[Transit] Follow-up: Visit to the airport for transit

[Wes Mills]

OK, now that I have a few minutes to type out some emails, here goes!

Saunatina and I visited our region's most-used passenger airport to have a look at the pedestrian, bike, and transit riding experiences.  Here's what we found:

First, the pictures from Saunatina's camera, including pictures of the experience getting to the airport (like, you know, escalators): https://photos.app.goo.gl/qbjmwbdMbKcA9c1HA

The good about train and bus infrastructure the airport: There are bathrooms!  It's not widely known but, yes, SeaTac Airport Station does have public restrooms on the train mezzanine level and they're open more often than not.  You can find them on the otherwise blank-looking walls around the corner from the center ORCA machines.  Also, the Port has done some work to enclose the (long) walkway to the terminals so the wind isn't as terrible as it used to be in the early days.  Plus there's the golf cart shuttle that, try its little heart out, does work.  The public art is very nice, if out of the way.

Signs inside the terminal building are clear...if you know what they mean.  I was initially critical of the bus signage but Saunatina rightly pointed out that if you are going to be taking a bus from an airport, there's a very good chance you know what route number you want, so the airport's showing those routes on the static signs makes sense.  After many years of arguing with the port, *all* of the Link signs *finally* read "Link light rail / Train to Seattle."

The mediocre: Like all of our elevated stations, this is a hulking beast that is not very inviting.  Because of Port security concerns and not wanting people to haul luggage carts to the trains, there are physical barriers in between the fare paid area and the terminal walkway.  (The only place on Link that actually looks like turnstiles.)  Also, if you are coming from a bus on Int'l Blvd you get not just one but *two* breezy walkways over automobile lanes and the one that crosses Int'l Blvd requires using some elevators or some daunting stairs.

There are digital signboards at the southern end of the passenger terminal, outside security, showing real-time arrival information.  Why is this "mediocre?"  Because they only show information for the scheduled airporter van shuttles, not other public transit.  I would love to see those signs showing train and bus information, especially once the train extends to Federal Way, Lynnwood, and Redmond in the near future.  (Though only the 1 Line will go through the airport, showing connecting information to the 2 Line in the ID would be amazing.)

The bad: I don't see anything as particularly *atrocious* for this area but that's damning with faint praise.  In any other country, this design--especially the buses being out on the busy stroad separated from the airport destination by *another* basically-freeway--would be rejected as "unworkable."  If you are not physically fit, you get to experience our wonderful vertical conveyance system and I imagine we can all quote the automated announcement about "the SeaTac elevator at the east end of the pedestrian overpass."

Also, the bus stop along the road next to the airport terminal is so drastically underutilized that members of the general public could flagrantly violate the "no parking, stopping, standing" signs and spend several minutes exchanging luggage and goodbyes.  No buses showed up to even indicate that this is an active bus stop.

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And now, bike infrastructure:

The good: Actually, the Port has done really well on the inside of the airport (more on why I called out *inside* in just a moment).  There are short- and long-term bike racks inside the terminal building but outside security, both complete with air pumps and repair tool stands.  They are brightly lit and very visible.  I would have no qualms about leaving my RadRunner+ here for a weeklong trip.

The mediocre: There is no indication, as far as I saw, outside the airport that this is available.  A sign that isn't entirely clear on what it means is present at the north end of the terminal parking garage next to some sad outside bike racks.  And if you arrive by bike on Int'l Blvd, you will be presented with *zero* indication that bike parking exists inside the airport and instead shown a handful of open-air bike racks and some bike lockers that aren't yet on Bikelink (so if you don't have a key, you can't use them).

The bad: Now...about *getting* to the airport on bike.  If you're coming from the north, don't bother, don't attempt it and risk your life.  Here's a thread on why: https://twitter.com/bikebremerton/status/1510016785625407489

The signed bike route is via Air Cargo Road which was _barely_ OK at its best before but now is completely impassible due to construction on the new International Arrivals Building.  I can't find information on if this route will be reopening for bikes at all but the fact that Air Cargo Road's signs have been covered with "no public access, authorized traffic only" placards is concerning.

If you are coming from the south, however, you do have some options.  They're not fantastic (taking the Interurban and then climbing almost 800' of elevation out of the valley over some steep hills or risking SR 99) but they're at least present.

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Finally, pedestrian infrastructure:

The good: Nope.  Nothing at all good here.  You're not supposed to get to the airport on foot from any other mode of transportation and *wow* does it show.

The mediocre: To Metro's credit, buses do stop at the only intersection on Int'l Blvd where pedestrians could even access the airport but it is not an inviting access path at all.

The bad: Everything else.  You are walking next to a loud and busy stroad, you have to use very long crosswalks, and the pedestrian "front door" to the airport is half covered by construction fencing.

That went on for a lot longer than I expected but it was a very illuminating experience, even for someone who has been to the airport dozens of times.  Thanks a lot to Saunatina for arranging, for meeting up and letting me ramble on about usually-unrelated topics, and pointing out things I missed and ideas I hadn't thought of.

Wes