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Last updated August 2006
Streetcar Breaks Ground
July 7, 2006 was a historic day for the city of Seattle when the South Lake Union streetcar line broke ground with great fanfare. Despite the blazing heat (by Seattle standards), hundreds of attendees swarmed the blocked-off section of Terry Avenue between Harrison and Republican, along with dignitaries and speakers that included: Mayor Greg Nickels, Senator Patty Murray, Acting Secretary of Transportation Maria Cino, Congressman Jim McDermott, State Representative Ed Murray, and Seattle City Council members Jan Drago, Richard Conlin, Sally Clark, Jean Godden, Tom Rasmussen, and David Della, among others.
In lieu of an actual groundbreaking, Mayor Nickels—with a little help from Senator Murray—welded together the first section of rail for the streetcar's track. Great food, lively music, festive decorations and a huge crowd rounded out the occasion.
The streetcar will offer a great service to Seattle by providing a 1.3 mile route between downtown and the South Lake Union neighborhood. The line, expected to accommodate up to 300,000 passengers in its first year, is designed to reduce dependency on cars in South Lake Union and provide more options for trips. The trains will be ready for passengers in the fall of 2007.
This website will post periodic updates for big events. For more detailed information, please visit http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/stcar_slu.htm.
Seattle Streetcar Network
The Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle and the Seattle Streetcar Alliance are exploring an expanded streetcar network that integrates the South Lake Union streetcar line with portions of downtown Seattle and inner Seattle neighborhoods. An expansion of the streetcar system has the potential to increase accessibility to these neighborhoods, making them more economically viable and improving the quality of life for the residents in those neighborhoods. This in turn will ensure continued growth within the city and the city's continued economic health.
It will examine the operating costs for the following extensions:
- South Lake Union from Yale to the University of Washington
- International District up Jackson Street
- Waterfront line to SoDo and/or Terminal 46
Basic route configurations and costs have been explored in the City of Seattle document Seattle Streetcar Network and Feasibility Analysis, produced for the city in 2004 by Parsons Brinckerhoff http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/streetcarreport.htm. These cost estimates will be reviewed and compared to costs for similar streetcar systems currently operating in the U.S.
For more information, please visit: http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/streetcarnetwork.htm. You may also contact James Kelly, CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle at jkelly@urbanleague.org.
Other Links
The City of Seattle’s Streetcar Web site
The City of Seattle’s LID FAQ
Link to the capital and financing plan
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