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Transportation
There might be no topic that Seattleites discuss more than transportation. From the daily traffic grind to light rail construction to the thorny viaduct replacement issue, transportation is always a conversation-starter. For the most part, as of 2006, Seattle is a driving town. Seattle lies at the intersection of two major interstates, I-5 and I-90, and is also served by State Highways 99 and 520. It is also ringed by the semi-circle of I-405, which connects the suburban towns on the east side of Lake Washington.
A good number of people are bus-riders, but there isn’t nearly as much public transportation usage as cities like Chicago, New York, and San Francisco. Even neighboring Portland and Vancouver have more comprehensive public transport than Seattle. While the city’s recent flirtation with a monorail ended last fall, the massive, county-funded Light Rail system (opening in 2009) will run from downtown south through Columbia City to Tukwila (a short bus from the airport). Future extensions of the system will carry it to SeaTac in the south and Northgate in the north.
Seattle is served by a world-class airport (SeaTac) that is currently constructing a third runway. The city is a hub for ferries to the San Juan Islands, as well as Victoria and Vancouver, Canada. It is also the launch point for over 200 cruise ships a year heading to Alaska.
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