Seattle — $50 Million Grant

July 2017

The Seattle Times reports that the City Council voted to accept a Federal grant of $50 million to build the Center City Connector line connecting the two existing modern streetcar lines. The city hopes to receive another $25 million in Federal funds next year, with the other half of the $152 million project.

This despite the fact that ridership and running on time are problems affecting the South Lake Union and First Hill routes.

Utility relocation is already underway along the new route. The new line will have dedicated lanes for the streetcar which officials hope will improve speed and reliability, leading to ridership of 20,000 daily by 2020 on the new line, with 26,000 total on the amalgam of the three lines.

The SLU line carried only 518,248 riders last year, a one-third drop since 2013 apparently due to streetcars being stuck in traffic congestion.

The newer First Hill line carried 840,049 people, or just 32 per train-operating hour, in 2016.

The Seattle Department of Transportation is studying options to move general traffice away from the streetcar tracks where possible.