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Commuting Sumner to Seattle via "Sounder?"

3890 Views 9 Replies 7 Participants Last post by kellyc, Jan 6, 2010

kellyc

Discussion Starter · Dec 29, 2009

I figured I try a thread here since most mountain bikers also have to live and work somewhere, plus a lot of you guys tend to work in the same profession as I do.

My wife and I want to move our family back to her hometown of Sumner. We've spent the last ten years in Southern California.

I'm a technology product marketer and odds are the job I find that brings us back to Washington will be at one of the usual suspects (Amazon, Microsoft, etc.) in the Seattle area.

Moving anywhere other than Sumner is not an option as we ample family in the area that will help us establish longterm roots.

I understand there is a light rail station (The Sounder?) in Sumner feeding several stations in the Seattle area.

I would appreciate hearing from other commuters as to whether or not it is realistic to count on commuting everyday from Sumner into the Seattle area via the Sounder. Keep in mind I also ride a touring style motorcycle and would try to break up the weekly commute by riding into work. However, being the new guy on the block I know I'm going to have to put in serious hours at whatever position I find and I'm concerned about betting my success at a new job on riding a train back and forth to work. Mass transit is a virtual unknown to me. Also, can you take bikes on the Sounder?

Anyone commuting into Seattle from Sumner via the Sounder? Any advice is appreciated.

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cwmtb1

· #2 · Dec 30, 2009

The Sounder

KellyC,
I take my bike on the train everyday and it's a breeze... I jump on in Puyallup (the stop before Sumner) and jump off in Kent. All cars of the train hold two-four bikes and in most cases, the train is more reliable at getting you to work on-time versus making the drive. I think there about five different departing times in the morning and the same for coming home. I can count on one hand the times I have experienced a delay of 15 minutes or more this last year. If you would work in Seattle, I'd bet it's quicker and cheaper (depending on your car), to take the Sounder.... :thumbsup:

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trees4me

· #3 · Dec 30, 2009

Yeah, the sounder works well to Seattle. A lot of people (including myself) work outside of seattle in places like Bellevue, Redmond, Everett, etc...

If you absolutely have to live in Sumner, I'd limit your job search to Tacoma, Seattle, and everywhere in between (Renton, Burien, Kent, Auburn, Fed Way)...

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tductape

· #4 · Dec 30, 2009

There is also a nice MUP that goes from just N. of Sumner into Seattle, when it's time to put on some road miles.

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kellyc

Discussion Starter · #5 · Dec 31, 2009

cwmtb1 said:
KellyC,
I take my bike on the train everyday and it's a breeze... I jump on in Puyallup (the stop before Sumner) and jump off in Kent. All cars of the train hold two-four bikes and in most cases, the train is more reliable at getting you to work on-time versus making the drive. I think there about five different departing times in the morning and the same for coming home. I can count on one hand the times I have experienced a delay of 15 minutes or more this last year. If you would work in Seattle, I'd bet it's quicker and cheaper (depending on your car), to take the Sounder.... :thumbsup:

Thanks for the reply. We are up here over the holiday and I drove to one of the neighborhoods in Seattle today from Sumner to visit a high school friend. Needless to say the drive was sort of an eye opener. I think trying to get a gig with MS in Redmond is a no go. I'm liking the idea of the Sounder more and more but would hopefully find something in Kent.

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kellyc

Discussion Starter · #6 · Dec 31, 2009

trees4me said:
Yeah, the sounder works well to Seattle. A lot of people (including myself) work outside of seattle in places like Bellevue, Redmond, Everett, etc...

If you absolutely have to live in Sumner, I'd limit your job search to Tacoma, Seattle, and everywhere in between (Renton, Burien, Kent, Auburn, Fed Way)...

The plan is to focus on Tacoma and even Olympia as well as Kent, Auburn, etc. I'd prefer to work for a smaller B2B software company or a marketing agency and am hoping to find a smaller shop somewhere closer to Sumner.

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Corey52

· #7 · Dec 31, 2009

If any of you taking the Sounder and are coming through the Tukwila/Renton station between 6 and 7 am and see an orange forklift pulling a shuttle, give him a wave

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MarkEasthill

· #8 · Jan 1, 2010

Southbound Sounder morning riders???

Looks like all comments here were from ppl going north in the morning runs...
Anyone know what its like on avg for bike room between Kent & Puyallup, earlier this month of Dec.? probably was less crowded past 2 wks w/ more ppl on vac. Anyway, I last month rolled my bike on & there was already 5 cycists in the far north car. 6 bikers not really a problem, just have to stand w/ your bike when you're boarding later.
Thanks
:thumbsup:

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Rock Climber

· #9 · Jan 4, 2010

kellyc said:
The plan is to focus on Tacoma and even Olympia as well as Kent, Auburn, etc. I'd prefer to work for a smaller B2B software company or a marketing agency and am hoping to find a smaller shop somewhere closer to Sumner.

If you can, I think that's the best plan, although I would lean towards Kent or Auburn as they seem to have more options, and it's actually easier to get there than Tacoma (Olympia would be quite a haul). I ride the sounder everyday from Sumner to Seattle and I actually really like the train, it's well lit so reading is easy, very reliable as has been mentioned and so much faster than driving. I have never had a problem fitting my bike on although I have had to stand once or twcie, but that's because I didn't have enough time to look for less crowded cars.

The big thing I hadn't counted on is that I have to take a bus once I get off the train and that adds 15 to 20 minutes, and I work right in downtown Seattle. I have a few neighbors who work in Bellevue and Redmond and they take vanpools. The problem with the Sounder in those areas is that you are still so far away once you get to Seattle.

One more downside to the train is it doesn't run very late. 6:15 is the last option. Take a look at the sounder schedule here. http://www.soundtransit.org/

If you want to talk in more detail feel free to pm me.

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kellyc

Discussion Starter · #10 · Jan 6, 2010

Rock Climber said:
If you can, I think that's the best plan, although I would lean towards Kent or Auburn as they seem to have more options, and it's actually easier to get there than Tacoma (Olympia would be quite a haul). I ride the sounder everyday from Sumner to Seattle and I actually really like the train, it's well lit so reading is easy, very reliable as has been mentioned and so much faster than driving. I have never had a problem fitting my bike on although I have had to stand once or twcie, but that's because I didn't have enough time to look for less crowded cars.

The big thing I hadn't counted on is that I have to take a bus once I get off the train and that adds 15 to 20 minutes, and I work right in downtown Seattle. I have a few neighbors who work in Bellevue and Redmond and they take vanpools. The problem with the Sounder in those areas is that you are still so far away once you get to Seattle.

One more downside to the train is it doesn't run very late. 6:15 is the last option. Take a look at the sounder schedule here. http://www.soundtransit.org/

If you want to talk in more detail feel free to pm me.

Thanks for the good advice. The best part about our situation is we don't have to make a move until I find the right fit. Our daughter is 6months old and we want to at the max. be up there by the time she's two so I've got some breathing room.

But leaving CA. and making the move is kind of like pulling off a band aid, the sooner we do it the better.

I could probably land a job at MS within months but I know I'm trading a lot of "work/life balance" away just with the commute.

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