Federal Way light rail offers greater transit access for Tacoma residents
The light rail expansion offers more options for commuting to Seattle.
By Ella Walken
Since 2016, the closest light rail station to UW Tacoma has been the Angle Lake station. The station is 19 miles away from campus and a 20-25 minute drive away. This changed on Dec. 6 with the opening of the Federal Way light rail station.
The transit hub has existed for decades with bus services, featuring a parking garage with 1,500 parking spots and access to multiple bus lines, including the 594 bus which runs from Lakewood to Seattle.
UW Tacoma students can use their ID card to ride the light rail for free. The ID must be tapped on the consoles before entering the station. These devices, which also are used for ORCA cards, stand on a yellow pole with a screen instructing the user where to tap. Without a valid student ID, one light rail journey costs three dollars. An all-day adult pass costs 6 dollars and can be used as many times as needed within the applicable period.
This Federal Way station is disability accessible, featuring an elevator from the ground level to the light rail platform. The cars feature seating facing both north and south as well as bicycle racks and accessible seating in the middle of every car.
Service from the currently southernmost Federal Way station varies. At peak hours, the light rail runs every 10 or so minutes with less frequent service in the early morning and late at night.
From this station, a trip to SEA airport is about 13 minutes. The journey to the International District takes about 40 minutes. The trip to Westlake in downtown Seattle is approximately 50 minutes with the trip to the University district running around 60 minutes. Taking the Sounder train from the Tacoma Dome transit station to downtown Seattle takes about 60 minutes as well.
Though these times are not faster than a trip by car on a day with minimal traffic, the trip may be much more peaceful as the rider will not battle airport and downtown Seattle traffic.
The Federal Way station will not always be the furthest south light rail station. A further south expansion to Tacoma is currently in the planning stage with an estimated start of service beginning 2035. When the Tacoma light rail station begins service, the route will also open stations in Fife and south Federal Way.
The Sound Transit website explains that the journey from the planned Tacoma Light Rail station to SEA airport will take 35 minutes and drop the passenger off right at the airport. Further accessibility to this light rail for Tacoma residents means more hassle-free access to Seattle, and at peak traffic, less time commuting.
