Walking to SeaTac

People walk to subway stations, bus stops, ferry terminals, and train stations. Why not walk to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport? I don’t mean from home. For me that would be more than 50 miles. I mean walking from the satellite parking lots along International Boulevard (SR 99) to the airport, or the other way around if you are returning from a trip out of town. There’s no good reason to do this, of course, other than exercise and the possible benefit provided by a good walk just before or after a lengthy airline flight.

I have been walking to SeaTac for years. The first time was about 10 years ago after K and I returned home from a trip to California. Noticing how impatient I was during the interminable wait at baggage claim, she said, “Why don’t you go get the car and meet me out front?” What a great mission. By the time I hiked to Budget Parking and drove back to SeaTac, she had retrieved our bags and lugged them out to the sidewalk. At the risk of elevating the incident to the status of “the perfect trip,” I’m going to claim that I didn’t even notice the traffic on the way home.

Walking isn’t for everyone. Travelers taking enough luggage along to start a new life probably wouldn’t consider it. And with Seattle’s famous rainy weather there are a lot of days when even I take a shuttle rather than getting soaked. They are free after all. But if you travel light, there are a half-dozen or so “park and fly” lots close enough to the airport to allow you to walk there in less time than the shuttle takes. By close, I mean a 10- to 15-minute walk on flat ground with sidewalks that are perfect for dragging along today’s ubiquitous wheeled suitcases.

Sound Transit’s new link light rail line forces most shuttles to detour north of the airport before circling back to the airport’s parking garage. That’s a point in walking’s favor because it adds extra time to each shuttle trip. Construction of the light rail station at SeaTac made another change that benefits walkers. The station includes a sky bridge across International Boulevard that both shortens the walk from nearby parking lots and avoids the need to wait for a traffic signal.

I’m not familiar with any other big airports where you can walk to and from the “park and fly” lots. At Lindberg Field in San Diego—I just flew back from there today—the walk would be at least two miles, maybe more. Denver would also be out of the question. But Albuquerque is a possibility, and so is San Jose. Beyond those four my flying destinations are limited. I do know you can walk to SeaTac, although there aren’t many people who do so.