Week Without Driving

View from cliffs above Maury Island Marine Area looking out over western Puget Sound down to the shoreline below

Opt Outside with Transit Trekker

Let’s piggyback on Opt Outside by spending the fourth Friday in November outdoors on a Transit Trek.

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What: A Transit Trek

We’ll take the King County Metro Rapid Ride C Line to West Seattle to catch the WSDOT ferry from Fauntleroy to Vashon Island, then catch King County Metro route 119 to Dockton Park. From there, we’ll hike through the Dockton Forest and down to the beach at Maury Island Marine Area, a trip of about 6 miles roundtrip, with mild elevation gain through the forest and short but sharp elevation changes en route to the beach and back.

Tacoma residents are welcome. The quickest way for you to reach Dockton Forest is probably to take the 118 from the Pt. Defiance/Talequah Ferry and bike to Dockton, weather permitting. Alternately, hop off in Valley Center and grab coffee or breakfast before hoping on the Dockton-bound 119 with the Seattle group, if you are up for this leisurely pace.

When: Friday, November 24, 2023

Plan to catch the Rapid Ride C Line to arrive at the Fauntleroy ferry terminal by 8:20 a.m., in time to board the ferry departing for Vashon at 8:30 a.m. We’ll catch the 119 to Dockton. For our return trip, we will aim to catch the 119 leaving Dockton at 1:03 pm back to Vashon.. Transit trekkers have the option of remaining on the 119 back to the ferry for a 1:35 departure, or hoping off the bus in central Vashon for lunch on your own and then catching a 118 to catch a later ferry sailing. Info about meeting the group provided when you RSVP.

Why: Enjoy Transit Trekking and Capitalize on Opt Outside

The October transit trek and trip audit to the Grand Forest on Bainbridge was a success and folks asked for more. Opt Outside is the perfect opportunity to continue raising the profile of transit-accessible recreation and the need for more and better rural mobility options, and to have fun.

How: Hiking boots on the ground and ORCA cards in hand

RSVP to get details about meeting up and preparing for the trip. For those who’d like to contribute to a trip audit, please let me know when you RSVP. I’ll have paper and online audit forms on hand. (What’s all this about an audit? See the October transit trek page here.)

Who: You

Info to help you decide if this is a trip you feel comfortable joining:

  • Attending is free, but participants are responsible for their own transit fare, lunch, and so on. Please note when RSVPing if you need assistance with fare; I’ll see what I can do.
  • I request that folks wear masks when we’re riding the bus together (about 25 minutes each way).
  • We’ll go rain or shine, but extreme weather may cancel.
  • The total round-trip mileage is about 6 miles, with mild elevation gain in the forest and short, more acute elevation changes of about 400 feet each way to and from the beach at Maury Island Marine Area. For those who wish to extend their hike, you can head over to Maury Island Marine Park, but be sure to be back to Dockton in time to catch the next and last 119 at 4:00 pm, or nearby along the 119 route in time to flag the bus down (I can point you to specifics the day of.)
  • Restrooms access at Fauntleroy terminal, on the ferry, at Vashon Island Terminal, at some Dockton Park, and a portpotty en route to the beach.
  • Kiddos: This trip should be manageable for kids who can walk up to six miles on their own and/or with caretaker assistance. There’s a playground at Dockton Park that is currently closed for upgrades but is scheduled to be open by the time of our hike. UPDATE, November 7: King County Parks now reports that the playground upgrades won’t be completed until December.
  • Dogs: Metro allows dogs on board at driver discretion, so most dogs may be able to make this trip; if anyone joining is uncomfortable with pups, I might ask dog walkers to walk a bit ahead of or behind the main group and to be extra mindful.  Dockton Forest and the marine area are both dog-friendly; leashes required. Ferry policy is here.
  • Service dogs are always permitted on transit.
  • These paths are generally not wheelchair friendly, though those who use some motorized mobility devices may find the trails reasonably navigable. The beach section of the hike is generally not navigable for mobility devices.
  • For deaf or hard of hearing participants, please note your access needs in the RSVP form. While I don’t have the budget to hire an interpreter, I will do my best to work with you to find a good alternative. 
  • Bicycles are permitted in parts of Dockton Forest trails so cycles are welcome if you’d like to start and end a bike foray by traveling with hikers to and from Dockton, keeping in mind that buses typically have a maximum of 3 bike racks per bus.
RSVP NOW
What to Bring
  • ORCA card or cash for fare
  • Dress for weather. We’ll go rain or shine, but extreme weather may cancel. 
  • A mask to wear on our two bus rides
  • Snacks and water (water fountains at both ferry terminals, on the ferry, and at Dockton Park marina)
  • A sack lunch if you want to explore Vashon post-hike but don’t want to buy lunch in town
Handy Links
What About the Water Taxi?
  • The King County Water Taxi between downtown Seattle and Vashon only runs on non-holiday weekdays at this time.

Edited 10/28/23 to add Tacoma information and 11/7/23 to update playground re-opening.

A narrow dirt trail bounded by brush in the foreground, with many conifers in the distance, along with a mountainside peeking out between the trees.

Transit Trek with Me

As part of the National Week Without Driving, please join me for a Transit Trek and Trip Audit.

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What: A Transit Trek

We’ll take the ferry to Bainbridge Island, catch a bus on Bainbridge and walk to the Grand Forest Trailhead to hike the Cross Island, Forest to Sky, and Battle Point trails, a total of about 4.7 miles. We’ll enjoy an easygoing hiking pace while also auditing our experience by noting the good, bad, and confounding about using transit for this recreational trip.

When: Saturday, October 7, 2023

Plan to catch the 9:35 a.m. ferry to Bainbridge at Colman Dock. Return to Seattle on the 2:10 p.m. ferry back to Seattle — or later if you want to mosey around town. This includes time to regroup in town and gather outdoors for an informal debrief over lunch. Additional info provided when you RSVP. 

Why: It’s the National Week Without Driving

The goal of the National Week Without Driving is to highlight challenges faced by people who can’t drive or can’t afford to drive by asking people who can drive to go a week without driving themselves. Taking transit has its benefits, but also a lot of gaps, including when it comes to getting out for recreation. By auditing a recreation-based transit trip, we’ll be able to highlight the gaps in infrastructure and service that, if addressed, would improve recreation as well as everyday transit trips. 

How: Hiking boots on the ground and notebooks and smartphones in hand

During our hike, we’ll chat about and document the experience — such as schedules, facilities, navigation, or safety — basically, anything of note related to getting to and from the Grand Forest and Battle Point Park without driving ourselves. I’ll compile our audit notes and photographs, publish a summary on the blog, and share the full audit with relevant agencies (parks, transit, transportation). We’ll also highlight where basic needs of transit-reliant people overlap with recreation needs, such as expanded weekend service and safe walk and roll routes. The goal is for this trip audit to demonstrate that people value investment in expanding bike, walk, and roll infrastructure and to put some of the barriers and needs on the public record.

Who: You

Info to help you decide if this is a trip you feel comfortable joining:

  • Attending is free, but participants are responsible for their own transit fare, lunch, and so on. Please note when RSVPing if you need assistance with fare; I’ll see what I can do.
  • I request that folks wear masks when we’re riding the bus together (about 10 minutes each way).
  • We’ll go rain or shine, but extreme weather may cancel.
  • The total one-way mileage is 4.7, including about 1 mile of walking on the side of a low-traffic road that has no sidewalk or real shoulder. Overall elevation gain is mild to minimal. 
  • Restrooms access at Colman Dock, on the ferry, at Bainbridge Island Terminal, at some Grand Forest trailheads, and at Battle Point Park. I have an e-mail inquiry to Bainbridge Island Parks about whether there is any kind of portapotty or similar restroom access in the Grand Forest.  
  • Kiddos: This trip should be manageable for kids who can walk up to five miles on their own and/or with caretaker assistance. After the first 3.5 miles, in Battle Point Park, playground options are nearby. 
  • Dogs: Kitsap Transit’s pet policy is “small animals inside enclosed pet carriers” only, so very small dogs may join this trip and are welcome; if anyone joining is uncomfortable with pups, I might ask dog walkers to walk a bit ahead of or behind the main group and to be extra mindful.  The Grand Forests and Battle Point are both dog-friendly; leashes required. Ferry policy is here.
  • Service dogs are always permitted on transit.
  • Battle Point Park has some wheelchair accessible paths, but the Grand Forest trails are not wheelchair friendly. If you use a wheelchair and want to meet the group at Battle Point, please include a note in your RSVP. Then plan to meet the rest of the group at Battle Point Park at approximately 11:45 a.m.
  • For deaf or hard of hearing participants, please note your access needs in the RSVP form. While I don’t have the budget to hire an interpreter, I will do my best to work with you to find a good alternative. 
  • Bicycles aren’t allowed on the Grand Forest trails or Forest to Sky trail as far as I can tell, so if you prefer to meet us via bike, you’ll need to figure out how to secure your bike near the trailhead. Or, you can meet us at Battle Point Park. 
B.I. Rides

I will request that Kitsap Transit’s B.I. Rides (a quasi-on-demand service) pick up the first five RSVPS at Battle Point to go back into town. (Why B.I. Rides? Because fixed-route transit doesn’t serve Battle Point on the weekend.) The limit I can request is for six people. If more than five folks RSVP, I’ll look into a shared cab back to town. If you are up for the return hike and are willing to catch up with us back in town, that works, too! 

RSVP NOW
What to Bring
  • ORCA card or cash for fare
  • Dress for weather. We’ll go rain or shine, but extreme weather may cancel. 
  • A mask to wear on our two short bus rides
  • Snacks and water (water fountains at both ferry terminals, on the ferry, and at Battle Point)
  • A sack lunch if you don’t want to purchase one in town
Handy Links
Transit stops near Colman Dock include
  • Metro route 12 stops at 2d and Marion; from there cross 1st and follow the pedestrian walkway to the terminal
  • Rapid Ride Line C and Line H and Metro route 21 and route 125 stop at Alaskan Way and Columbia St. Other routes serving this stop don’t run on weekends. 
  • Link Light Rail: University St or Pioneer Sq