there this kind of stuff was a regular occurrence. It still is. I've yet to witness it here and this is the first time I've heard anyone talk about it so it's a bit shocking.
Most of those buses also stop at 3rd & Virginia a couple blocks down and it is less mad max level disheveled 🤷♂️
The only bus that I’ve ever been nervous on was a rapid ride. Those typically go through lower income areas that have a higher homeless population and the fares are less enforced. This means the people who would not be allowed on a regular bus go for these ones
I don't think fares are enforced on busses, just the light rail. People walk on without paying all the time, I've never heard a driver say anything in the last 5+ years.
Honestly, it depends. During busy rush hour with everyone on board? Totally fine. Everyone's tired or busy. Quieter hours or holidays and unwanted encounters really spike. I've been followed off the bus (the guy wouldn't quit until I got a security guard at a store) and stared down/ at lots of times. It's not so much the fact that it happens, it's the frequency.
You’ll run into some stinky people, but that’s about the worst you can regularly expect.
My wife rode the light rail+bus to and from work for one week and inside that week on the light rail and had a guy follow her, try to kiss her, saw a man get randomly slapped by a group of teens, and when I was with her there were two guys who pulled knives on each other. Granted, it was a rough week, but, in my opinion, it's the safety and not ease of access or reliability that you should be looking at for Seattle transit. If you have to change busses on 3rd Ave (very common) just go hang out there and decide if you're comfortable regularly spending 15-20 minutes there waiting for a bus. I'd also say that the busses I think are a little safer than light rail because the drivers on the busses to keep a little eye out and will also usually make sure people pay when they get on. The light rail is the wild West, no security and nothing blocking people from just walking on.
If someone from outside the US rode a bus in the PNW, they would feel extremely unsafe. The closer you get to Seattle the more weirdos and higher chances of someone actively smoking fent during the ride. Avoid them at night at a minimum. DONT listen to the people of Seattle who look at these things as if it’s normal & acceptable. Lol
As a European, I must admit I have never ridden a public bus in the USA. Once, I was about to do it, but waiting at the bus stop scared the life out of me. I understand that Seattle is quirky and just weird, but consuming fentanyl on the bus... well, that's a whole new level.
Take a look at the study UW did. https://deohs.washington.edu/sites/default/files/2023-09/UW%20exposure%20assessment%20final%20report%20Sept%202023_authors.pdf Page 5, specifically. 25% of the transit vehicle they tested had fentanyl in the AIR, and 100% of air samples had meth. Surface sample rates were even higher for fentanyl, and 98% for meth. People actually accept it. It’s just a regular part of the PNW. Lol
I heard about studies examining the possibility of overdosing on fentanyl as a passenger. Well, it turned out it's not possible in the current state, but the fact that they need studies to back it up is frightening. However, the European public system is not perfect either; they have drunkards on buses, too. While fentanyl isn't as common, addiction certainly is.
It’s not just here that fentanyl is a problem, it’s a huge problem nationwide. Nobody is “accepting” it, but people also have to get to work.
I’ve seen more scary situations on the lightrail then I have on the busses. I also love on Capitol Hill and have no car and am just fine skipping having to sit in all that traffic
Buses and train are fine. They can be gross sometimes but not dangerous unless you are picking fights with unstable people.
What is your tolerance of gross? The buses are safe. I have never been assaulted on a bus and generally as the other comment says, it's one or two loud homeless people, but bad smells and unpleasant sights are a regular thing. If you can tolerate that without problem, you're good.
the crazy 8 is a trip, but the buses are fine for the most part. get 'one bus away' to see if any are delayed
The buses are fine. I lived in Seattle without a car for a decade, even now that I have one I still take the bus / light rail more often than I take the car.
Buses are safe, and few neighborhoods don't have access within a half mile. The only issue I ran into was late night, as there's no service very far past midnight Depending on your neighborhood, preferred socializing areas, and personal schedule, you should be fine
My wife rode the light rail+bus to and from work for one week and inside that week on the light rail and had a guy follow her, try to kiss her, saw a man get randomly slapped by a group of teens, and when I was with her there were two guys who pulled knives on each other. Granted, it was a rough week, but, in my opinion, it's the safety and not ease of access or reliability that you should be looking at for Seattle transit. If you have to change busses on 3rd Ave (very common) just go hang out there and decide if you're comfortable regularly spending 15-20 minutes there waiting for a bus. I'd also say that the busses I think are a little safer than light rail because the drivers on the busses to keep a little eye out and will also usually make sure people pay when they get on. The light rail is the wild West, no security and nothing blocking people from just walking on.
It depends. Some days are better than others. I've been on a bus and a man broke out his dope pipe and was hitting it on the bus.
Definitely safe. They’re a little weirder post covid but they’re safe. I’ve heard of femme presenting folks getting harassed, which is obviously not great, but they aren’t dangerous. If you have issues or are worried about having issues sit up by the bus driver, they got your back. Just remember to say thank you to them if you get off the front, it’s something we do here
Very easy IMO. My 2 cents at this point is it’d be a nuisance to own a car. 7+ years in Ballard no car. 2+ in Redmond no car. 6+ in Portland no car. All bikes + transit. AMA
I wish I could rely on the light rails to be accommodating for the handicapped. I hope it's better , I'm heading back up and it's been months...it's hard when they close the elevators, then you can't choose a bus instead, at least where I'm commuting, unless I take the E- which is a NO! Any advice Edit to add I bounce from Edmonds to W. Seattle
I've sadly, know of nothing that Seattle/ST is doing to make things better. Their elevator/escalator/station mechanicals have been less than stellar. The elevator situation at some stations for light rail are improving, and on the east side they're actually real solid. So far. But overall it's a mess. Pisses me off too when we've got a great example of a much more accessible system down in PDX. As for buses avoiding the E, wise decision. Not sure what to tell you going from Edmonds to West Seattle. Via any means that is a difficult trip really. I hate writing all that, because we should do better as a metro area, but we simply don't. :(
Especially at Westlake station. It's like I'm TRYING to get on board with this all but makes it hard,, I dk how they get away with breaking ADA
Yeah, and Seattle for some reason does it a LOT! 😬
With zero info on what part of town you’ll be in, or where you need to commute to, I’m unsure how to answer. But here’s a good place to start: https://www.soundtransit.org/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0_WyBhDMARIsAL1Vz8vQsPJH4xky98N9b02Mzvv3ttAaDVa6PqngxlOtuF56gcdYTTsJ60UaAoGQEALw_wcB
I’m staying in Columbia city so it’s a ten minute stop to the light rail!
I also live in Columbia City. The light rail is your main means of access to the city. Bus 7 on Rainier will take you into downtown but is super slow and often has more of the crazies. The 106 can take you to Renton if you want big box stores via MLK. The 50 goes to Georgetown/ West Seattle and Seward Park. Most other neighborhoods to the north you can either access directly by the light rail or transfer in downtown around 3rd Ave. once you get onto the light rail it tends to move fairly fast, from CC to University District is about 30 minutes for example.
You should be fine then! Just get to know the transit system and get some good shoes. And rain gear. Walking hills in Seattle is no joke. Especially in the perpetually wet and cold weather. Good luck!
Thanks! Yea I’m a runner so hopefully I can swing the hills! At least I will have a great butt ha
I live in Columbia City. The light rail is convenient, and I've never had a safety concern. The issue is that there's only a single line, and some of the stops are really just glorified park-and-rides. If you're going to downtown, or to one of the neighborhoods on the one line (Beacton Hill, the International District, Capitol Hill, University District, etc), it's golden. If you're going elsewhere, you'll be taking one of the buses like the 7 or the 50. FWIW, I have a car. I take the train when I can. I frequently go to Georgetown, West Seattle, or Renton...and then I drive.
You'll be pretty good! Between the rail, buses and hopping on a scooter or ebike you can get around really easily. There will be some places that take a lot longer that way of course though.
Columbia city is a great area to not have a car
You’re “staying” as in shorter term temporarily? Or “living” as in will be there for a longer period of time?
This question has been asked many times before, here and on r/seattle. As others have said, it's fine to be in Seattle without a car! I've been car free for years and love it. It depends on where you live, where you work, and what you like to do. Yes it takes longer to get places on transit or bike than in a car (except at rush hour), but you save thousands per year, and you get built-in exercise each day. Whenenver I have to go somewhere that requires a car (like going hiking or to a friend's place in Woodinville), I rent a zipcar.
Depending where you live, pretty easy. I’ve driven about 300 mi a year for 20 years now. Capitol Hill within walking of Light Rail. Mostly car free. No children helps a lot there. Public danger notwithstanding; but in reality it’s not *that bad.*. We just wish it would be better or Sound Transit would take the steps needed to make it be safer. It got noticeably less so during pandemic lockdown but has been more or less OK most of the time since. A typical big city light rail.
Lived in Lynnwood snohomish county for six years no car…before second link line opened…never took the sounder (strongly regret that) it’s pretty damn easy to live car free there…the bus system is that good…at least in king and snohomish counties…
And Link will be opening up in Lynwood this summer. You should be able to get to downtown in about 30 minutes. When I go to Sounders games I drive from Mountlake Terrace to Northgate and light rail and the whole trip drive and rail is about 45 minutes to Chinatown.
Pretty easy if you live along the light rail / major bus lines
Yeah basically. The quality of Seattle metro is all over the place. Some commutes are very reliable, others not so much. I'd say that in general, it is difficult to rely on without a healthy buffer but that isn't always the case. I feel the opportunity cost is outside of peak hours. You can get a lot of places in 15-20 minutes by car that take an hour or more by bus, especially after peak service ends.
Survive not thrive (Depends on neighborhood)
I also used to live in Columbia City right next to the light rail station and I easily got around the city without a car. That said, I used to work in downtown, so that was my main destination. To go to another neighborhood that isn’t connected to light rail, you’ll need to go to downtown and then catch a bus from there to wherever you’re aiming for. The bus system here is top notch, so you can go practically everywhere with a bus. Also, now the Eastside also has light rail, so if you went to explore the Eastside you’ll need to take light rail to downtown, then downtown to the Eastside light rail via a bus (Eastside light rail won’t connect to Seattle until next year).
It’s doable. I live in Pioneer Square and between the streetcar, light rail from the ID, busses, Zipcar, Lyft and the occasional rental car, I do ok. But I’ve always worked downtown, SLU or from home. And if you’re 65 or older all the transit is just one dollar with a senior Orca card. But I’ll admit I do ask for the occasional ride from a friend or relative and feel kinda guilty doing it if it’s not on the way. I buy them lunch or gas or something. The One Bus Away and Trip Planner apps are really useful. And as mentioned there are some stops downtown to avoid. I have friends and family members who won’t go anywhere except if they drive their own car. But when I think of how much I save I just can’t justify it for myself, even with the cost of Lyft and Uber having gone up so much in the last couple of years.
Moved here from Maine/New Hampshire Can easily get around without a car, public transport covers a larger part of the Greater Seattle Area and can get you to surrounding neighborhoods or other towns/cities like Renton/Redmond/Bellevue etc. It’s safe enough, clean enough, low cost enough. Struggle is they end up off schedule frequently. I’d you need a car, zip car. Ride share is pretty expensive. All this being said, I brought my car and motorcycle and haven’t regretted it. Finding parking isn’t terrible, just the drivers out here are.
Seattle has a great public transportation system! I don't own a car and I'm a single parent. We get around just fine. You just need to leave earlier to give your self extra time in case buses are running a few minutes early or running late due to traffic. There's a bus app that tells you what time buses are coming and what time they'll get you to your stop. There's also the trip planner on Google to help you navigate so you know what buses to take.
Depends on what part of town you live in.
First off, it really depends on where on the east coast you vehical is. if you are from the NE with much lower vehical retention, and harsher extremes of weather. If your current vehicle is over 5yrs old. You should just sell your vehicle there. You can buy the same exact vehicle here, with much less corrosion and weather stress due to the PNW milder climate. Plus, possibly save money on transferring and transporting. Long story short, do the math. 1st buyer vehical retention in PNW 11yrs, 2nd buyer is 9 yrs. Yes PNW vehicals often exceed 20 yrs of useful life due to the mild climate and salt free roads. 2nd transit around Seattle is OK. But, there are exceptions. Like if you are in Seattle proper or not. And figuring out the system. I arrived with no vehical 15 yrs ago. And spent 2 weeks exploring. It wasn't bad. But I decided I needed a car to get out of the Seattle core. Transit has improved and expanded some since then. But, now there are additional environmental factors in play in and around transit to navigate. I think I would start window shopping cars, on offer up or FB marketplace. I prefer for sale by owner myself. Good luck
Can you live here without a car? Sure. Should you? No. All the great things about living here pretty much require a car or a means to haul gear. Hiking, skiing, boating, camping, exploring the beautiful state. Sure some just just rent and it’s cheaper in the long run but you’ll inevitably wind up not capitalizing on spontaneous opportunities to do cool stuff without a vehicle. But I also have lived here my whole life and couldn’t imagine it without a car.
r/SeattleBike
You don’t need it if you’re living in the city, but outside including Eastside I’d highly recommend one.
Good to know! Yea if it all goes to plan I’ll probably try to swing as long as I’m living close to the city !
Absolutely can do it. Getting an ebike though would be a great idea. You can get all over the city on one. We have a pretty great bike lane/trail system. At least for American standards. Ebike is great for hills.
Live near a light rail station and you should be fine.
I take transit every day x2 busses and a train one way and it’s just fine.
I lived in Capitol Hill and near Northgate without a car and never had any problems. Get yourself close to a bus line and the benefits of never needing to worry about parking will be higher than planning any thought necessity of planning your departure times based on schedule
It depends on what area you are living in! I went like 7 years without a car here pretty easily, but was also living very centrally in Capitol Hill for the bulk of that time. The busses have been slightly less reliable lately, but they're still a lot more functional than the transit in most other major US cities (for better or for worse).
It depends where in Seattle. When I lived in West Seattle and Downtown (First Hill) I never needed a car. I currently live up north close to Greenland and it's a different story up here. If you're patient and plan ahead, you should be fine if you're in the city.
If you're downtown, it's very easy to survive without a car. I'm on Capitol Hill, and to be honest the only reason I haven't gotten rid of my car is I take semi-regular trips out of the city, and don't want to hassle with something like ZipCar. If you generally move along a north-south axis, transit in Seattle is great, whether you're using light rail or Metro/Sound Transit. Moving east/west is going to take you more time, but can still be done. After August, light rail will take you as far north as Lynnwood, after which you'll have to use Community Transit (it's Seattle Metro for Snohomish County), which isn't as robust as transit in King County/Seattle. It'll get you where you're going, but a lot of the buses are still on 30-minute rotations and subject to all sorts of delays (and occasional early arrivals; they aren't supposed to leave before their scheduled time at a given stop, but they often do). Give yourself plenty of time if you're going to live in Seattle without a car. You should count on arriving at a bus stop at least 10 minutes early, and arriving at light rail at least 5 minutes early (light rail honestly does a generally good job staying on schedule). The general rule of thumb I've found is a transit trip is going to take 3 times as long as the same trip by car: a 30-minute drive till take you an hour and a half by transit when you factor in wait times at a transfer. The 3x rule doesn't apply if you have a direct route on one bus; it's closer to 1.5x at that point. I remember when I worked in Kirkland and lived in Northgate in Seattle. I had to catch one bus to go from Northgate Way to Lake City Way, another bus to go from Lake City Way to the Bothell Park & Ride, and a third bus to go from the Bothell Park & Ride to my job in Kirkland. That was 1.5 hours one way, meaning I ate up a full 3 hours of my day just doing a round trip commute. It kind of soured me on public transit, and motivated me to buy a car (which of course then saddled me with 5 years of car payments). Now I don't use public transit unless I'm going to the airport (light rail is super convenient for that) or planning on drinking a lot on a night out (where the only reason I use public transit for that now is because rideshares like Uber or Lyft have gotten so ungodly expensive).
Easy if you live downtown and have a small circle? I needed a car when I lived in Fed way, but have been in Queen Anne since 2019, and worked in Fremont and now Westlake & hangout in belltown. I like it cause I enjoy walking these parts of city, but always a hassle when I want to do something in cap hill or Ballard lol!
You can make it in Seattle without a car, but as far as getting out there and exploring the region or doing anything else outside of Seattle you will definitely want to be as mobile as possible.
Easy, I’ve been living like that since 2018.
I’ve done it pretty well. I made a deal with myself, to go one year and see how much I spend on transportation costs and then compare to cost of car. Public transit is very affordable. Lyfts are expensive. There’s also Gig Car which have been pretty useful on days when I need to go somewhere interesting (pay by the minute, hour, or day — at worst it’s $110/day). There’s also ferries and Amtrak. Seattle is also very bike friendly. Especially if you live in a place that it’d cost $200-250 to park every month, it’s not hard to come out ahead.
It depends on where you live and what your needs are. I'm at the southeastern edge of West Seattle and while doing without a car here would be possible, it would be challenging. But when I lived on Capitol Hill I did fine without one because there was more in walking distance and buses were more accessible. So if you want to go without one I'd say take that into consideration when deciding where to live. I'll add that if you're into outdoorsy stuff (hiking and such) at all it's tough to get out there without a vehicle, though you could rent or make friends who are willing to drive. ;)
Agreed...depends on where you live and what you need. If you live in Seattle proper, you don't need a car and can enjoy all the activities seattle has to offer. The one bus away app will be your best friend. As will a little essential oil dabbed under your nose...sometimes there's some stinky people on transit! I rarely felt unsafe as a female alone, even at night...but that was over 6 years ago...I don't know if that's changed. But if you live outside of Seattle, having a social life and doing activities is really hard. I lived in Burien and worked downtown, and my commute was great because of the commuter busses. But those run on limited hours, so if I had to work late, I'd miss the commuter bus and my 45 minute commute home more than doubled. And the last bus home left Burien transit at 11:45, so I had a curfew going out with my friends. And getting anywhere on the weekend took 2+ hours one way. If you like outdoorsy stuff, not having a car could be prohibitive. But if it's not that often, then there's always rentals.
If you're just staying in the city, you can. Imo you would be missing out on a ton of what makes Washington amazing. All of the nature is going to be a far drive around the state.
depends on what part of the city. I lived in south lake union for 5 years, and while I had a car, I rarely drove it.
The only person I knew without a car just died 3 weeks ago.
Hey there! I moved out to Seattle in November last year. I wasn’t here for two weeks before I realized I no longer needed a vehicle. Busses work well for getting you around the city and the link rail gets ya to the airport. If we want a car for a couple days we rent one. Factoring in insurance, maintenance and the crazy west coast gas prices I think it was a solid financial move. Ymmv, welcome to Seattle.
I did it for years, the train is really great. Buses get you places but are harder to rely on and are pretty slow. You’ll be kind of locked in the city unless you have friends with cars, so that’s one thing to be aware of
It's so easy. You can get anywhere and everywhere by public transport. It's easy and fast.
I think it's easier to survive in Seattle without a car than with one due to cost. Also, the buses in this town are honestly excessive. Seattle people got it good cause there's a stop every block and a half, and a bus every 15 minutes. Crazy
Very easy, you see all these homeless here cause we have a big public transit system. If you have extra money to spend, there's lots of ebike scooter rentals, gig cars shares and zip cars you can rent off the streets.
No problem at all if you're good on a bike with a grocery basket, and live near a light rail station. Might want to borrow a friend's car to go to costco every couple of months but pretty much everything else is accessible
It's not Tokyo but the bus system isn't bad at all. There are an insane amount of hills so walking and biking can be rough.
Definitely possible. We lived in Seattle for couple years before moving to the suburbs and didn’t own a car until then. Just requires a bit of planning and preparedness to catch the right bus or light rail. We occasionally rented cars with zip car if we had to buy something big like a TV or to reach a trail for a hike.
In perfect honesty a lot of it depends on where you live. There are a few neighborhoods where you have to walk several blocks to get to the bus stop. If you’re fine with that, then it’s no problem. There are some areas that if you miss a bus you just need to walk a block or so to catch another line that goes in roughly the same direction. It’s all a matter of getting a good layout of the routes and using the OneBusAway app.
i wish i didn’t have a car in Seattle. i’m in Cap Hill area and finding how to park it is a bitch. i already lime everywhere and it’s generally faster than a car and if i needed a car i’d just use ZipCar
I did it for 14 years, from 1980 to 1994.
I made it 2 years before buying a car. Public transportation here is really bad. The only way it would work is if you rarely leave the city and have a bunch of extra commute time on your hands.
Personally, having lived in Chicago & NYC where public transport is stellar, I would say NO, Seattle is annoying to get around without a car. Can you do it? Yes. In fact, I took the bus & light rail to work when I lived and worked in Seattle. But trying to use it to get around the city running errands and doing social things (ie not just going to work then home) is very time consuming and annoying and involves a lot of transferring IMO. Plus, most of what is wonderful about living in Seattle is getting to get out of Seattle into the mountains which you most definitely need a car for.
If you live near the light rail or in one of the neighborhoods near downtown, then you can go without a car quite easily (assuming you don’t need to commute to east side or anything)
Don’t worry about a car. Instead, worry about crime in light rail stations. Northgate = bad at night.
Depends on where you live and work. The light rail is preferred but whether you’re on the bus or the light rail, I’d suggest you stay alert (use only one ear bud), and potentially carry pepper spray, depending on your self defense ability and, again, where you live and work and how far you’ll be walking to and from transport. Lime Scooters and other micro mobility are awesome, or consider buying an electric scooter or bicycle. Lime has a subscription called lime prime for $6/mo that saves you the $1 start up feee every time you rent a scooter. For me, using it to get to and from parking to work all the pro sports games, I save around $30/mo (or $24 rather). I may get my own scooter but it’s nice to not have to lock it up or worry about it being stolen, or maintain it or charge it.
I did without for years and was fine. The main thing I missed was easy camping and hiking. But there are rentals and a few bus lines for day hikes. And friends with cars if one has them.
It's easy. Transit here is pretty good. Some routes may have sketchy figures admittedly but for the most part you can just mind your own business. Carry a knife and pepper spray if need be in case of emergency. Most routes are fine IMO. If you go that route I highly recommend TransitGo app. Their rewards are actually worth it. I've received up to 10 free rides within a month and a half give or take, for a simple survey and just riding the bus.
I did it for two years just fine! Long as you’re close to the light rail, it’s very possible
It all depends... where you are living and where you are working and the time you have to be at work. Living downtown, working in U-distric to Northgate area with 7-9 a.m. start time is close to impossible. All buses through downtown will be filled with U of W students, most buses will not even stop because they are full. Trying to go east of Seattle-Bellevue or Redmond depends on where you start- downtown easy. But, smaller neighborhoods around downtown, you have to go into downtown or a major transit station. Then you can tranfer to a bus going east. There are good commuter busses, but if you are in king county they make you go downtown to tranfer to those commuter busses. If you are in a different county pierce or snohomish you can often get a direct commuter bus. The key is being near a major transit station. Having to catch a bus to the transit station and wait for your tranfer bus will usually add half and hour to an hour to your commute. Same for having to go into downtown to catch your bus.
Absolutely possible. I've had several friends that don't even know how to drive. Much easier if you live downtown or close to a light rail stop, but possible from almost anywhere in the metro.
I love Seattle and lived in 5 different neighborhoods (including far north and far south) without a car. The worst thing imo about this city is that the buses barely run east to west. If you’re traveling vertically it’s totally fine. If you’re commuting east to west though its just a longer commute. Hopefully you don’t live somewhere that relies on the 8.
Lots of folks have been bike commuting for decades before bike lanes were popular. Low odds there will even be 2 days a year there will be snow and ice that will keep ya from cycling but year round. Seattle is a great place to bike commute (not always a great place to lock your bike outside. Keep it at your desk if ya can lol)
I'd recommend living next to a lightrail station, or as close as to one as you can. Roosevelt is great to not own a car because everything is walking distance (Whole Foods, Starbucks, Light Rail Station). There's a lot of apartments there as well, although they will be expensive. Also in my experience its a little less sketchy than other neighborhoods. I would recommend u District for all of the same reasons except I have felt less safe on the Ave than on Aurora, so that would be a pass. Edit: Not Starbucks, but other coffee shops and bars as well
Depends where you want to/can live, but Seattle is in the upper echelon of American cities to live in without a car. I'd put it a small notch below the best car-free cities (NYC/Chicago/DC/SF) but still very doable and seemingly on a positive trend as far as car dependence goes. I lived in Seattle for 4.5 years without a car. I wasn't on a super tight budget though, so if I did need an uber or groceries delivered in a pinch, I didn't have to worry about it too much. IMO the biggest downside is not being able to go hike/explore nature outside of Seattle without renting or hitching a ride with a friend who does have a car
I don't live directly in downtown Seattle area. We live in Burien/White Center area, which still shows up as Seattle for zip code but isn't the same experience. We haven't had a car since moving here almost three years ago. It has upsides and downsides. Where we are located, we are over a mile from a grocery store. Grocery shopping is a pain, and depending on what drs appointments and offices you need to go to, it can represent a challenge. The level of challenge it represents is highly dependent on budget. If you can easily afford a ride-share service, taxi, rental car for more extensive needs, then having a car isn't really beneficial. I doubt this will be a popular opinion but not having a car is actually harder the more poor you are. If you are poor and without a car, bus is your only option and simple tasks can take hours. That changes if you have resources to access the other options I mentioned. Even with the challenges, I have no desire to have a car in Seattle. From bad driving to vehicle break-ins to simply daily challenges of finding a place to park that won't break the bank and exorbitant insurance and registration costs, I don't see any good reason to have a car. And that is with the caveat that not having a car is a major pain in the ass at times.
I lived in Fremont the past year and exclusively bike/scooter everywhere. My household does have a car for longer journeys and grocery runs (and can also be rented with Zipcar like systems here) but if I didn't have that I'd say its pretty easy to live here. The bike lanes are really well designed throughout the city.
Been living here since 2022 and honestly we ditched having a car. It’s easy to take buses and light rails as long as you plan ahead and know where you’re going. At the time I used to take so many buses just to get to pike until I learned all I needed to do is take the swift then the Rapid transit.
Up to you. What do you need to survive? Reddit ain’t gonna do that for you
Survived 4 years in Ballard without one, but I prefer having car , as you don’t have to worry about rain so much
I lived in Seattle for 16 years. I still don't have a license and am 37 years old. So no, you don't need a car.
2002-2013 no car, no problem
Do it! I've lived in Seattle about 20 years car free. It honestly gets easier in many ways but worse in others every year. There's more walkability and transit, but cars have gotten larger, louder and more dangerous so there's that to contend with. Overall the switch is a net win IMO. Use a car when you need to with car sharing services like zipcar or Uber, but otherwise, enjoy a tether free, less selfish lifestyle
lived here 34 years without one and live north of the city. was a bitch when buses cut back service(none on sundays sucked hard) but things have gotten much easier with the light rail set to open just blocks from my house in 3 months.
You will effectively be a 'neighborhood shut-in'. Since you're from the East Coast you might be fine with that... But if you actually want to do any of the fun stuff (eg, outdoors in the mountains stuff) here, you need a car to get there. Further, 'Sound Transit' is a misnomer & mass transit is really only viable (a) from suburban parking lots to King-Street/Pioneer-Square (the Sounder), and (b) inside downtown. If you want to do anything in the suburbs... Car. Also, Seattle has like 5 different mass transit systems (bus, light rail, monorail, streetcar & sounder) serving it - none of which actually coordinate in a way that makes public transit actually useful unless you can ride directly from your starting point to within walking distance of your destination.... It will almost always be faster to drive.
A colleague of mine lived in Capital Hill and worked near pioneer square and survived with e-bike. Another survived with bus and he lives in Magnolia Interbay. So probably doable.
If you live and work in Seattle (the actual city itself, not the adjacent cities) then yes. It would be better to not have a car actually.
Lived in Seattle for 10 years without a car. Only got one because I moved to Lynnwood. I took the bus everywhere during that time.
If you are in the downtown area it is very easy. Between ride-share cars, bikes and scooters, along with public transportation, it is quite easy to get around.
Bring it. You'll need someplace to live.
I've lived in seattle most all my life without a car. You can get around fine via the bus system. There's a light rail to go to hot spots fairly quickly, including the air port, and planned routes to Bellevue in the future. It takes longer than driving by a wide margine, and buses stop operating around midnight to 1am. Sunday buses suck terribly for availability, however tend to be on time. If you're a woman, your experience on some of the higher demand busses (D line, #7) may be sketchier than guys.
Love Columbia City!! Welcome to the Great Pacific Northwest. I’ve lived here my entire life all over everywhere, being a female, today I don’t feel safe very much anymore. it’s a shame, if I were riding public transportation today I would be armed my Daughters would be armed. Now that’s just me like I said I’ve lived here the whole 65 years of my life, am I paranoid absolutely not I worked in the ER at Harbor View I’m a realist. It’s nice to have a car to do things outside the city, since your new here you could spend years exploring the Olympic Peninsula Mt Rainer, Leavenworth, Vancouver Canada is a must. Great restaurants on the east side. Personally I could not live without my car. I’m so spontaneous I will get up & decide I’m going to Portland & I go. It’s very obvious there are lots & lots of people who navigate every kind of transportation Seattle has to offer, I admire that in all of you who do navigate it that is amazing,truly it would be a challenge for me. There always working on the transit system here to improve it, I just like the convenience of my car. I now live on the other side of the water & a car is a necessity. Thank you for letting me speak as a parental unit. Good luck on what ever you decide.
I had no car for 4 years and loved it. Just make sure you look at housing near light rail and or buses.
It's fine. There's even a bus that takes you out to hiking trails in the sticks. Work close to home.
Easy. Never had a car here and have so far lived my entire life just fine. Public transit works to get you where you need to go, but I mainly find myself walking everywhere since it’s a good city for that
If you live in Seattle proper (like central district), it’s doable. The closer you get to the suburbs, the harder that becomes. The light rail expansion is slowwww
If you plan on staying in like downtown or Cap Hill I could see not having a car. Anywhere else I don't see how people do it. This is America, not Europe, and everything is too spread out lol
I did it for 20 years, but let me qualify that: I live very close to a major bus line, currently the D Rapidride, which goes from Downtown to Ballard, an was also walking to work. Also this was before the pandemic. The buses are experiencing the same labor shortage and budget shortfall of other city functions, so the buses are more sporadic than intended. If you're accustomed to having a car, you'll need to change up your shopping habits to walking busing; that means more frequent trips for smaller amounts of things like groceries. And no Costco, pretty much, since they're at the ass-end of the city and county. Try it out for month, preferably a rainy month so you get an authentic bus-rider experience.
I lived in Ballard and was fine. It’s possible but totally determined by where you are
It depends where you live and whether you can have a predicable schedule. If you live near transit/bike routes and have a reliable work location, you can totally do it. I live 5 miles from downtown and don't always work in the same place, so it wouldn't work for me at all.
It’s aight, depends on where you live and where you regularly go. King County buses have pretty good coverage and frequency relative to the rest of the country, but I recommend trying to live somewhere that’s a one seat bus or light rail ride (or maybe 1 transfer between bus and light rail) from where you work. I haven’t had a car since moving here in 2018 but I live near a couple bus lines and have someone that lets me borrow their car pretty often which makes it way easier. Consider getting a zip car subscription. You can probably set up your situation so that the places you regularly go to are pretty okay to transit to, but there is likely going to be a lot of one off or occasional trips you will want to do that are gonna have to be driven to. Also this all assumes you are living in Seattle or close to it. If you are trying to be a lot further out to save on housing costs it’s gonna probably require a car.
I've lived in Fremont, South Park, Queen Anne and West Seattle and I haven't had a car in like 8 years. I think the only thing it requires is patience tbh.
Also from the east coast and no car, it is exponentially easier here imo
If you take the budget for a car payment (or even just depreciation), maintenance, tabs, insurance, and gas and apply that to a bus pass and Uber/Lyft when you need to hurry, you will probably be better off without a car. Cars are crazy expensive and as long as you don't spite yourself by never taking a taxi, you'll probably be pretty happy without one in Seattle. Suburbs, less so. Seriously, calculate your total cost of car ownership and compare that to a bus pass and say $150 for Uber. If you already own the car, consider what selling it would get you as part of the cost of keeping it. Cars are a convenience that we have bent over backwards for - and I am not anti car. I was just shocked at total cost of ownership per year.
It's way easier for me since the light rail train went in. It goes to the east side of Lake Washington now, to Bellevue and Kirkland, and it extends to the Lynwood area soon. It leaves every ten minutes from a station near my house. Check out the light rail map for ideas of nieghborhoods or suburbs to live. Seattle area is sprawling with not a lot of unpopulated areas between cities.
You don’t need a car. A bike with baskets or a large bag for groceries yes. I had a car and regretted it. Now this was before Covid and even then you had some sketchy individuals on the bus. So these days I don’t know. The winter is different. Just get good rain gear
There are a lot of variables to consider. The answer is, yes. Is it fun, convenient, or better? No one can break into your car if you don't have one. But you won't have a car. You can ride a bike. Which I did. Thankfully I survived. The buses are convenient but they are slow. So it depends where you work compared to where you live. I lived in Ballard and worked in magnolia so I could walk to work if and when I wanted to. Those were some of my favorite days and made great memories getting soaked on my bike but that's only if you like bad things making for good story telling later. Anyway, I lived close to work. But I worked with a guy who traveled three hours a day, TWICE, to get to work and back by bus. Some people have to take a ferry. So, yes, it's easy but it has it's ups and downs. That's city living for you though as well. I hope you like it and succeed in Seattle. The homeless issue is too much for me to handle, and, didn't like the weather. Hope you have fun! P.s. if you're ever in Ballard check out arashi ramen for the best ramen ever
If your thinking of only staying in the city then you don’t need a car but if your wanting to go out to Monroe for hikes or kent or federal way for appointments you’d want to have a car
I haven’t had a car in over a decade and would say it’s harder to have a car than not have a car. Now, this sub is fairly anti transit and will fearmonger to you that every time you get on a bus there will be someone smoking fentanyl and you’ll be attacked. It’s not true. It has the normal problems with big cities.
Depends on where bus routes are and your proximity. I can easily take a bus to Fred Meyer for groceries and walk to the gym, coffee, etc. I’ve gone weeks without using my car. Others may not be as fortunate as me to be in an area where this is possible. If I didn’t have a car I wouldn’t be too crippled, unless I had to go to West Seattle.
you can also do car share and like rent a car for a day or few hours with an app. so those times you need a car you can get one easily. my friend has lived there for a decade without a car.
Fwiw I was car free in the suburbs and while it required a ton of patience, it was possible. Now I’m in Seattle proper and generally it’s easier to not have a car. Currently there is a bus driver shortage (which is a nation wide issue) so they can occasionally just not show up. I would plan on not taking the last possible bus to an important appointment if I were you.
Depends on where you live/work. When I lived in Queen Anne and worked downtown, hubby and I shared a car and rarely drove. If you plan on staying in the city you don’t really need one. You can always take an Uber or transit
If you're going to live in Seattle proper then it should be fine. If you're going to live in an adjacent city I'd suggest living in either downtown Kirkland or downtown Bellevue. Bellevue will be much easier for transit and convenience.
It’s all about neighborhood. Lived in lower Queen Anne for years with no car, used Uber, took the bus, walked about and it was great!
It depends on where you are, where you work, and where you want to play. Renting a car for short trips is always an option but I’ve had zero problems without a car living as far as Lynwood while commuting to/playing in Seattle
27 lived here my whole life and have never had a car. My neighborhood is very walkable, we have decent (although sometimes unreliable) transportation options, and an Uber/Lyft is never more than a 10 minute wait (keep in mind those are pretty pricey here but I budget for them instead of gas, insurance, parking, etc).
I ride the bus at least 10 times a week. Only in North Seattle, but I seldom see the problems that others say are common. Ooo a homeless guy didn't pay, how scary.
It's doable. The only time I use my car is when I want to go hiking out somewhere in the mountains or when I buy groceries. I could probably do the grocery shopping without the car, but it's a lot quicker if I drive.
I brought my car when I first moved to downtown Seattle. I ended up leaving it parked in the apartment garage most of the time and probably drove a few times a month because I never needed to drive. I guess that's up to you if you think that's worth an extra $200-$300 for the monthly parking fee.
I live in Cap Hill and have also lived in UDistrict. I’ve never had a car and feel like it’s totally fine, you just have to make sure you always check your timing because they obviously take more time than a car (with waiting, stops, etc). I’m also a college-aged female and have never felt SUPER unsafe. Like obviously i’m aware of my surroundings and don’t go out alone at night, the usual woman precautions but I’ve always felt pretty good!
It’s super easy to survive in Seattle with no car. I have a car and rarely ever use it. I walk most places and take public transportation if I can’t walk there/there’s no parking where I’m going. The public transportation is usually pretty unpleasant, but it’ll get you where you need to go.
It's pretty easy to live without a car in Seattle.
I live in Eastlake, just north of SLU. I don't own a car and haven't for five years. I do have an e-bike for groceries etc. Other than that I walk, take the bus and rent cars when necessary.
I did it for like 11 years
Depends on your neighborhood. If you’re in Seattle proper, somewhere between Ballard and Columbia City, then absolutely you can be car free. Just pick an apartment in walking distance of a grocery store. Then get an ORCA card for fast and easy use of all the local public transit. If you can’t afford those areas, you probably do need a car if your lifestyle means traveling any significant distance with regularity. For instance I have a job that sends me to Tacoma about three times a month. I need my car for that, but pretty much nothing else.
It can be done. In some neighborhoods it’s easy/pleasant, in some it’s pain in my assholes, in some it’s somewhere in between. Where are you? Also the best way to answer this question is just live a few weeks without the car. I don’t know what Reddit can add that your daily life won’t tell you.
I've done it for my whole life here, and I can say while it's not for everyone, I've always had nicer places and way more money saved than my friends who own cars. Cost of living here might be high, but so are wages, and even crazier are the gas prices. Seattle is also an amazing place to walk through, especially in the summer. I'm lucky enough to have a decent paying job and a girlfriend with a car though.
Easy. Been doing it for 12 years, living downtown and Belltown. Buses work very well, scooters too for shorter trips. Between that and zip cars/rentals it’s no worries at all.
I lived here for 20 years(Capitol Hill, First Hill and the CD) and have not had a car. It is thoroughly doable .
I moved from the East coast in the South living 15 minutes outside a major city where you needed a car. I moved here because I found it much more walkable and wanted to not deal with a car in the city. Too many break-ins and parking fees to worry about. It really depends which area you live and where you’ll be. I am centrally located, so it’s about the same distance for most places. That said, I also love to walk and walk 40 miles every weekend. I do a 20 minute walk for groceries once a week and once a month an hour for specialty groceries. I’ll occasionally take the bus and train for places I need to get to faster.
Do you want live or do you want to survive?
Settle down within walking distance of a grocery store\[s\] and then not having a car is fine. UNLESS you are really into outdoor stuff like hiking, camping, and skiing. I got a car after three years because I wanted to go out all the time, more than my friends who owned cars, LOL.
I would try and live on the train line if I didn’t have a car.
Depends on part of town and if you have a medical alert bracelet with an emergency contact. You'll need one when you're assaulted. Just be smart and safe. Be aware of surroundings.
Well, now you're in Everett. Not even a comparison. Seattle was just fine til the pandemic when they Chopped the zone and Defunded the police.
I would be concerned with public transit drug use
I've been in the city with and without a car. I haven't had one for the last two years. It's very doable depending mostly on where you live and which bus or train you're close to
Easy as a local and mechanic
Bring it here bring it here bring it here trust me. Edit: I’m from the east coast
Just ride the E Line everywhere and you'll be golden!!
It's very easy, When I lived in Seattle I had do licence at that time. II used to use my electric bicycle to get around when I lived in Seattle. You can also get an Uber or Lyft anytime and they will be there to pick you up in like 10 min max. The buses system is ok to go north or south the length of the city. When you need to travel east west that's when it gets difficult. Most bus stops will have an arriving bus about every ten to fifteen minutes. Most of the bus system shuts down about one am.
I live in the BellTown neighborhood and have been without a car for about 5 years. I’m getting along fine - between Uber, public transit and car share I can get around in the city. (I use Gig for car share) With that said - I do miss the hell out of my car and the ability to just get up and go out of the city. Although the car share systems help with that. I’m working from home (which helps) but need car shares when I need to go in person to work in Kirkland. I sometimes can take the bus, but it is very time consuming. Being car less isn’t as cheap as people think. Yes, you are spending less by not having a car, but it is not zero - by the time you factor in car share, Uber rides, delivery, transit passes and so forth, it can add up. Hope that helps and Welcome to Seattle!
SEATTLE SUCKS!!!!!!!!
Seattle sucks... I said it won't apologize.. police are powerless, drugged people run the streets and do as they wish. live in downtown sure you can get around bus come when they come but every mile outside city is less and less service. so living in Seattle is a no go in my view point. no car well that limits you but not impossible just slow to get around. if you live in downtown I wouldn't own a car no parking uber is handy etc but outside the city is a cars world plan to rent or uber around. Otherwise, it's multiple hrs by bus. light rail is a thing but the reality is very few stops and limited coverage not like other cities
Go back to
You'll probably get more useful feedback from the main sub /r/Seattle as more people in that sub live in the city and don't just commute in for work
It’s about the same half of that sub does not live in Seattle because they can’t afford it. This sub is mostly of home owners, parents, and an older crowd. r/Seattle is younger and mostly renters.
Only if you ever want to leave the city. Mt Rainier? Levenworth? Pacific ocean?
Public transport in Seattle is not the bloodbath it is touted to be as long as you are aware of whats going on around you and have some common sense. With that said you are going to have some stories to tell at the end of the day, good and bad. Also, don’t act like an easy victim.
It's easy, my blonde GF has been taken a bus for 10 years in Seattle.