House hunting, bus chick style

For several weeks now, I’ve been meaning to tell you about Estately.com, also known as the coolest real estate website on the internets. In addition to the standard stuff (price, square footage, number of bedrooms, type of property, etc.), it lets you base a home search on proximity to transit (!) and/or a neighborhood’s walkability. So, for example, a person could search for homes under 500k, within a quarter mile of a 27 stop (yes, you can filter by specific bus routes), in a neighborhood with a walk score between 80 and 100.

This is brilliant–and something I’ve been dreaming of for a long time. I think I’ve mentioned that where a person lives is the single most important factor in determining her happiness and success as a car-free type. And until now, finding a car-free-friendly (car hostile?) neighborhood has required a fair amount of research–especially for folks who are not familiar with the area. Estately doesn’t eliminate the need to research the neighborhoods you’re considering moving to, but it certainly helps to narrow the field.

Plus, it’s pretty addictive. I’ve been playing with it all evening–looking for homes that are near Link, near at least two bus lines, in neighborhoods with walk scores over 90… I think I might have to move just so I can take advantage of it.

For now, Estately.com serves all the major markets on the West Coast, Chicago, New York, and Atlanta. (More cities to come!) They don’t have plans to create a similar service for renters (I imagine it would be hard to fund and possibly to manage), but I’ll keep my eyes open.

Eastbound 3, 5:40 PM

Two twentysomething guys are keeping the front section entertained with their end-of-the-workday banter.

Twentysomething guy 1: “Kate Moss rides the bus. Not this bus, but a bus.”

TSG 2: “She still in town?”

TSG 1, patting his chest: “Yeah–right here. I’ve got a teeny, tiny Kate living in my heart.”

A ride to the race

PictureRacing for the cure this Sunday? Sound Transit’s got you covered.

Whether you run, walk, or just cheer at the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation’s annual Race for the Cure, Sounder commuter rail can get you to and from the event at Qwest Field on Sunday, June 7.

The special Sounder service, dubbed Ride for the Cure, will serve Sounder stations in Tacoma, Puyallup, Sumner, Auburn, Kent and Tukwila, Everett, Mukilteo and Edmonds, bringing event participants to King Street Station in Seattle, just a short walk to Qwest Field. Regular weekday Sounder fares apply for the special trains.

Inbound trains will depart Everett Station at 6:25 a.m. and Tacoma Dome Station at 6:30 a.m., with both the northline and southline trains arriving at King Street Station shortly before 7:30 a.m. Return trip trains will depart King Street Station at 11:55 a.m. at the conclusion of the event. Complete timetables and fare information for the Ride for the Cure trains are at http://www.soundtransit.org/x10792.xml. Timetables for Ride for the Cure trains are also listed below.

I’ll be at the race on Sunday (never, ever miss it), but I won’t be arriving on a fancy, branded train. As always, Trusty 27 will be my ride.

Back on the bus

We’re back from a fun visit to Detroit. I must say, busing with a small child is good practice for riding an airplane with one. Bus Nerd and I are excellent at packing light (haven’t checked a bag yet), and we know how to keep Chicklet entertained on rides.* Chicklet is used to sitting quietly in vehicles full of people and a pro at sleeping on the go. As a result of her training, she was an absolute angel during our travels, including the bus rides to and from the airport.

On to the trip recap:

A good time was had by all. Chicklet got to help her granddad celebrate his birthday (that’s two grandpa birthdays in a little over two weeks) and just generally bond with her Michigan fam; Nerd got to bask in the joy of being in his city (the man loves Detroit at least as much as I love Seattle, and that’s a lot of love); and I got to indulge my secret affinity for candy paint and big wheels (hey–everyone’s got a vice) and enjoy being surrounded by tributes to my shero.

Rosa Parks Federal Building
Rosa Parks Federal Building
Rosa Parks Transit Center
Rosa Parks Transit Center – almost finished!

Sadly, I didn’t get a photo of Rosa Parks Boulevard; we didn’t have the camera handy.

We didn’t do much–OK, any–Detroit busing this time, as we were traveling with family (we walked a lot, if that counts), but because we intended to, Bus Nerd spent a little time on DDOT’s website. In the course of his trip planning, he came across these Arabic bus schedules. Cool, no?

And finally, a cool sign across from the area on Belle Isle where we picnicked for my father-in-law’s birthday.

A bus stop on Belle Isle

Bus Nerd says it’s a real bus stop. Next time, we’ll ride the bus to Belle Isle so we can actually use it.

* OK, not four-hour rides, but still.

Caption it!

The Bus Fam’s off to spend a few days in the Motor City, during which we will hopefully participate in (or eavesdrop on*) many a bus-wide discussion.

In the meantime, please help me with a caption for this lovely photo Bus Nerd snapped while we waited for the 4 on Memorial Day.

Gone fishin'
Northbound 4/48 stop (23rd & Yesler), 3:40 PM

You will note that Nerd is more respectful and considerate than I; he chose to include only feet and legs in this one.

As always, the best caption wins the envy and admiration of the rest of us, less clever, transit geeks.

* It doesn’t actually count as eavesdropping if it’s a bus-wide discussion, but you get me.

Speaking of trains…

Northbound 42/48 stop @ MLK & Alaska, 1:30 PM:

Train's a comin'
Train's a comin'

More interesting than the trains, even, was the odd encounter Chicklet and I had on Alaska on our way to the stop. A man rolled down his truck window and hollered:

“Ma’am? Ma’am! I suggest y’all get somewhere. There’s a bear on the loose in Seattle!”

Trains in the tunnel!

Starting today, light rail will be running in the bus tunnel–to test the system before Link starts operating in July. From Sound Transit:

Here are some things to know about tunnel operations during the next two months:

• Buses will continue to stop in the same locations at each of the five tunnel stations. Customers will board the bus at the same bays;
• Light rail trains will not carry any passengers until July 18, but will be stopping at mid platform to simulate boarding during the weeks leading up to the launch. Initially trains will be arriving every 10 minutes in each direction at every tunnel station except Convention Place;
• Buses and trains traveling in the same direction will be controlled by a signal system that is designed to keep a safe distance between the vehicles;
• There could be some slight delays in bus service, as bus and rail staff become more familiar with using the new systems in real time;
• Basic tunnel safety is still important. Never cross the tunnel roadway. On the platform, stand behind the yellow safety strip. Be careful of gaps between the platform and vehicles when boarding and exiting buses. If there is an emergency, which requires exiting the tunnel, use the stairways located in each station. Do not use the elevators or escalators, because they will be shut down in an emergency; and
• Starting Saturday, May 30, the DSTT [Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel, that is] will be open from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. weekdays and Saturday, and from 6 a.m. to midnight on Sunday for all current tunnel bus routes. When the DSTT is closed, tunnel bus routes will operate on Second, Third, Fourth or Fifth avenues in downtown Seattle.

I won’t be at the press conference this morning, and I’m thinking I should probably avoid the tunnel altogether between now and July 18th. I might just lose my mind and actually try to board one of those trains.