Getting to the airport proves to be a dilemma for many Snoqualmie Valley residents.
Driving there yourself involves dealing with heavy traffic, fighting
for a parking space then paying for the right to keep your car there. Calling
a cab can take the driving stress away but can be costly. Taking a bus
was another option, until Initiative 695 last year sliced the number of bus
routes down to just a few.
However, worries will soon be over for those in a transportation
bind — a new shuttle service called Accurate Airport Express is coming to
the Valley.
Because it has never been offered before in the area, shuttle
owners Patricia and Takele Yetneberk hope their service will meet a local
need. Their light blue van with bright orange lettering will begin service on July 17.
“With the passage of I-695, passenger service has been
drastically reduced and our company will help fill in a lack of transportation
service,” Patricia Yetneberk said, explaining that before now, the nearest
shuttle service was in Issaquah.
She added that the Accurate shuttle would make stops in North
Bend, Snoqualmie, Fall City and Preston before heading to Sea-Tac. The
van holds 11 passengers and will make five runs every day, with departures
starting at 5 a.m. in North Bend. The last stop is in Preston at 4:30 p.m.
Pickups from the airport will start at 6:20 a.m. and end at 6 p.m.
The Yetneberks recommend that reservations be made five days ahead for
service to and from the airport.
North Bend passengers will be picked up in the Mount Si Senior
Center parking lot and Snoqualmie riders can catch the shuttle in front of
the Salish Lodge. Pick-ups in Fall City will be next to the Colonial Inn
and Preston’s route stop is the Park & Ride.
Residents from Valley cities are already calling the Yetneberks to
inquire about their service.
“We’re already busy and we haven’t started yet,” Patricia
Yetneberk said. “We’ve received such good comments from people calling. They
can’t wait until the van is in service.”
Yetneberk, a nurse practitioner, got the idea for the business from her
patients who could not drive and were having problems finding
transportation to medical appointments. After hearing those comments
the Yetneberks, who already own the North Bend Family Clinic and a
limousine service, decided to expand into the airport shuttle business.
The idea took several months of filing permits and working out
the details but is about to be realized.
“We like to serve the community because we know the need and
nobody around here can give this service with a cheaper price,” Takele
Yetneberk said.
The cost of one-way shuttle service to the airport from North Bend
is $25, from Snoqualmie it will cost $24, from Fall City, $23, and from
Preston, $22.
And if a shuttle van doesn’t fit your needs, Accurate also has a fleet of
Lincoln Town Cars to get you to the airport in style, for a one-way flat rate
of $55, or a stretch limousine for $65. The Town Cars hold four
passengers and can also be rented for special events or meetings.
Accurate Airport Express can be reached at (425) 222-4101 or
(888) 828-9780.
