Seattle — Streetcar Network Study

Rail Transit Online, February 2008

The City Council Transportation Committee on Feb. 5 approved a $375,000 feasibility study of six potential new streetcar lines that would serve much of Seattle. The routes include:

• Waterfront to Ballard via Interbay;
• South Lake Union along the east side of Queen Anne Hill to Fremont and possibly Ballard;
• The east side of Lake Union to the University District;
• South from Jackson Street to West Seattle;
• Jackson Street to Broadway and Capitol Hill;
• East from Seattle Center to Broadway and Capitol Hill.

Five of the alignments were suggested by the Seattle Streetcar Alliance, which is promoting a trolley network for the city. The study, due for completion in May, will look at ridership, traffic conflicts, cost and other factors.

The new lines would be in addition to the heritage Waterfront Streetcar, where service is currently suspended awaiting construction of a new maintenance facility, and the modern South Lake Union Streetcar which opened in mid-December. Daily ridership on the latter route plummeted from 3,900 to 1,000 after free rides ended; the fare for the 1.3-mi. (2.1 km) trip is now $1.50.